GSG - Vectorworks Architect 2016 - 10 Adding Stairs and Handrails Video Lecture | VectorWorks Architect: Become an Expert - Design Softwares

there are only two stairs in this
building
one straight care case in one platform
staircase which you will create using
two small straight stairs and a floor
object since this is only a two storey
building there are no stairs in the
second floor but you'll need to create a
couple of handrails for the balcony area
on that floor let's begin with a simpler
straight stair first with no object
selected change the fill color in the
attributes palette back to white then
make sure you have only the design
layers for one and slab to visible in
the navigation palette floor one should
also be the active layer once your
design layers are set correctly set the
stair tool from the building shell tool
set and click the Preferences button in
the toolbar in the general tab under the
general geometry set the values in your
dialog box to match the settings shown
here the ones highlighted have been
changed from their default values now go
to the geometry tab where you will find
more specific options for the stairs
geometry again set your values to match
the ones shown here the ones that have
been changed from their default values
are highlighted now go to the 2d
graphics tab to customize the stairs
appearance in a top plan or 2d view just
as with the other two tabs you should
adjust the settings in your dialog box
to match the one shown here
moving on to the construction tab you
can choose a construction style along
with applicable parameters for each
construction style change the parameters
to match those shown in the following
screenshot lastly go to the railings tab
to configure the settings for the left
and right hand rails of the stairs again
set your parameters to match what's
shown below although you don't need to
use them all right now notice that each
section has an expandable list of
options that can be configured for your
handrail once you're finished
configuring the stair settings click OK
to return to the drawing area to place
the stair snap to this midpoint on the
second floor slab then move your cursor
to the left
to snap to the endpoint of the wall at
left and click once more to set the
stair as you can see the stair overlaps
this wall some so switch to the
selection tool move the stair by its
bottom-left point and snap to the walls
endpoint this will move the stair back a
bit to its correct location with the
stair position properly we now need to
slope the adjacent wall to match the
stair with a selection tool select the
wall and switch to a rear right
isometric view from the view bar
additionally in the view bar choose
OpenGL from the render drop-down menu
also turn off design layer slab - from
the navigation palette with the wall
still selected switched to the reshape
tool in the basic tool palette and
enable the first mode reshape 3d walls
in the toolbar
select the top right vertex point and
move it to the bottom right corner of
the wall to create a slope that matches
the stair then switch to the second mode
in the toolbar and select the same
vertex you just moved and snap it to the
bottom edge of the top part of the
stairs after you've sloped the wall the
straight stair is complete before moving
forward return to a top plan view and
set design layer slab to back to visible
you can now move to the top left area of
a building to place the platform stair
here in the building shell tool set
again select the stair tool and click
the Preferences button in the toolbar
go to the general tab and set your
values to match those shown here
then do the same for the geometry tab
2d graphics tab
and railings tab
remember the values that have been
changed are highlighted for you
click ok to return to the drawing area
once you've configured the stare
properly now click anywhere in this area
then rotate the stare so the direction
arrow points to the top-left corner of
the drawing area click again once the
cursor Q 30 degrees is displayed this is
not the correct location of the stair
but this will ensure you your stair sits
at the same angle as the wall to move
the stair to its correct location switch
to the selection tool in the basic tool
pallet with the stairs still selected
move it by its left midpoint to
approximately the midpoint of the wall
these will be the stairs below the
platform to make the stairs that will be
above the platform go back to the stair
tool and click the Preferences button
once more most of the same settings from
the last stair will be used but since
this one will be a shorter staircase
there are still a few parameters that
need to be changed modify the settings
in your dialog box to match the ones
shown in the general tab
and click ok to return to the drawing
area
now click once anywhere above the
existing stairs then hold the shift key
and move your cursor downward until the
cursor Q of vertical appears click again
to place the stair in the drawing
after the stairs orientation is set move
the stair by its top right corner and
snap it to this corner of the slab
remember this portion of the stair is
supposed to be above the platform so go
to the object info pallet and change the
