Stair Railing Panels always layout from center

[Andre Baros]

I am trying to layout panels on a stair railing. This isn't as straight forward as I expected.

1. I have a 66" section of stair and a 33" panel... but regardless of what options I change, I either get one panel in the center or 3 panels with two hanging off. I thought I would get smart when I had the three panels and switched to a 22" panel... and ended up with 5. BTW, on the opposite side of the stair I have the same condition except that there is a 4" return at the top of the railing, and it lays out correctly... but I can't put a return on this end.

2. When the stair dialogue suggests that you might be able to layout balusters from the center, start, end, or spread to fit, what does it mean with regards to evenly dividing elements. These only seam to apply to post type balusters closely spaced but does nothing for panels. I would expect that center would place 1 or three 33" panels in a 66" railing and that start or end would place 2...

3. What is the preferred way to layout panels on a stair railing. Should I be using an in-place family? Should I be making a panel per stair and some-how combine two stairs?

[greg.mcdowell]

The problem, as I see it, is that Revit doesn't have a good system for panelized railing systems.

A "panel" as we use it in a rail is more an infill than a baluster. In a glass rail that I've worked on, for example, the baluster, as such, would really be the void space between panels. What I would like to be able to do is have Revit determine where these "balusters" should be located and to have the "panel" grow or shrink in width accordingly.

So the Revit way of doing what you want is to have a bunch of baluster/post families for the different end conditions you have... and, unfortunately, separate rail types as well.

Does that make and sense?