SLOPED BALUSTERS

[wse1]

how can I get my balusters tops and bottoms to follw the slope of the top and bottom rail? Right now they are squared off and appear that they are not attached to the rails.

Thanks Bill

[cporter.207875]

I haven't seen that before. Mine always follow the rails. Can you attached the file for me to look at?

[wse1]

Here is what I am trying to fix.

Thanks

[cporter.207875]

When you select the rail, go to element properties>edit/new. Under the "angled joins" setting, is it set to "add vertical/horizontal segments?"

[cporter.207875]

Additionally, it is likely (from my perspective) that the baluster you are trying to use is custom content not created to be used on a stair. What I means is that they will show up correctly in a horizontal only application, but do not connect to railings in the way that allows them to extend and close to an angled rail/stringer. Please attach the baluster family and I will take a look.

[wse1]

cporter.207875,

Here is `the custom baluster that I made. I would appreciate it if you take a look and let me know what i did wrong.

Thanks forr the help

[cporter.207875]

I modified your baluster so that it will work the way you want (I think). The first thing I did was set-up the angle cut parameters so that it would void cut along the sloped railing line. However, then it wouldn't cut along the horizontal rail (kept the same sloped cut on the landings). Failing that, I decided to start from scratch and re-create the baluster from the ground up. Borrowing parameters from a pre-defined family, I then re-created the solid forms and void forms (not exactly the same dimensions as you had shown, sorry). Then it worked like a peach.

Guessing, but perhaps the top and bottom forms, being extruded in the horizontal dimension (as you had originally done), were not were not able to cut consistently along angle reference plane (I know, that doesn't make much sense). When I remodeled the top and bottom forms, I extruded in the vertical dimension. As far as I know, that is the only thing I did differently than you.

The only other thing that I can think of is that you did one operation or another out of order or constrained something that shouldn't have been constrained. In any case, you have a baluster that works, but you should try again to duplicate what I have done.

If you figure out the culprit, please let me know. Good luck!

[wse1]

cporter.207875,

Thanks for your help on this. I was able to get the top of the baluster to trim to the top rail, but not the bottom to the bottom rail. I noticed that the angle of the balusters do not follow the same angle as the bottom rail. I am not skilled in making balusters (as you can see) so I don't understand how the angles that are placed on the top and bottom are controlled by the railings.

Thanks I am getting a great education here!

[cporter.207875]

This is my first time creating a custom baluster, so I'm figuring it out as we go.
Not sure about this, but it seems to me the angle ref planes would be controlled by the host (stair/landing). The railing is a 2D profile that is then extruded along the path of the host, offset at whatever height above tread you want it to be, such that it should follow along the same path as the top cut of the baluster. It must be written into the family category programming, because I can't find any obvious parameters that would indicate otherwise.

In my current location, I am working off of Revit MEP 2009, and a lot of things I would do or see in my Revit Architecture are not available... so maybe I am missing something?

Try this: with your left elevation view open on screen, open your family types dialogue and move over to one side of your screen. Then modify the bottom cut angle dimension within the family types dialogue to something like 40 degrees, click apply, and see if the void cut/baluster bottom cut follows the new angle of the angle ref plane. If not, your void and or solid is not constrained properly to this ref plane.

Also, make sure when you save and load into your project that the top and bottom angle dimensions are both set at 32.47 degrees. Other than that I am not sure what else to tell you at this point.

[toni.181950]

The sloped baluster you made was fairly simple. Do you think you can help me with mine? When I am able to get it to slope it doesn't connect where I want it. Also is there a way in Revit 2009 to truncate a pattern, or will I have to make custom balusters for each instance?

Please see the attached file.

Thanks to anyone who can help me with this.