Super tip time bought to you by Neil of Simszone: Stumps!

Trees, shrubs, ferns, bushes, anything that's green. They can't sit on tarmac. The game insists on putting them on grass. It ruins the effect you're after.

But an ideal compromise is available: Wrap the trees in little tree stumps, classed as "fences" in the Build Mode. The above picture shows the effect as a "before and after" sort of thing. Okay it still looks slightly naff but the tree on the left doesn't look as naff now as the tree on the right does, do you agree? Good.

A bit out of place for this lot really but for example purposes only: Water.

To fill otherwise dead space, may be worth dropping a pond in, like we have. Ponds, where used, add a touch of elegance and can fill in any awkward spaces. They are visual only - five years into the franchise and Sims still can't swim in a pond. Click and drag in the Build Mode and accordingly to enhance the deepness. To conform to health and safety regulations (not that they exist in Simville), whack a fence around it.

Lights are good for environment score

Lights are good after dark. Use the button that looks like a marble to toggle between night and day. For most community lots you'll end up with sheet lighting for the self contained rooms such as the supermarket and the bathroom, and spot lighting for everywhere else. Don't bother trying to have light everywhere on a community lot, especially outdoors - its looks more atmospheric and usual under natural moonlight.

Also in this grab - street lighting. Nice. Use. End of discussion. Outdoor lights are also cool. If you wish to wrap the lot in a fence, remember to use gates. Oh and "move_objects on" also helps when it comes to decorating the very outsides of the lot.

That's all folks! Grab the item from my Files section but as I said on Page 1, it's graphic heavy so will probably crawl on most people's system.