Digging!

How can I dig a basement, are there any recommended tools? I have a thing that let's me level the ground, but not something that digs for me!

If you're on the Mainland (any of the big continents) you can right click on the ground, and choose "edit terrain." There is a radio button for lowering the ground, which is basically digging. Choose whether you want a small, medium, or large hole each time you click. You should see little dots all over the ground where your mouse is; left click to lower the ground.

Right click on the ground --> edit terrain --> Lower land... use the mouse- left click to dig your hole.

This does take a bit of practice, but it's free.

There are tools available to do this, but I have never used any of them.

That's what I've been doing. How can I have water removed?

cant

lower to the water and raise the rest and smoothen along the border to make it look like a hill?

If you're on the mainland, you can't. If you're renting on a private island, you can ask the island owner to lower the level of the water, but I doubt he'd do it for just one renter.

You can lower or raise the ground with that same tool, but only to a limited degree (apart from on certain sims... Green, Blue, Aqua and those nearby for example). Depending on the original terrain and how it might have been modified before your purchase, that might be enough for a basement. I wanted to do something like this on my original build, but the area I had wasn't big enough to make it practical without ruining the look of my plot.

The only other option would be to make as much of a basement as you can with the land tools, and build up prim walls around that to give you the headroom you need.

::edit:: Damn, some of you post quick

You have to raise your whole plot as high as it will go, then dig a basement in that is not as deep as the water level. Or you could use prim grass/terrain textures to fake a higher ground level, and use them as the walls of your basement. There is usually a way around everything in SL.

Or you could pretend that your water heater pipes burst and your basement is permanently flooded, and so now you're experimenting in hydroponics.

Good idea. We're just moving the house up a floor.

Another way: an underwater basement.

Build it so that it's completely under water. Make the only access via local teleport.

Light it with local lights that are a bit reddish, to counteract the blue hue of the water.

There will be few clues that your basement is really submerged...except that if you fly while you're there, your av will do the default "swimming" animations. And certain flexiprims will "sway" in the current.

Or what the heck...put a goldfish or two down there. Surprise your visitors.

I hear if you dig deep enough you get to Habbo Hotel.

How can I dig like big squares in ground that is vertical to make like a tunnel rather then reshaping the whole land?

try using the select area tool, select your area by dragging the yellow square across the land you want to lower. then go to the lower tool and click add to selection, that usually makes more of a verticle dig and is alot faster than using the brush.

Another thing i use are the terraforming dozzers from skidz partz but mostly for bigger builds as they can get messy if not used properly. i think they will work here tho. just keep playing, terraforming might be a little frustrating at first but it becomes alot of fun. trust me

if you really need some help IM me in world and if we can get on at the same time i'll have a look for you

cheers

-Crunch

OK I sent you an IM.

ta you'll hear from me in a few hours (RL work bites)

-Crunch