Custom Stair Tool Confusion

[Jonk]

Hello!

 

I am trying to create a simple set of exterior wood stairs that exist on a site that I can use in my model. I'm trying to use the custom stair tool and I just can't figure it out. The stairs are made of wood and custom so the treads are 14" deep and the risers are 7.25". I know this isn't conventional but that's how they were built. There is also a 3' landing at the top. For the life of me the program will not let me construct this set of stairs within any of the parameters. Is there a way to construct a truly custom set of stairs or is this something that I'd have to model with extrudes etc...

 

Thanks!

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Deja Vu.  

We spent most of yesterday on a similar topic.  It appears the you will have to model this the old fashion way.

[Jonk]

2 minutes ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Deja Vu.  

We spent most of yesterday on a similar topic.  It appears the you will have to model this the old fashion way.

Seems unfortunate. 

 

The "not so custom" custom stair tool. 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

The Stair tool has value, but there will always be caveats.

 

It is not a big deal to model stairs, with extrudes and Duplicate Along Path.  You may find you prefer it.  

 

That is all I used for this image.  It is camera matched, but just Extrudes and DAP.  Used DAP for the Trusses.

 

 

 

[Tom W.]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

Hello!

 

I am trying to create a simple set of exterior wood stairs that exist on a site that I can use in my model. I'm trying to use the custom stair tool and I just can't figure it out. The stairs are made of wood and custom so the treads are 14" deep and the risers are 7.25". I know this isn't conventional but that's how they were built. There is also a 3' landing at the top. For the life of me the program will not let me construct this set of stairs within any of the parameters. Is there a way to construct a truly custom set of stairs or is this something that I'd have to model with extrudes etc...

 

Thanks!

 

 

You can definitely do this with the Custom Stair tool + the Stair tool. Post the file so we can see how far you got with it. Or post the settings you're using.

[Jonk]

Just now, Tom W. said:

 

You can definitely do this with the Custom Stair tool + the Stair tool. Post the file so we can see how far you got with it. Or post the settings you're using.

@Tom W. Honestly I didn't get too far with it yet. I have a couple bigger fish to fry for the project so I put it on the back burner. Maybe at lunch I'll try and build it in a different file so it's not all jumbled in with my project. 

 

I didn't really even come close to having any success. I don't use the tool a lot so I'm probably just ill informed on how to use it properly. I just wanted to change the riser height and treads and it basically just came up with a window every time telling me it wasn't possible and it seemed like it was trying to build the stairs based on common relationships between treads and risers, which I get, but someone built this stair very differently. 

 

I'll post something soon. 

[Jonk]

@Tom W.

 

I think I figured it out. Some hidden settings that I didn't find before. I had to raise the max tread depth which I hadn't found before. 

 

My only question now is, is there a way to get a landing at the top? See attached file. 2025 version. 

 

Thanks!

Stair Test.vwx

[rDesign]

@Jonk I did a quick one in Vw2023 using the Custom Stair tool without any problem. See attached sample file.

 

stair v2023.vwx

[Tom W.]

2 minutes ago, Jonk said:

My only question now is, is there a way to get a landing at the top?

 

Just running out the door so no time to check file but if you're using Stair tool look for 'Draw Top Tread' checkbox in 'Geometry' tab + give it 3' depth

[rDesign]

1 hour ago, Tom W. said:

 

Just running out the door so no time to check file but if you're using Stair tool look for 'Draw Top Tread' checkbox in 'Geometry' tab + give it 3' depth

Exactly what Tom W. said. 

 

I looked at your file and you are using the Stair tool, not the Custom Stair tool. Confusing, yes, but they are very different tools.

 

The Custom Stair tool has been relegated to Legacy (meaning it won't get any more updates from Vw). You'll need to add the Custom Stair tool to your workspace, it is under All Tools. Search for 'custom' in the Workspace editor.

 

In many ways the Custom Stair tool is better than the Stair tool and it is much more user friendly. The Stair tool is confusing at best.

Edited November 14, 2024 by rDesign

[Jonk]

@rDesign @Tom W.

 

You won't believe it but I didn't even have the custom stair tool in my workspace! I just added it. 

[Jonk]

1 minute ago, rDesign said:

Exactly what Tom W. said. 

 

I looked at your file and you are using the Stair tool, not the Custom Stair tool. Confusing, yes, but they are very different tools.

 

The Custom Stair tool has been relegated to Legacy (meaning it won't get any more updates from Vw). You'll need to add the Custom Stair tool to your workspace, it is under All Tools. Search for Custom in the Workspace manager.

 

In many ways the Custom Stair tool is better than the Stair tool and it is much more user friendly. The Stair tool is confusing at best.

This tool is waaayyy better! Especially for my work as a landscape designer. Often times for deck stairs etc... we need to create pretty custom stairs so this is great. 

 

Thanks!