Keith_K Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 ...the more I seem to cock up everything. My needs are simple. All I want is a staircase with clear glass treads and risers and glass panels railings with stainless steel frames. I have set all the specs to how I imagine they should be on each staircase section but all I get are standard stainless steel railings with newels and balusters without a bit of glass in sight and to frustrate me even more the type of railing I actually want sitting across a landing where it shouldn't be. What am I doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elovia Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Hi Keith, Back when I learned to use this software, we didn't have the fancy new stairs options or tools. Instead, I learned to create manually what I couldn't create automatically. Then again, I first learned 3D modeling back when we only had primitive shapes (i.e., blocks, spheres, cones, etc.) and used boolean logic to create our visions. Fortunately, we still have the choice of automated vs. manual. Attached is an image of a glass panel stair rail that I built manually using sloped soffits for the panel and the handrail (in Pro 8, if I recall correctly). You could do the same for your application, and realize your vision in your model. My panel may be simpler than yours, but if you consider how the panel is to be constructed, then you can use primitive shapes with appropriate textures to create it. Key ingredients are patience and attention to detail. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 looks like you haven't turned off the railing on that edge of the landing where you have the doggy gate I assume you don't really want glass stringers too ? my guess >>> Turn off all autogenerated railings in the staircase DBX then add them manually with a Railing wall and spec as needed. these may help even though for Chief ( so not all options maybe available): http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00082/160/Chief-Architect/Stairs/Creating-Stairs-with-Glass-or-Cable-Railings.html http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-01029/160/Chief-Architect/Stairs/Creating-a-Manual-Stair-Rail.html perhaps post the plan if needed so we can have a play. Mick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobynKS Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Try going into the materials and change the materials in each section. See Photo This was just a quick go that I tried. Hope it helps. i clicked on the stairs in camera view then went to the materials list . Happy New year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 A belated thank you for your replies. I have had ten days of "high drama" thanks to an on line purchase of a new washing machine and I have only now returned to earth. I will play some more. Regarding the stringers, Mick, the fantasy in me did want them in glass as I wanted the staircase to be almost invisible apart from the handrail. We shall see. Or not see, as the case may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Well, I've played with moderate success and some frustrations appearing. Most of it seems to have worked apart from the two recalcitrant landing railings which remain firmly on the floor instead of on the landing where they have been drawn - red arrows. Clicking on them in 3D to try and drag them up doesn't work. The other frustrations are (a) the upper floor showing through the walls - blue arrows and ( the system refusing point blank to render the ceiling in white and insisting that, despite me specifying white ceilings for the room, the colour should be grey concrete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 you could post the plan so we could help figure it out ...if possible are the landing hand rail auto generate you manually drawn? Auto ? the one on the left you don't need , so select that edge of the landing and turn off the railing on that edge in the DBX try moving the other one onto the landing by 12-20mm and see if it "jumps up" I have had this with manual railings and you get them too close to the edge. no idea on the concrete ceiling unless your floor structure is set to concrete for some reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 It's been so long, Mick, that I've forgotten how to post a plan. The floor above in my plan has concrete floors. If you look at the first image I posted when I opened this topic you will see that the ceiling is fine as it is not showing as concrete. I haven't a clue why it does now particularly as I have changed nothing on the plan other than fiddling with the staircase. The landing handrails were hand drawn. I do need the handrail on the left as that landing is 1200mm away from the wall behind it. The space is for indoor foliage which I did try and include but couldn't get the sizing of the plantings right so I just deleted them all. I will try and drag them back slightly from the edge and see what happens. Any ideas as to why the upper floors are showing through the walls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 The dragging back didn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 just attach the plan file from wherever you save it, the same as you attach pics , no need to zip it or anything now as long as it isn't over 50mb which is the new limit. Eric (Solver ) is great at Stairs and I am sure he'll take a look if you can post it. I thought the LH rail was at the front of the landing not the back side sorry you don't have "follow stair" checked in the DBX of those two fallen rails do you ? that can cause the fall if NOT a staircase. Mick. PS last chance to get that upgrade to Chief sale ends midnight Jan 12th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 The follow stair option was tried with hilarious results and then unchecked again. Now let me see if I can attach the plan...et voilà Baron's Keep 12.01.2015.plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 quick look..... so far.... You have the ceiling thickness set to zero , check the default box and you lose the concrete ceiling, it becomes 8mm board again...... for some reason you have the room(2-3?) where the stairs are set as Deck not sure why? that are has a room divider ,necessary? different flooring? same now.... lower staircase need stringer at wall same style as upper staircase concrete showing at edge of floor at stairs maybe cos you are using glass risers ? ie see through normally that area is same wood as staircase handrails are short bottom etc they are supposed to extend to leading edge of bottom/top tread ...here at least that is minimum code, ie bottom newel is in middle of tread. LH fallen railing is gone deliberate? haven't figured RH fallen railing yet ,will look again later when I have more time.... link to indoor deck error KB http://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-00065/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 Odd. I don't usually fiddle with ceiling thicknesses and have no recollection of doing so but I have done as you suggested and have my white ceiling back again. I don't set that room to "deck". The programme does it as soon as I use the Build>deck>straight deck railing tool. I change it back to "unspecified" but as soon as I use the toll... The invisible wall is because there is no floor above the staircase and the only way I know of to do