Part properties
- Editing all vs individual parts
- Material management
- Sub-methods
- Steps and risers
- Stringboards
- Newel posts
- Handrails and banisters
We’ve covered how to add and remove parts, but not in detail how to edit them.
Let’s look at that now.
Editing all vs individual parts
Before we look at each stair component, let’s remind ourselves that we can select and edit either all instances of a step, stringboard, handrail etc or just a single part.
Click outside the stair design to access the general parameters for each part type in the Properties menu:
Any change to these parameters will change every part in the design.
Alternatively, click on an individual part to modify just that part:
More information (overview video and the section ‘Basic selection and editing’):
Generally the parameters in both cases are the same.
The parameters are accessed via the Properties menu.
They are also available when initially adding a part type, such as a newel post as shown below:
Material management
The material parameter is common to all parts.
With a part (or all instances of that part) selected click on the Material drop down menu to select a preferred material.
These materials are sourced from the Materials library.
More information:
Essentials: Quick Design libraries
The Material section of the Properties menu can be expanded to further edit each material. AIn general, we recommend managing materials via the Materials library.
Sub-methods
When viewing general part parameters, a Sub-method drop down is visible. This allows us to apply pre-configured settings for the part type.
More information:
Essentials: manufacturing methods
Steps and risers
There are four step types as shown in the Properties menu below:
The four types are:
- Straight (red): perpendicular to the stringboard, also fixed
- Fixed (red): will not be impacted by any winding correction, and forms one end of a winding section for winding calculation purposes
- Winding (blue): forms part of a winding/tapering section of steps
- Floating (orange): part of a winding section but it can be rotated independently of all other steps, this doesn’t impact the winding calculation
We’ve discussed winding, fixed and straight steps here as well:
Essentials: basic design continued
Here’s an image of a floating step, we can see that it’s been rotated without affecting the other winding steps. Double click on the step to activate end points then drag those to rotate.
★ Tip ★
A floating step can be used to make minor corrections e.g. to rectify suboptimal positioning in relation to a newel post or in another way facilitate the technical assembly of the stair.
Step parameters are shown below and include step and riser parameters:
Available options are:
Steps
- Thickness: 30 mm is a typical value, higher if there are no risers
- Nosing: distance from the the step nosing to the riser
Risers
- Risers: include or remove all/selected risers
- Thickness
- Priority to riser: yes = riser extends behind step below; no = riser sits on step below
- Step penetration (Priority to riser = yes): step penetration into riser behind step
- Step rear overlap (Priority to riser = no): past riser behind step
- Upper offset: groove of riser extending into step above
- Lower offset (Priority to riser = yes): riser extending past step below
- Lower offset (Priority to riser = no): groove of riser extending into step below
Here are some screenshots to highlight these configurations, with the stair in Stringboard display mode for clarity.
Firstly, the Upper offset is shown (top) and the riser priority (bottom).
And below the riser priority is set to No. The lower step overlaps/extends beyond the riser by 20mm (Step rear overlap), and the Lower offset creates the groove where the riser extends into the step below.
Stringboards
Boxed or closed stringboards
We’ve created two videos to highlight some of the editing possibilities available for boxed stringboards. In this case, steps and risers are fully housed within the strings.
Firstly, let’s look at the majority of the stringboard parameters across the whole stair.
The next video focuses on the editing of an individual stringboard’s type parameters, to change between curved and straight strings.
Here’s a screenshot of the Properties menu showing the Stringboard parameters:
To confirm these parameters here again:
- Position:
- In the stairwell includes the stringboard thickness within the flight width
- Outside the stairwell adds the thickness to the stairwell dimensions
- Thickness
- Width: distance from top to bottom
- Type:
- Curved: maintains a constant distance from the step nosings
- Straight: a single straight stringboard
- Straight per parts: a combination of straight parts where a single straight stringer cannot accommodate all step and riser housings well
- Angle: from the horizontal, straight stringboards only, delete any custom angle to revert to the default angle
- Number of parts: number of straight elements, straight per parts stringboards only
- Position above nosing:
- Offset direction: perpendicular or vertical from string to nosing
- Offset: distance from string to nosing
- Length beyond first step: distance string extends beyond nosing of first step
- Length beyond last step: distance string extends beyond nosing of last step
In aggregate, the stringboard parameters provide a quick way to calculate strings that are easy to manufacture, look good and minimise the use of materials.
Lateral and central cut stringboards
Cut strings are located below and support the steps. Lateral cut strings are situated at the edge of the flight, central cut strings are situated centrally below the steps, their lower edge is smooth.
Adding a lateral cut string is possible in the New stair window, or can be added at a later stage via the Modify menu and its toolbar icon.
Here is a lateral cut string highlighted in the 3D window, alongside its parameters. The type is set to curved:
Here is the same string with type set to cut, typically used for metal stairs:
To add a central cut string, go to Modify menu > Add a cut string or the icon shown below, which opens the Add cut strings window.
Select Central cut string at the top and add the preferred thickness, width and offset (from the treadline).
Here’s the result for Type: Constant width cut string.
The types are:
- Constant width cut string: for wooden stairs
- Spreadable bottom cut string: metal string, variable width sides
- Boxed stringboard: metal string, sides of constant width
★ Tip ★
The central cut string type is always curved.
As an alternative, lateral cut strings can be used and offset to the centre of the flight to create a central cut string that remains straight (90°) and not curved.
Newel posts
There are three types of newel post:
- End: at the end and start of a stair
- Corner: at the turn
- Intermediate: these can be added anywhere along a flight
End and corner newel posts are added by clicking on the empty boxes at the correct locations, then selecting OK or Apply, they will then go pink.
To add an intermediate newel, click at any point on the flight line.
The parameters for an end newel post are shown below.
Options include:
- Section: square, rectangular, circular
- Width
- Offset:
- Longitudinal: centre on the end of the stringboard or offset in the Y axis on the image above
- Lateral: offset in the X axis
To look at some of the other options, let’s view a corner newel.
As well as slightly modified offset parameters, we can see here:
- Top height: set this either from the top of the handrail or the floor
- Base height: set from the bottom of the stringboard where it enters the newel, or from the floor, in this case we’ve dropped the newel down to the floor
Handrails and banisters
The general handrail parameters are shown below:
Options include:
- Height above nosing: when type curved is chosen, the handrail follows this height above the step nosing
- Offset: laterally in reference to the stringboard
- Thickness: horizontally
- Width: vertically
- Type: curved, straight or straight by parts (same definitions as the strings)
- Length beyond the first step: extent to which the handrail extends past the nosing of the first step
- Filling: choose between banisters and tube railing
If banisters are selected, options are:
- Material as usual
- Section shape: square, rectangular and circular
- Width
- Gap between each banister
The stair below has tube rails, and an associated set of parameters:
Tube rail options are extended to define both the rails and the posts.