How to Use Poses – Part 1
So why would you want to use poses in The Sims 4? They are mainly for taking screenshots for use in storytelling or for showing off custom content for promotional purposes. They don’t actually affect gameplay at all. So, unless you plan on posting screenshots for storytelling or other similar uses, using poses probably isn’t for you. If you do still want/need to use poses, read on to find out how…
Before you start to get worried, this is actually a lot easier than you probably think it is. I know it is easier than I thought it would be! The first few posing tutorials I found were all out of date which threw me off. Now that I know how posing currently works, it’s fairly easy. Just follow the simple steps below and you can do it too!
You Will Need for This Tutorial:
Actually, there are a couple methods of using poses depending on how the poses are set up. I’ll detail the most common method first which is “in-game”. The other method, and variations of the in-game method, we will save for future tutorials which will be coming soon.
In-Game Posing: Simple Standing Poses
Step 1
If you don’t want the plumbob to be over your Sim’s head in your screenshot, you need to enter a couple cheat codes to turn it off. Bring up the cheat code panel by pressing CTRL+Shift+C at the same time and then a text box will appear at the top of your screen. In that text box, start by typing testingcheats on and then hit the Enter key on your keyboard. Now go back to that text box and type in headlineeffects off and then hit the Enter key again to actually turn off the plumbob. (Don’t worry, you can get it back later if you want to play with this Sim again.)
Step 2
Next, take your Sim to a nice spot somewhere to take some screenshots. I chose a beach in Sulani because Sulani is just simply beautiful. Have your Sim stand still by not doing any actions. You may need to turn off autonomy in the game’s Options Menu to make sure they stay put for a bit. See the screenshot at right for how to turn off autonomy.
Step 3
Now, click on your Sim then in the pop menu select Pose by Pack. There is another option which is Pose by Name but we’re not going to be using that as it’s a bit trickier and this tutorial is all about simplicity.
Step 4
In the menu that pops up, it will list all of the pose packs that you have installed. We are going to choose the one I told you to download and install earlier which was HelgaTisha’s Model Poses 21. It is listed in the menu as [helgatisha] Model poses 21. Click on that to select it.
Step 5
In the next pop-up menu, it will list each individual pose inside the pack we just chose. You can do two things here: 1. Select only one pose then X out to have your Sim hold that one pose until you tell them to stop. 2. Select a few poses to have your Sim cycle through those few poses until you tell them to stop. We are going to do the first because: simplicity. Click on Pose 9 and then click the X buttons on the top right until you return to your Sim.
Step 6
If I’m anywhere near the instructor that I think I am, your Sim should be posed like the one on the right. Are they? If they aren’t, feel free to contact me with questions or yell at me on my Discord Channel. If they are posed like the Sim on the right, then yay! This is where you take your screenshots! (If you don’t like taking screenshots with the in-game camera, see my *Notes at the bottom of this page.) Once you’re done taking your screenshots, continue on to the next step.
Step 7
Your Sim is going to stay in that pose until you tell them to stop so here’s how you tell them to stop. Click on the Sim to bring up the pie menu again. Select “Stop Posing” and that’s that! They should now return to normal programming.
Step 8
If you need to return your plumpbob to your Sim to resume gaming with them or for whatever reason, here’s how. Just bring up the cheat menu again with CTRL+Shift+C and then in the text box type in headlineeffects on and then hit the enter key. Your Sim’s plumbob should now have returned.
In my next “how to pose” tutorial I will detail how to use poses in CAS. The third posing tutorial will detail how to use poses with props and furniture. I hope you found this tutorial helpful and easy to follow. If you have any questions, corrections, etc., please feel free to contact me via email or talk to me on Discord.
*Notes
If you’re like me and don’t like using the in-game screenshot camera thingy and prefer to use an external screenshot program, I have a recommendation. I used to use the free version of Fraps but was always on the lookout for something better, that was also free. I finally found ShareX. It’s great! I setup my own hotkeys and that’s what I now use to take screenshots of everything including my Sims. (This is not a paid endorsement, just a fan wanting others to know about a really good free program.)
