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Description

The Arch Stairs tool allows you to build several types of stairs automatically. Straight stairs (with or without a central landing) can be created from scratch. More complex stairs require base objects.

See the Stairs entry in wikipedia for a definition of the different terms used to describe parts of stairs.

Two constructed stairs, one with a massive structure and a landing, the other with a single stringer.

Options

Usage

1. Optionally select one or more base objects, for example Draft Lines, Draft Wires and Sketches:
   • Draft Wires or Sketches with two or more segments will be used to create landings. They must be on a plane parallel to the global XY-plane. For example, select a U-shaped wire for a half-turn landing and an L-shaped wire for a corner landing.
   • Draft Lines and Sketches with a single edge will be used to create flights.
   • If the vertices of all lines and wires have correct Z-coordinates, the created stairs will use this information. A Sketch (plane-parallel to the XY-plane) with a single edge, or a Draft Line without a delta Z will also work for a flight, the Height is then be used to construct the flight.
   • The base objects must be selected in the correct order starting with the bottom object.
2. Press the Stairs button, or press S, R keys.
3. Adjust the desired properties. Some parts of the stairs, such as the structure, might not appear immediately, if any of the properties makes it impossible, such as a structure thickness of 0.

Complex stairs based on a selection of lines and wired as shown on the left.
In red the wires used for the landings at Z=1500mm, Z=3000mm and Z=4500mm.
In black the lines connecting them used for the flights.

Properties

An Arch Stairs object shares the common properties and behaviors of all Arch Components.

Data

Segment and Parts

• DataAbs Top (Vector): (read-only) The absolute top level the stairs lead to.
• DataLast Segment (Link): Last segment (flight or landing) of an Arch Stairs connecting to this segment. The start level of the stairs will be the end level of this last segment.
• DataOutline Left (VectorList): The left outline of the stairs (read-only).
• DataOutline Left All (VectorList): The left outline of all segments of the stairs (read-only).
• DataOutline Right (VectorList): The right outline of the stairs (read-only).
• DataOutline Right All (VectorList): The right outline of all segments of the stairs (read-only).
• DataRailing Height Left (Length): Height of the left railing of the stairs or landing.
• DataRailing Height Right (Length): Height of the right railing of the stairs or landing.
• DataRailing Left (LinkHidden): The left railing object. introduced in 0.20: Property type updated from String to LinkHidden.
• DataRailing Offset Left (Length): Offset of the left railing from the edge of the stairs or landing.
• DataRailing Offset Right (Length): Offset of the right railing from the edge of the stairs or landing.
• DataRailing Right (LinkHidden): The right railing object. introduced in 0.20: Property type updated from String to LinkHidden.

Stairs

• DataAlign (Enumeration): The alignment of the stairs on the baseline. Only used if a baseline is defined. Can be Left, Right or Center.
• DataHeight (Length): The total height of the stairs. Only used if no baseline is defined, or if the baseline is horizontal. Ignored if DataRiser Height Enforce is non-zero.
• DataLength (Length): The total length of the stairs if no baseline is defined. Ignored if DataTread Depth Enforce is non-zero.
• DataWidth (Length): The width of the stairs.
• DataWidth of Landing (FloatList): If the DataNumber Of Steps is 1, the stairs object acts as a landing. When this is the case and the baseline is multi-segment, the width of the first segment of the landing follows the DataWidth, and the widths of subsequent segments follow the list set here.

Steps

• DataBlondel Ratio (Float): (read-only) The calculated Blondel ratio. This ratio indicates comfortable stairs and should be between 62 and 64cm or 24.5 and 25.5in.
• DataLanding Depth (Length): The depth of the landing of the flight, if enabled in DataLandings. Defaults to the DataWidth if 0.
• DataNosing (Length): The size of the nosing.
• DataNumber Of Steps (Integer): The numbers of steps (risers). Must be at least 2 for a single flight, and at least 4 for stairs with a central landing.
• DataRiser Height (Length): (read-only) The height of the risers. If DataRiser Height Enforce is 0 it is calculated (DataHeight / DataNumber of Steps). Else it is the same as DataRiser Height Enforce.
• DataRiser Height Enforce (Length): The enforced height of the risers.
• DataRiser Thickness (Length): The thickness of the risers.
• DataTread Depth (Length): (read-only) The depth of the treads. If DataTread Depth Enforce is 0 it is calculated (DataLength / DataNumber of Steps). Else it is the same as DataTread Depth Enforce.
• DataTread Depth Enforce (Length): The enforced depth of the treads.
• DataTread Thickness (Length): The thickness of the treads.

Structure

• DataConnection Down Start Stairs (Enumeration): The type of connection between the lower floor slab and the start of the stairs. Can be HorizontalCut, VerticalCut or HorizontalVerticalCut.
• DataConnection End Stairs Up (Enumeration): The type of connection between the end of the stairs and the upper floor slab. Can be toFlightThickness or toSlabThickness.
• DataDown Slab Thickness (Length): The thickness of the lower floor slab.
• DataFlight (Enumeration): The direction of the flight after the landing. Can be Straight, HalfTurnLeft or HalfTurnRight. The DataLandings property must be set to At center.
• DataLandings (Enumeration): The type of landings. Can be None or At center (At each corner not implemented yet).
• DataStringer Overlap (Length): The overlap of the stringers above the bottom of the treads.
• DataStringer Width (Length): The width of the stringers.
• DataStructure (Enumeration): The structure type of the stairs. Can be None, Massive, One stringer or Two stringers. For the last two options, the DataStringer Width and DataTread Thickness properties must have non-zero values.
• DataStructure Offset (Length): The offset between the border of the stairs and the structure.
• DataStructure Thickness (Length): The thickness of the structure.
• DataUp Slab Thickness (Length): The thickness of the upper floor slab.
• Data (Hidden)Winders (Enumeration): The type of winders. Not implemented.

Limitations

• Straight, HalfTurnLeft or HalfTurnRight stairs and landings are available at the moment
• See the forum entry for circle stairs.
• See the forum announcement.

Scripting

The Stairs tool can be used in macros and from the Python console by using the following function:

• Creates a Stairs object from the given baseobj.
• If baseobj is not given, it will use length, width, height, and steps, to build a solid object.

Example: