I used to Studio Classic Builder
When I build something, its usually because I had an idea and vision in my mind that I wanted to make into reality. When building it, it never looks exactly what I invisioned, but it comes close. Also when building I use plenty and plenty of reference pictures to make sure I’m building something correctly (especially if its something that corresponds to real life).
How to improve your builds? Practice. Most people don’t come into something and master it, it usually takes time. For me it took years to get something close to what I wanted it to be and something I would be happy with. And yes, I understand this sounds cliche, but it works! 
2 Likes
It all depends on what sort of person you are when it comes to planning your builds, and what drives your creative spark for you.
Some people just have the most amazing imaginations and can go with the flow and add more ideas when they go along. When I build, I always know what I want or need to build, depending if it’s personal or commission based. However, I think the best part of it all is just adding things throughout and seeing what works, what doesn’t work, and so forward.
However, people should do what they want to, and there’s obviously advantages and disadvantages to both planning and improvising your builds. Planning is good for those who like having a clear idea and a way in which the want their end result to look like, and can essentially create a checklist of things that need building. And of course, improvising your builds and seeing how they turn out is better for those who know what works, what doesn’t already and have the creative mind to back it.
3 Likes
As a builder, I generally only build when I feel inspired about a subject. When that happens I try to take as many notes as possible on what I am building and what my ideas are before my inspiration fades. After that I generally start with the shell of my build, then add more details over time. I find it easiest to get a simpler build out there so you have a visible idea of what you want, then add more detail as you go.
My recommendations for building would be to plan out your build based on what you are passionate about, and to pick an emotion that you want your build to exemplify and stick to it. Start with the basic outline of your build, and then from there work up to more detail.
Hope this helped!
4 Likes
The way to improve, in my opinion is to look at a picture of something that you want to build, then try to re-create it. It works for me! 
2 Likes
Off-topic question, Will this be released soon as a game? It looks intriguing.
I plan mine on paper, then go from there
I sort of stopped working on it awhile ago, but that picture is outdated, and it’s in a playable state!
It’s called “Neon Jungle”. Link to the game.
2 Likes
More planning for builds doesn’t necessarily mean your build will turn out better. It really just comes from practice/trial and error. I started building 8 years ago and have come to learn so much over the time. When I do plan however, I usually just try to imagine what I want the design to look like in my head, or even look for real world comparisons. I based the design of this haunted room on the basic shape of my room, then edited it to my desire and built the remainder of the spooky house.
7 Likes
Toontown! 
2 Likes
Just focus on every last detail, especially the ones in the characters view. It mainly takes practice, but you need to start with simpler things, and work your way up to more complex things. (I’ve been developing for 3 years now) Eventually when your as good as me, you can get to building things like these: **
7 Likes
Hey!
(Disclaimer: This is just how I build > don’t hurt me :c <
Building is just like cooking, you add flavors as you go. It’s just having the discipline of telling yourself, “Alright, this is a start, let’s add more depth and character” and not giving up after it looks “bad”.
Patience and genuine desire to create is definitely an important factor, it’s honestly something I lack. I’m very short term goal driven, I do projects very well and very quickly…or I sometimes don’t do them haha.
Here’s a more concise breakdown:
1: Layouting
When I quickly do layouting, I create a mesh wall object. Why? Meshes can stretch, have more performant characteristics, and are all around superior.
Pic: https://gyazo.com/bda7c949b287e8dca750f3234b054cfd
Pic: https://gyazo.com/3e40689189d1bb9bd0713a6db10e0c75
2: Creativity
This is honestly the most vague part haha, this is where layering, colors, and creative thought come in. You really can’t and shouldn’t structure creativity, you should be flexible, and want to create something truly unique to you. (That’s why I can’t really break it down haha)
Examples:
https://gyazo.com/6b7feb43e2f7df37fdf92a005860bc2c
https://gyazo.com/8ebf1814f83a2f2849a0cca08239df83
https://gyazo.com/59c9c4f3edc92852eb05503bc6f3358c
Although some of these aren’t too great, it’s important to revise and revise until you’re happy. Patience and hardwork is what gets you to the top! Keep hustling!!
Goodluck!
5 Likes
@Hadiisepic Thanks for your reply. That image looks very realistic! It definitely is time consuming but I guess that’s the price you pay for a good build.
@BloodSpring Wow, those are some nice builds! I mainly struggle with the creativity part of building. It just seems so hard to create my own style of build. I think your advice is valuable — Experimentation is key. I think I will try out recolouring them instead fixating on a specific set of colours. Thanks!
1 Like
It’s very time consuming, I barely get 3 things done per day before I give up! 
3 Likes
There are some very helpful posts above nevertheless, I will give you guidance of how to plan out your build.
-
Refer to an inspiration for the map
-
Plan your story-line out
-
Plan your map out
(drafting/ drawing it out is best)
-
Make a rough draft of what you think you want until you get to the point where you think it is okay.
(may take weeks/ months, just remember to keep on track, and focused)
-
Think of what you can do better
-
Apply what you think can look better
-
The map should now be carefully planned out, and advised to be unique
Now, after a presumed weeks/ months of work, you have finished your dreamed map(harsh practice, and effort REQUIRED)
2 Likes
When planning a build, no matter how big or small, I’ve found that one of the best things to do is to draw out a sketch on paper. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just getting the idea that is in your head out of your head. After that I’ll typically try to find some reference pictures close to my sketch and then build using the sketch and reference pictures to keep me on track.
2 Likes
Well, I’d say, look around your own neighborhood, see what inspires you, and what styles you like. Once you’ve figured that out, experiment a little to see what fits you the most. I started out as a terrible developer, and right now I can say that I’m sort of a good builder. The most important thing though is practice. I think it took about a year for me to become as good as I am nowadays. I hope that this helped you out a little. 
2 Likes
Depends what I’m building. When it’s realistic buildings, I put the floor first to find out where I want rooms. If it’s two floors I’ll put the floor plan for the second floor out of the way and put it in when I’m done with the first. If it’s a full on map the landscaping/terrain obviously comes first, and I’ll think up places for certain things like venders, land marks, and towns. My ‘planning’ comes more in the form of building the bare bones first and deciding what I want to do with it, I won’t say it’s the most effective way but I like it.
1 Like
Well there are multiple requirements to plan your build. Firstly, if you’ve been building seriously for over a year, you should have a certain way and style of planning your build. If you are new to building I can suggest a few things.
Organization
Try organizing all your thoughts or builds first. Have as much as possible planned out on a notepad or even mentally. Use brief bullet points and write your plans in chronological order.
Chronology
Always work on one project before moving to the next. Some builders I have encountered rushed all over the place, don’t do that. 
Consistency
Stick to one theme always. Use plugins and all tools available (other than free models). Make sure everything matches and have a building schedule.
Hope this helps. 
Note, this is my opinion.
2 Likes