Resources? Railings example

[Keith W]

I'm still early on the learning curve...

I need some railings. Pretty simple. I can use the straight handrail tool, and sorta get something a little ok. But it leaves me a mess'o'questions...

First, is this the best I can do short of creating my own custom railings? I looked through the included resources and didn't see any railings.

Second: if I wanted to create my own, how would I go about that? I'm sorry for such a general question, a general answer will suffice for the moment... Would one model it piece by piece, then create a symbol? Would you do it in a separate file, assuming it might be something you're going to use again, or is there no real advantage to that (since you can share resources amongst all files...)

Third, if I use the handrail tool, how do I assign materials/textures etc. to the various pieces?

Fourth, with the handrail tool, I can pick amongst many styles of top rail, uprights, and intermediate rails, but they are simply identified as style 1, style 2, etc. Do I have to try each one individually, or is there some way to get some idea of what these all are?

I'll stop there, since I could probably go on and on. Though these Q's are about handrails, I am (obviously) still figuring out basics about the program, so I'm pretty sure that these answers will help me much more broadly. In any case, thanks for your help. I THINK I've watched every tutorial, etc. that there is, but I am a professional forgetter, so if you want to point me to some resource I might have missed or forgotten, feel free.

Sorry for the long post.

Keith

[Ray Libby]

I think it would help to know exactly what your output is. What type of drawings are you doing?

It really doesn't take that long to draw a custom profile from scratch, especially when the manufacturer has PDF's or cad files.

[Keith W]

These are for permit & construction drawings.

I guess you're talking about 2-d representations, which is certainly a starting point, but I am inclined towards 3-d modelling, so I can do sections, etc. easily.

So I think you're suggesting importing or referencing a pdf or cad file, and then tracing it... Am I missing anything?

Keith

[Ray Libby]

Yes, import the PDF or .dwg and trace over it. Don't you already have to draw the profile for construction docs?

If you use complicated moldings for 3D your render times are going to increase. Do you need that level of detail?

[Chad McNeely]

I'm still early on the learning curve...

I need some railings. Pretty simple. I can use the straight handrail tool, and sorta get something a little ok. But it leaves me a mess'o'questions...

First, is this the best I can do short of creating my own custom railings? I looked through the included resources and didn't see any railings.

Second: if I wanted to create my own, how would I go about that? I'm sorry for such a general question, a general answer will suffice for the moment... Would one model it piece by piece, then create a symbol? Would you do it in a separate file, assuming it might be something you're going to use again, or is there no real advantage to that (since you can share resources amongst all files...)

Third, if I use the handrail tool, how do I assign materials/textures etc. to the various pieces?

Fourth, with the handrail tool, I can pick amongst many styles of top rail, uprights, and intermediate rails, but they are simply identified as style 1, style 2, etc. Do I have to try each one individually, or is there some way to get some idea of what these all are?

I'll stop there, since I could probably go on and on. Though these Q's are about handrails, I am (obviously) still figuring out basics about the program, so I'm pretty sure that these answers will help me much more broadly. In any case, thanks for your help. I THINK I've watched every tutorial, etc. that there is, but I am a professional forgetter, so if you want to point me to some resource I might have missed or forgotten, feel free.

Sorry for the long post.

Keith

1) Yup, short of creating your own.

2) You can do most rectilinear rail designs with the guard/handrail tool. For scrolly wrought iron or turned ballusters or such, I create a symbol of one of the repetive units and string them along end to end as needed.

3&4) The "Style x"'s are actually classes that you need to assign class textures to, and those class textures will be applied to the bits that get assigned to those classes. They aren't "styles" in the sense of "types" or "designs".

[Keith W]

Thanks Chad!

1)ok

2) yes, except that it seems like ballusters always have to continue to the ground with the handrail tool. In my world, ballusters stop at the bottom rail (or at least above the ground) about 80% of the time.

3) Thanks for clarification, I'd read something to that effect shortly after I wrote this... But since I'm not yet really rendering, I'm not too familiar with textures etc. In due time...

Thanks for your help!

Keith