Wood Designer forum
stairdesigner 7|Page 2|Forum|WOOD DESIGNER
Home
October 4, 2012
Offline
Hi Michel,
OK I see the problem with this detail.
I’ll tell the developers.
I also forgot to answer your angled flights question, when you add flights you can set the angle between them.
Not sure this answers your question though. If not please feel free to tell me.
In all cases a big thanks for your comments and help.
I personally have never used the step recess function but prefer to fit a rounded nosing to the rounded housing.
Even when the nosing is molded I like to scribe the housing to match the step nosing. I find this enable me to have a little play between the step and stringer while maintaining a perfect fit. Especially useful if the stair has a slight deformation and winders are not exactly in place when the stair is fitted.
All the best,
Ness
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness,
yes I know that menu with the recess but did you check the dawing I added . ? Recess is not working when a step is worked in a newel post . If you enter a front recess on that step it wil not be done on the side of the newel post because the step is integrated in a newel post . Also the step shape is creating a wrong corner in the back of the step due to a wrong reference in the program. The step should not exit the post and afterwards entering the stringer . This creates a unwanted corner in the step.
regards
Michel
October 4, 2012
Offline
Hi Michel,
Sorry to get back so late, but we have been very busy lately.
It’s Sunday and I’m taking a bit of time to answer quickly forum queries before the weeks rush starts again.
For the headroom this function is in the pipe line but hasn’t been added yet.
Shape of stringers is not yet planned and although I think it would be a nice function to add, it’s not top on our priority list.
Changing stringer shapes is actually very easy to do either using the DXF files or directly on the paper templates or just by cutting when making the stair. Idealy of course, we should have a mini CAD program to edit string shapes in StairDesigner I never found this a real problem in using the software for manufacturing.
Steps housing can be recessed using the “links” option:
Posts can be set to behind the ref points but to set them back further use an intermediate post:
the string is then cut into 2 and the front section can be deleted.
All the best,
Ness
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness
Did you have time to check all this ? There are some important things in it .
A few other things are . I cannot find the stair angle in the stair parameters as also the free space needed between stair and cieling. There should be some safety when drawing stairs that a person would not nock his head on the cieling when going up the stairs. This means that the stair hole should be entered before starting a stairdrawing.
Being able to define the stringer end when needed . Most of the stringer ends are a flat above the last step with an offset of 20mm.
Depending on situations you can have different ways to shape the stringer end. If you want I can send you some examples.
regards
Michel
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness
You should also think of a radius compensation on the recess of stepnoses . When you per example recess 20 mm and the steps are machined with a 18mm mill then the radius is 9mm on the stepcorner . This needs to be taken in account on the recess in the stringer so that the step can be mounted without having to square the stepcorners . This means that the recess in the stringer must be 9 mm less then the steprecess to make it fit.
This should not be a big issue to program.
regards
michel
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness
there is a way to do it by putting the post behind the reference and then enter a number in the stringer value to get the post moved by 20mm
I added a 3d view of a stair I made
There you see that it is a 2 stairs project . You can see the envelopes on the stringers for the handrail . handrails a straight even as the top part of the stringer . Bottom side is free shaped . So the banisters and straight on bottom and top not only on the handrail.
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness
i will work regularly with it and report things I see. You can takle them right away 😉
First on the post.
positioning seems not to be able by entering a value. It is only lateral and restricted in 3 options for the longitudinal direction. in front of the stepnose , behind the stepnose or centered. It would be more flexible to enter a number . As per example you choose to set the string to overpass the first step with 20 mm you are not able to choose the same for the other string as you are limited to a centered position which affects the outline of the stair and small corrections according to certain situations are limited. It should work exactly like the lateral positioning.
next is the step shape when there is a post . I see an error in the step shape because SD is taking the stringer outline as reference instead of the stepdepth . This is creating a unwanted extra corner in the step. I added a drawing on this. This can be corrected by taking the stepdepth as a reference . This wouls remove that extra corner in the step that is highly unwanted 😉
Also like I said earlier the recess in the step is only working in the stringer . You see below drawing on the left side there is a recess of 10mm . The same recess was given on the side of the post and it does not show when entered .
regards
Michel
October 4, 2012
Offline
Hi Michel,
Thanks a lot for the feed back on StairDesigner 7, very helpful.
Here’s my thoughts on your questions:
– a stringer can be straight or curved but there is no possibility to have only the top section straigth and the bottom free shaping. You can only choose for the complete stringer shape. I use this to make a straight handrail.
——————————–
The ability to set only one edge of a string straight would be a nice feature that we will certainly be considering adding.
But I’m not sure what you mean by using “this to make a straight handrail”, did you know that the strings and handrails are indépendant and you can have a curved string and straight rail or vis versa?