that is by having an invisible wall so that the whole of that entrance foyer doesn't lose it's ceiling. The LH fallen rail isn't there because I deleted them both, tried again and when I saw the RH just did the same as before I didn't bother trying the LH one. The concrete upper floor is also showing through the stone wall. I seem to remember encountering this problem with my first ever plan using HD but can't remember what I did to fix it. One is getting old, one is. I think what I might just do now is zap that staircase and start fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 your reply may provide a clue or two I had not noticed your Railing was in fact a Deck Railing , I though you had designated the area as a "Deck" for some reason. You should be using the Wall>Straight Railing Tool not the Deck>Straight Railing Tool since it is not a deck. The upper Railing along the hall is also a Deck Railing which is causing the Hall way to be a "deck" too , Delete it and replace with a straight Railing and you get the drywall back there, you may need to designate the Hallway as a Hall again , it tries to stay a deck which screws up the ceiling and adds a deck beam otherwise. you want the stairwell side of its walls to be the "exterior" side of the walls in most cases so that things align properly , there is a mix around the stair well due to the direction they were drawn in is my guess, This correction and realignment should fix the edge of the floor showing .Fixing the upper railing ( as above) should fix it above the stone wall but you need to make the material of the Railing's exterior Wall the stone too otherwise it will show drywall there. I also needed to manually adjust the dimension off the upper railing wall to match the wall below , it was 10mm out and was showing the drywall ceiling through the wall , the usually wall align too did not "see" the misalignment for some reason. the concrete showing at the top of the stairs is cos you stopped that upper wall to make the opening instead of continuing it to the outer wall and then using a "Doorway" with no casing to cut the hole in the wall I believe, this wall needs it's layers reversed so you may need to change materials per side. the concrete showing at the floor on the opposite side has something to do with your "Castle interior wall" type, if I change the wall type to "interior" the drywall covers the concrete. I had deleted the invisible wall and didn't see any changes , which is why I asked about it , just tried again and the ceiling stayed white etc, whole in the floor didn't change, Are you really having white window sills > the rest of the window appears to be Oak? that should keep you busy for an hour or 3 ...it did me .... the staircase next.... M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 "You should be using the Wall>Straight Railing Tool not the Deck>Straight Railing Tool " NOW HE TELLS ME!! The windowsills aren't white. Well they're not supposed to be. The window spec says "buff limestone" and I don't know why the colour in the 3D image doesn't show up the same as it does on the spec sheet. But thank you ever so much for spending time on it. I will now print off your reply and go and fiddle some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 You made me look at the windows again. I have now supressed the interior sill and got rid of the allowances for cut outs etc and they look much, much better. Thank the Lordy that the system now updates everything if you change the default setting. It didn't used to and the thought of having to change all those windows manually... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 you were looking at the exterior sill material not the interior sill colour/material in the pic above , in 2014 and older you have to click the radio button for interior exterior sides. have deleted your stairs and started rebuilding but still fiddling with the rail/landing issue..... M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo_Ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Hi Keith, Here is my tryst at creating this stair flight. I 'smoked' the glass, because regular transparent glass doesn't look very good in 3d. Of course you could vary the degree of transparency. You don't need the invisible wall on floor one. The railing wall on floor 2 should create and define a room as 'open below' and that creates the open stairwell...which doesn't interfere with the remaining ceiling (beyond the stairwell) on floor 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo_Ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 P.S. Is this the place with the moat?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 can you post your plan please Jo so I can look at the settings , I am wondering if there is a bug in newer versions , as the landing rail just falls to the ground... thanks it is a Castle , but there is no Moat ...or Swimming Pool ,must of run out of money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo_Ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Ok. Here is the plan. I don't know if this will really be of any help, because my dimensions and Keith's dimensions are probably not the same. I used his floor plan jpeg to try and get it close. I backed up the plan including the textures. Have you ever looked at the textures incuded in a backed up plan? I never used a lot of those textures in there! Why are all those extra textures put in there????? KeithK stairwell.zip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_K Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 Bloody hell, Jo-Ann, that looks FANTASTIC!! The 3D rendering is also far superior to what my graphic card produces so I am insanely jealous. And yes, it is the same place for which the moat was abandoned because I couldn't get it right. Just as a matter of interest I have changed the stone wall on the left to match that at the back of the stairwell, i.e. "Castle Support Wall in my wall definitions. More for aesthetic reasons than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo_Ann Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Keith, Your graphic card is newer and probably better than mine. I think it's more about textures that are used, and lighting, which greatly affects the render outcome result. I also like to use material definition to alter textures. HD library textures 'as is' are not the greatest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 you may need to go into the plan material and purge every now again to get rid of now unused materials. posted over on chieftalk about the falling rails and nobody can work it out...... well nobody but you Jo_Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Yep nice as usual Jo Ok I see now that you used the Staircase's built in Railings , I should of noticed there was no bottom rail , which you get with a Railing Wall and they do work with Landings . I see you used Soffits for the glass and posts too... so you were very busy always amazing me what you do with this software.... is there a reason you have the staircases partially in the wall no#1 in pic , looks like you have a wrinkel too , in the plan no#2 need to delve deeper I guess , I just got it to work in Pro 10 in Jo's Plan after turning off the default rails.....strange M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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