Stairs down to basement

[Davemast]

I cannot show on the main floor plan the stairs going down to the basement. When I insert stairs on the floor plan the default arrow shows UP as though there will be an upper level. Question, please advise how I may set the arrow going DOWN to the basement from my main level?

Thanks

[DerekPedersen]

_Hello,

 

_{Thank you for the question.  You will want to draw your stairs on the lower floor instead (stairs by default will draw to the floor above).  For example, if you are adding stairs that connect the basement to the first floor, you will want to go to the basement floor (floor 0) and draw the stairs on this level.  Once the stars are there, select the stairs and click the auto-stairwell tool to create the stairwell.  You will see the direction indicators correctly at this point.}

 

_{I hope this helps.}

 

_{Here are a few stair resources.}

 

_{http://www.homedesignersoftware.com/support/article/KB-00420/71/Home-Designer/Stairs/How-to-Create-a-Staircase.html} 

_{http://video.homedesigner.chiefarchitect.com/?search=stairs}

 

 

_Regards,

_Derek

_{Chief Architect Sales}

[Jeff_K]

I am also struggling with stairs. I followed the previous reply, went into the basement and created the stairs. Then I clicked auto stairwell and it worked. The problem is, I am trying to position the stairs to come up between four walls on the first floor that surround the stairwell, a door at the top of the stairs. While working at the basement level I cannot "see" those walls to position the stairs accurately within them. So the stairwell is out of position. I cannot reposition the stairs from the first floor. So I went to the basement to adjust them (best attempt, not a good way to do it but a work around). But the repositioning does nothing to the stairwell that remains out of position. Nor can I tell if the repositioned stairs are now in the right position. I need the guidance of the first floor walls to position the stairs that exist in the basement plane but I don't know how to combine the two?

[Kbird1]

turn on    the reference layer ,will show in red.....check  your manual   icon on the rightside usually.

[DavidJPotter]

That is "Tools" (main menu) - Reference FLoors - then select Reference Floor Display (or hit the "F9" key on your keyboard).

 

DJP

[Jeff_K]

Thank you. That worked great. Once I turned on reference floor I could position accurately. I found I had to make sure the edges of the stairs were inside the boundaries of the walls before it would let me create the stairwell, which makes sense. I also had have the top edge of the stairs right to the edge of the outer door boundary to have it properly positioned. 

 

I had reviewed the tutorials on stairs and general reference info but hadn't come across anything on turning on reference floors. I also searched the knowledge base and the reference manual. I never came across anything linking stair creation and the reference floor display. I  had seen the selecting menu items and even the reference floor display menu entry but didn't know what it actually meant. I am just learning the program and finding most answers by poking around, watching tutorials that seem to apply, reading the manuals, and searching the knowledge base but there is a massive amount of information to sift through.