Stair PIO: multiple storey buildings (more than 2)

[Christiaan]

How is it best to use the stair tool with multiple storey buildings with regard to the 'Upper/Lower Floors' tab settings?

[CipesDesign]

For my purposes, I find the following to work best: For a 2 story bldg I create a stair on the main (ground) floor. I set the flr to flr height manually. I fiddle with the stair config's until I get what I want. I place the stair (not inserted into wall!).

Then I copy it and paste it in place in the second floor plan, making sure to change it's "z" height by going to a front view and moving it down by the same dimension as the flr to flr height.

Now I have the stair on both plans. And when viewed in 3d, if I've done everything right, the two stairs should exactly overlap, so that the model looks accurate. I currently add all of my "up" and "down" arrows and text in the annotations of the appropriate VP (mainly because I don't like the new curved arrows, and also so that I have toal control of the look and placement).

Hope that helps :-)

[Christiaan]

Man-o-man. I assume you do this because of the "Show 3D" check button doesn't currently work.

Am I right in assuming the 'Upper/Lower Floors' tab settings are aimed at 2 storey buildings and are not well suited to more than 2?

[CipesDesign]

I do it for a number of reasons, but mainly because that's the way I've done it for years. BTW, I have had some success using the "set by layer" flr to flr value. But for the simplw building I do I find the other method simpler...

[Sanford]

I agree with Peter, it seems simpler to do it his way, and I agree that the up/down arrows aren't that great looking. I've had problems getting the "set by layer" to work; I get a weird message about how the "floor to floor height doesn't allow for any risers" and as such the stair disappears in 2D. Maybe I just haven't spent enough time with it....

[Christiaan]

I get a weird message about how the "floor to floor height doesn't allow for any risers" and as such the stair disappears in 2D.

Yeah I came across this today.

What I'm curious to know is how NNA intend us to use the stair PIO with more than two levels? I can't quite figure it out. Or is it meant to only work with 2 levels?

[CipesDesign]

Christian, I think it was explained this way: each "stair" object should be placed on the lower of the levels it would serve, and each subsequent stair should be placed on its lowest level. EG: stair form ground floor to second floor is placed on ground floor; stair from second to third story is placed on second story.

[Christiaan]

Hmm, okay, that would make perfectly good sense.

So is there any way to stop the stair showing on the upper level?

[CipesDesign]

Good question! When faced with this type of issue I find its pretty easy to create mask in the annotations. Even better, create a mask with a break line and group them (to use on subsequent floors). Really, what you want is to show part of one stair, and part of the other. This can be done using the "stair break" option, but unfortunately the nice diagonal stair break in 11 is gone in 12, and the breaks are now always recangular, which looks really wrong. That's why I use the masking technique...