Schedules for Handrail Guardrails

[Anonymous]

I'm working on a project with A LOT of handrails and guardrails. Currently the project is in a preliminary and costing phase so using the schedule function could be incredibly helpful.

It seems that the schedule is picking up the length of the handrail not including the overhang - and the minimum overhang is 3/4". So, the length shown on the schedule is always at least 1 1/2" off. Does anyone know how to get the schedule to pick up the actual outside length of the handrail or guardrail?

The schedule is also showing the (inaccurate) length to a 1/16" accuracy, and at this point it would be better to be at a one inch accuracy. I changed all of the options in preferences to one inch, but the schedules are still showing 1/16". Does anyone know how to change the level of accuracy in the schedules?

[Steve Jepson]

mc0m wrote:
I'm working on a project with A LOT of handrails and guardrails. Currently the project is in a preliminary and costing phase so using the schedule function could be incredibly helpful....

I think I have what you need, now that you don't need it anymore

I have individual .gsm parts for hand railing systems. set screws, fittings, washers, bolts, nuts, anchor bolts, tube...

There is way too much effort involved if you have to model a railing system like this up from scratch. There are about 500 parts in the model shown in this picture. The advantage of having a model like this is that all you need to do is grab a group of parts and drag them over to you new stair or ramp. There is very little adjustment needed to make new railing systems from a model like this.

The Interactive Schedules that go with it are automatically updated of course per your model. I don't have cost data included in the model parts but that would certainly not take much effort.

There are websites with both pipe railing models of many arrangements and also websites with all of the individual parts in SketchUP, .dwg, and other 3d formats which are easily imported into ArchiCAD using the Translator.

Perhaps you can import a stair almost exactly like you need and then just tweak it a little. ?

Since using the Translator tool will automatically generate .gsm parts for you, to make your own schedule would just be a matter of setting it up to include those automatically generated .gsm objects.

It is a little more complicated than that but I hope you get the idea of how it is done.

I am playing around with schedules and I think I will end up having the parts scheduled by layers. This is because I like to have Views of each set of components so I can visually verify the schedules if I need to do that.

The Interactive Schedule is great for this because if the count does not seem right you can select the objects from the schedule and go to a view of them.
It is very helpful in finding any little parts that many have ended up on the wrong layer.

[Steve Jepson]

I had to make the parts rather crude to keep the poly count down which is why the parts are not as smooth as they could be.

I tried a few model parts that were very smooth and round but the file size was off the charts.

[Steve Jepson]

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[Steve Jepson]

The low poly parts don't looks so good in rendering but may not be that important. I render with Maxwell so the parts are smoothed in Maxwell Studio anyway, so it works for me.

[Steve Jepson]

As you can imagine I am sure, it does not take too much effort to move groups of these parts and then extend the tubes to reach the fittings.

the bent tubes are morphs so you can extend the ends of them too with out messing up the bends.

[Steve Jepson]

As for the schedule- with the entire system modeled with .gsm library parts you can make an Interactive Schedule to include anything any other Interactive Schedule might have. Like I said, I organized my parts by layers. You may prefer to use object names, part numbers, whatever you like...

I have no idea what I will use this for Perhaps someone will hire me to model their pipe railing systems ?

[Anonymous]

Wow! a very complete solution for handrails.You should sell this, Im sure many people will need this but dont know where since Objects on line got out of the business of selling library parts....

Maybe you should developer a similar solution for Sanitary piping...!

[Steve Jepson]

jocontreras wrote:
Wow! a very complete solution for handrails.You should sell this, Im sure many people will need this but dont know where since Objects on line got out of the business of selling library parts....

Maybe you should developer a similar solution for Sanitary piping...!

I do have a set of parts for PVC/ABS and Victaulic/Mechanical fittings and valves.

The thing is that selling the parts is complicated and all it takes is someone to make a good pipe fitting .gsm part that can be configured for any size and my parts would be useless.

I don't have the skills to make such fancy parts.


I would like a pipe fitting part that can be configured to show threaded fittings, mechanical fittings, slip fittings, ABS/PVC, etc...and in all common sizes.

It should be fairly easy for a GDL guru. I imagine that the scripting would not be so different from the .gsm Steel Beams 16. The difference would be selecting fitting types instead of beam profiles.

Unfortunately, this kind of GDL scripting is not something I can do.

All I could do is try to open the Steel Beam 16 part and fiddle with it replacing beam profile scripts with pipe fitting scripts which I think I could make but not in an efficient and optimized way.

The other part I would like to have is just a regular vinyl window with a nailing fin that sets on the outside face of the wall sheathing.
This may be the most common window type in the world and we can't configure any of your library windows to like that. I can get close, but not with out too much fuss.

I think ArchiCAD need an entirely revised set of library parts.

[Steve Jepson]

If anyone would like to have this model with all the parts let me know.

The reason I made it in the first place was because a pipe railing company in Australia wanted to make the parts and models available on their website.

They have it all in Revit and AutoCAD, perhaps other file formats as well, and they want to make that same sort of thing available for ArchiCAD users too.

I modeled up one of the systems they make available for download from their web site as a sample. This is that sample. I don't think they are going buy it from me. What they were really after is something similar to our ArchiCAD .gsm part Rail Tube 16, but with fittings, and of course with all of their company data imbedded in the parts and perhaps the schedules to go with it.

This is the best solution I could come up with since I can not make the kind of SmartPart they are after.

I don't think I could sell these objects because they are just a file conversion, converted to morphs to separate the components, and then saved as .gsm parts.

Anyone can get these original parts on various manufactures websites in various file formats, and even from the Google Warehouse as .skp

I think I could charge a fee to convert files to .gsm, but I don't think I can sell them as parts. Other wise, I would just download millions of parts off the internet, convert them to .gsm and sell them.

Hey...if anyone wants parts converted to .gsm I would be very happy to charge you for that service. But this is not too likely since all that is need for that is to configure the Translator. There might be a little more work to it in converting that to morphs, smoothing, some minor editing, re-naming, adding data and a little scripting if you want additional features for the new .gsm, but all of that is something I think most ArchiCAD users would rather do themselves than pay for. ?? I don't know. Perhaps this will be my new job.