My stairs look funny in plan...

[DanielleAnderson]

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to make the lower part of the stairs in the attached image NOT show up? My visibility it set to show only the current level, and I'm on hidden line, not wireframe.

[Paul P.]

Danielle, have you tried adjusting your veiw range in the view properties for that level.

Regard's, Paul.

[DanielleAnderson]

Yep, that's why I can't figure it out. The view range is set to current level for all three options.

[PeterJ]

all three options.
Is there something going on with your view settings to allow a number options to show simultaneously?

[DanielleAnderson]

Oh, I just meant that if you open the view range tab, there are three different pull down options that you can change to say "current level".

[PeterJ]

Post a 3D image so people can see where the stairs are, that may help

[DanielleAnderson]

There's the 3D image. What's going on here is that the lowest portion of the staircase is angled. So what's happening in plan, if you look at the jpg attached to the 1st message, is that that angled portion is showing up even though it's on a completely different level. The stairs are showing up more like they are in wireframe mode, even though they are not.

[Wes Macaulay]

Danielle, is this one of those special stairs of yours... you know, the ones where you overlay several layers of risers on top of each other using the run tool while in sketch mode?

[DanielleAnderson]

Ah, Wes--how'd you guess?

[Wes Macaulay]

My guess is that Revit is getting confused by this stair setup... considering how long *I* was confused by this stair, it's only fair the software should be! ;)

[Allen Lacy]

I hate to say it, but I think you should re-model the stairs with each run a separate stair model to a floor or landing. I've seen this before and this workaround solved the problem.

[DanielleAnderson]

I was afraid of that...so can we add this to the Revit wishlist: ability to create multiple levels of switchback stairs all in one sketch? For the work that I do, this would be very helpful.

[Scott D Davis]

You can already! As long as the stairs are the same configuration level to level, you can have Revit automatically repeat a stair from level 1 to level 1000 if you want, with one sketch! In your case, your lowest level stair is going to be a separate stair, due to the special angle you want, but levels 2 and up can be the same stair. From Revit help, under Stairs, under Stair Instance Properties:


Name: Multistory Top Level
Value: Level number
Description: Sets the top of the stairs in a multistory building.
The advantage to using this parameter as opposed to sketching individual runs is that if you change the railing on one run, that railing is changed on all the runs. Also, if you use this parameter, the Revit project file size does not change as significantly as it would if you sketched individual runs.
NOTE The levels in the multistory building should be a uniform distance apart. For example, each level should be 4 meters apart.

[DanielleAnderson]

I thought that was the case (and that the stair I've shown in this thread was a special one), and I've been building stairs, especially emergency exit stairs, that way (by drawing over and over layers in sketch mode to create multiple switchbacks) for over a year now, but I had heard that I was somehow defying the software. I have encountered issues though, one particular one is that the ballusters don't always follow the stairs, sometimes they appear to be falling off the staircase in 3D.

[Scott D Davis]

So have you tried drawing stairs with the multi-level option?

[DanielleAnderson]

Well, that would be great if I was dealing with a typical building. What I am dealing with is an elevated train station where the platform is approx. 60'-100' above grade with no intermediate floors. So I need a stair that continuously wraps while climbing 100'. Will multilevel work for this?

[PeterJ]

The 'levels' do not need to be specific building levels, just levels that you identify and name using the level tool. You can set them at constant 8" multiples (or whatever an imperial stair for a public body would be) and then draw the first two rises of the stair, i.e. base to half landing and to next half landing identifiying those levels as level 0 and level 1 and then select the stair as extending to level 4 or however many it needs be.

You will have to draw the off angle section as a separate element as multi storey stairs to the best of my knowledge simply repeat their from across however many floors. You will need to model the landings at level 1, 2 and so on but these can be floors with the appropriate railing detail that you just cut and paste at each level.

[Scott D Davis]

Exactly! Just make new levels called something like "Stair 1", " Stair 2", etc. They do not actually have to be used as floor plans in your project. Then use the multi-level stairs.

[DanielleAnderson]

Okay, great! I've been playing with the multilevel command, very slick, except: how do I remedy the railing issue (in the attached jpg) when you add railings to landings and they don't quite want to match up vertically with the stair rails?

[David Conant]

Here is a workaround that our stair developer created. It should be close to what you are looking for. Notice that he creates two adjacent multi level stairs. One for the runs and half the intermediate landings, and the other for the missing landings. He offset the height of the Landing stair by the height of two runs to place it correctly. The Landing stair has only two risers that server to link its stringers and railings with the main stair. This is a 6.1 file.

[LMSmith]

If you do end up creating a bunch of levels for a stair, limit them to a Scope Box so they won't show up in all your plans and sections where you don't want them. Basically draw a scope box around the stair area (definining x,y, and z dimensions), name it, and then assign any relevant datums (levels, grids, ref planes) to the scope box. See help for more information.

[Wes Macaulay]

The monorail exit stairs are not a completely unique thing -- so this is a good tip! -- and having a multi-level stair is a perfect application. Scope boxes will do the trick nicely. Right on!

[DanielleAnderson]

The monorail exit stairs are not a completely unique thing
Exactly my point!

I'll have to play with the scope box idea when I get a chance, we only have 6 on one machine around here right now.
Thanks to everybody for all the ideas!