Stair Railing Conundrum

[aggockel50321]

Attached are some screen shots of some stair railings I'm attempting with the new features in 6.0.

I have one set of stairs going to an intermediate landing & branching to two upper stairs (see perspective). I've modeled each as an individual stair.

In order to continue the lower stair ext railing to the upper stair, I deleted the upper railing created when the upper stairs were made, opened the lower rail in sketch mode, added the railing sketch line by changing it's properties to "slope" , "custom" , and adjusting the height correction until I could get it to align.

The results of this are shown in the two sections, one hidden line, & one wireframe.

My questions are:

What does the height correction represent, the total rise of one end of the sketched line segment, or some other value?

Is there a way to add a railing to a stair (I need a center one on the uppers), by attaching the sketch line to the host (the stairs)? The only way I know of is to create the stairs & then copy or move the railing created by the stair wizard.

TIA

[slb]

In order to continue the lower stair ext railing to the upper stair, I deleted the upper railing created when the upper stairs were made, opened the lower rail in sketch mode, added the railing sketch line by changing it's properties to "slope" , "custom" , and adjusting the height correction until I could get it to align.
The results of this are shown in the two sections, one hidden line, & one wireframe.

The approach on the transition railing isn't quite right. Even though result happened to be pretty close to what was desired, one railing element can not automatically follow slope of two stairs. Proper solution is to keep railings on both stairs and either create additional railing element at landing either extend railings of lower stairs up to the beginning of upper stairs.

"Slope" property usually overrides all other settings for particular rail segment and makes rails (and baluster tops) to have non-interrupted commection between neighboring segments, while baluster bottoms continue to follow host. In special case when both "slope" and height correction are applied to very last segment, height correction applies only to "free" end of the segment, which allowed user to get the model he attached. (It is not intended use, actually).


My questions are:

What does the height correction represent, the total rise of one end of the sketched line segment, or some other value?

Unless "sloped" property is set for a segment, height correction represent vertical shift of all rails and baluster tops for the whole segment, without slope change. Shift is measured from "default" rail height (i.e. if height of the top rail is 3' and height correction is 1', it makes actual height 4' for this segment). "Sloped" property usually overrides any height correction and provides connection between neighboring segments without taking slope of host into account. Exception is very first (or last ) segment in sketch that does not have a neighbor on one side. In this case height correction applies to the free end.


Is there a way to add a railing to a stair (I need a center one on the uppers), by attaching the sketch line to the host (the stairs)? The only way I know of is to create the stairs & then copy or move the railing created by the stair wizard.

Yes (and it is definitely mentioned in the help) - you can sketch any railing and while in sketch mode use "set host" tool to have your railings to be hosted by any stairs or floor. One railings element may have only one host. You can also unset host by using "set host" and click in empty space.

[aggockel50321]

Yes (and it is definitely mentioned in the help) - you can sketch any railing and while in sketch mode use "set host" tool to have your railings to be hosted by any stairs or floor. One railings element may have only one host. You can also unset host by using "set host" and click in empty space.

Thanks for the help Steve. The above set me straight. The new railing tools are great.