Z field to 6 feet the platform which
will be a floor object is the last part
of the stair we need to create just as
we did earlier in this project will
first draw the floors 2d geometry and
then convert that geometry into a floor
select the polygon tool from the basic
tool palette and enable the first mode
polygon mode once the tool is active
click the bottom left corner of the
vertical stairs next snap to the closest
corner of the angled stair hold your
cursor there until the smart point is
acquired after acquiring the smart point
hold the shift key and move your cursor
upward until the cursor Q horizontal
align H is displayed click dis at this
point
the rest of the vertices in this polygon
are either along the stair or along the
wall follow this video and set your
vertices to the same locations
once you reach your start point the
polygon will be automatically closed but
the polygon still selected go to AEC
floor in the create floor dialog box set
the bottom Z field to 60 inches and the
thickness field to 12 inches then click
OK
to convert the polygon to a floor object
and you're done in the navigation
palette turn off the slab to design
layer render an OpenGL and use the
flyover tool to take a look at your
stairs
notice that just like with the straight
staircase there is a wall that can be
sloped to your liking to show the stairs
to do this we'll choose the reshape tool
from the basic tool palette and select
the wall beside the angled stairs in the
toolbar enable the second mode add 3d
wall Peaks after that select the top a
right point of the wall hold the shift
key and snap it to the wall at the back
porch entrance
now switch to the first mode in the
toolbar and select the top right vertex
point press the tab key twice to enter
the top field in the floating data bar
and input for feet press the Enter key
to lock in the value and click once more
to move the wall vertex point
now the stairs are done and it's time to
move on to creating the handrails for
the balcony on the second floor
before you begin return to a top plan
view also makes lab to the active design
layer and change the layer options
drop-down menu to active only because at
the moment this is the only design layer
you'll need to create handrails on click
fit two objects to Center the slab in
your drawing area after that zoom in on
this curved portion of the slab
currently the handrail curve tool does
not have an option to create 2d geometry
into a handrail
so you'll first need to place arcs that
match this curve and then use these arcs
as a reference to create the handrails
with the handrail curve tool to trace
the curve in the slab select the arc
tool from the basic tool palette and
enable the second mode click the topmost
endpoint of the curve next click the
midpoint of that first arc in the curve
when the cursor q' arc appears then
click the endpoint of that arc when the
cursor QR appears once more to complete
the arc complete this step two more
times to the remaining two arcs that
make up the curve when you're finished
you should have three arcs after
creating these arcs press the X key to
switch to the selection tool and select
the first arc you created once the arc
is highlighted choose the handrail curve
tool from the furn fixtures toolset also
press the Preferences button in the tool
bar
when the dialog box opens notice that
there is an overall angle field in the
radius field these values will come from
the arc you have selected in the object
info pallet the sweep field will be the
overall angle and the radius field from
the object info palette will be the
radius field in the object properties
dialog box as well for the rest of the
parameters simply match them to the
values shown here
you
then snap to the ARC end point and move
your cursor to rotate the handrail until
it snaps to the existing arc once the
handrail is in place click once more to
create the handrail perform this process
two more times to create the handrail
based on the remaining arcs geometry
you
once you've created the handrails you
can select the arcs and delete them
with all three curved handrails
configured properly switch to the
selection tool hold the shift key and
select all three handrails also change
the Z field in the object info pallet to
zero and press the Enter key next choose
the handrail straight tool from the fern
fixtures toolset and create the last
handrail for the balcony area with the
handrail straight tool so now from this
point to this point this is the portion
of the balcony by the stairs then
configure the handrail in the object
info pallet to match what is shown here
don't forget that once the straight
handrail is complete to change the Z
height in the object info pallet to zero
and now the handrails are complete
switch to a left rear isometric view in
the view bar
also set the layer options drop-down
menu in the navigation palette to show
snap others and set floor one to visible
now render in OpenGL to see your
progress you can also use the flyover
tool to see some other views if you'd
like at this point you've completed the
building model the only thing left to do
is create viewports of our building for
better visualization of the final
product