Handrail miter parameters, caps, and railings in L configuration?

[billtheia]

I'm TRYING to use the Handrail PIO.

Can someone tell me what the Start Miter, End Miter, and Caps parameters do in the Handrail PIO? I've messed around with them but nothing seems to change.

Also, is there a way to create an "L" configuration for railings that actually miter the corner?

Thanks.

Edited December 10, 2007 by billtheia

[panthony]

Billtheia,

The stair handrail tool parametrically draws railings in straight sections through the centerline of the rail width. If you laydown a line used as a guide to snap along once complete you can go back and edit each sections start and end mitres. The angle you choose depends on the direction you chose to draw the rail and will determine whether or not to add a negative prefix to the angle degree for the mitre.

Pete A.

[billtheia]

Thanks.

NOW I get it.

[billtheia]

OK - it looks like the railing PIO is close but no cigar.

The miter appears to work in plan but not quite in 3-d. If you miter the ends of two handrails and align them in plan, the end post aren't properly aligned in 3-d - you wind up with an end post for each length of rail overlapping in a weird way, rather than aligning perfectly so that it appears that there is only one corner post.

Bummer.

[panthony]

Bill,

For that reason I usually fab up my own newel posts and set straight rail between them. Even with that...the balluster spacing will be different at each end because the system measures the spacing from the center of the objects length. That is the reason I don't tend to use the system start or end post unless I know each rail is of the same length.

Pete A.

[billtheia]

Thanks, Pete. I missed the check box for start and end uprights. That makes things a little bit better.