I did not found the possibility to add a envelope on the top of the stringer (used to manufacture handrail and banister constructions).
————————
This is also a feature that I have requested for a future release
I have no possibility to choose a connection type from the banister to the handrail ( and envelope) in the same setup as a stringer into a post. ( mortise )
—————————-
This is certainly a good idea to have added
Nose reduction seems to work only on the stringer and not on the posts wich should be possible.
——————————–
Not sure what you mean by this remark. In this example the 1st and 3rd riser have been set back 100mm, the 1st was in the post.
When shaping the first step into a special model the riser is not following the new step shape.
———————————
This will be added in a future release
conections between 2 stringers cannot be choosed like a pocket hole to interconnect 2 stringers ( same depth as a step in a stringer).
———————————–
This is also a feature to be added
Z step I mean a Z-shaped stair where there is a angle between the step and the riser that can be preseted.
——————–
This is a good idea that we will certainly be talking about
Step corrections in the flights ? Are they possible individualy ? Can they be turned around the stepline and or just move 1 side of the step and keep the other side fixed to do small corrections ?
—————————
Just as in v6 steps can be rotated around the tread line, moving one end will move also swing the other as the going along the tread line is considered always constant. We will be adding a landing feature that creates steps or landings that, as in v6, break the tread line and allow you to create a step of variable width and shape. As in v6, these steps can be rotated around one of the end points (instead of the tread line) so making the tread line variable.
2 stairs project on top of each other is this possible ? I did not saw an answer on that one
——————–
In v7 you can make as many flights moving up as you want. What is actually missing is the landing function that enable you to break flights up into different “stairs”. This function is nearly finished and will enable you to build a stair add a landing and then add another stair etc..
I can send you a few 3D models of stairs I made. I would like to see if the same can be build in stairdesigner.
———————
Love to see the stairs you build.
To conclude, StairDesigner 7 is still a Beta version and we will be adding features probably up to the end of the year. As the development program is still open, any suggestions or criticisms that can help us get a bit of software that fits your needs and makes life easier and more fun are welcome.
We can’t promise to add all the functions requested as our time and resources are limited and we’ll have to close the version at some point , but while we are still on an open version, we will certainly consider all suggestions. So please keep them coming.
All the best,
Ness
August 7, 2014
Offline
Hi Ness ,
I downloaded the demo version and worked with it to see how it reacts.
I found a few problems (not real problems but more a restriction in flexibility) . This is not to be negative but maybe it can help to add in future releases. Maybe some of below is possible and I was not able to find it 😉
a stringer can be straight or curved but there is no possibility to have only the top section straigth and the bottom free shaping. You can only choose for the complete stringer shape. I use this to make a straight handrail.
I did not found the possibility to add a envelope on the top of the stringer (used to manufacture handrail and banister constructions). I have no possibility to choose a connection type from the banister to the handrail ( and envelope) in the same setup as a stringer into a post. ( mortise )
Nose reduction seems to work only on the stringer and not on the posts wich should be possible.
When shaping the first step into a special model the riser is not following the new step shape.
conections between 2 stringers cannot be choosed like a pocket hole to interconnect 2 stringers ( same depth as a step in a stringer).
Z step I mean a Z-shaped stair where there is a angle between the step and the riser that can be preseted.
Step corrections in the flights ? Are they possible individualy ? Can they be turned around the stepline and or just move 1 side of the step and keep the other side fixed to do small corrections ?
2 stairs project on top of each other is this possible ? I did not saw an answer on that one
I can send you a few 3D models of stairs I made. I would like to see if the same can be build in stairdesigner.
regards
Michel
October 4, 2012
Offline
Hi Michel,
Here are the answers to your questions:
stepnose reduction ( managering) : you can change the nosing overlap of each step or all the steps
nose shape of steps different ways to place a riser project with more then 1 stair ( example 2 separated stairs on top of each other connected trough a landing ) : risers can be added and subtracted globally or form individual steps as needed.
However, it’s not yet possible to shape the nosings giving curves or bullnoses etc. this is in the box for next updates
strings options ( curved on straight ), this is already possible
preset of different stairtypes, this is already available
z-steps ? ( if possible ) , if you mean alternate steps, this will be a step shaping function. Otherwise can you explain?
is there any possibility to free shape a stair according to the stair hole ?
Example a stair shape drawing ( dxf ) to import in stairdesginer and use this as a base to build the stair? : it’s actually possible to create any shape stair, but the shape has to be drawn using the StairDesigner 7 shape editor. Importing DXF is in the box.
We are adding features as they get developped and are tested and stable. We are hoping to have a fully featured StairDesigner 7 for the end of 2016.
Up til then we will be offering StairDesigner 7, including all future updates free when you buy v6.
Hope this is helpful,
all the best,
Ness
1 Guest(s)
