buggy railing tool...still

[heathldesign]

i'm using AC 26. we all know the railing tool is convoluted to say the least, and i still find after many, many years that i just can't get the hang of it. i almost start to shake when i need to use it. but it's also buggy i suspect. because if the results i'm getting are not because of a bug, then i need special tutoring to understand this tool. watch the vid attached. i have a rail that i have split into two segment lengths so that i can adjust each separately. apart from not being able to wrap my head around how to actually adjust components, sometimes in plan view, sometimes in elevations. i guess it depends on what the phase of the moon is and what colour my underwear is that day. but in this case, i want to change the inner posts on one segment, but it changes them in the other segment. please to explain.

while we're at it, as i said, i have split the rail into two segment lengths, and if i change the end post on one segment, it changes on both. why oh why?

[AllanP]

Once you use the "Convert Pattern to Segment Length" then you have made that segment custom, and it is no longer controlled by the overall settings.

you can tell if something is set to custom from the yellow warning triangle attached to the segment group when in the overall settings box.

To reset the segment to a type connected to the master pattern, then click on the "Reset custom segments" at the bottom.

To manually edit the segments, turn on the "Segments and Nodes"

This shows a line for each segment, that can be selected.

use the info box/Element setting to change an individual segment("Ctrl+T" on PC, "Cmd+T" Mac), 

or you can just type in the divisions in the info box:(i do a vertical info box because there are so many useful setting in it)

If you click on the railing settings button, it controls the "overall settings" for the entire rail, not for the segments that have been individually edited.

Anything in the blue box controls the overall settings for all the elements of that type in the railing, not the selected element in the railing.

Select individual elements and then use ("Ctrl+T" on PC, "Cmd+T" Mac), for the settings for individual elements,

If you use the Blue commands, then all end posts will be edited as you described.

just select one post, go ("Ctrl+T" on PC, "Cmd+T" Mac), and then change it, only that post will be edited,

but it will no longer be controlled by the overall settings box, and in the overall setting box, the Node will have a yellow warning beside it to say one of them is set to custom.

I hope this helps...

P.S, yes, stairs and railings are very very evil...

[Laszlo Nagy]

There is a video playlist on the Archicad YouTube channel about the Railing tool. It is about 50 minutes in total, so if you watch it in full, you will have a good understanding of the Railing tool:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnXY6vLUwlWWfi_uS2BwmRUa5VJkEmrZO

[heathldesign]

Thanks AllanP, i do understand that, but if you watch the video i attached, the segment i selected to edit the posts, is not the segment that adjusts. 

[heathldesign]

Thanks Laszlo, very helpful. still very confusing non the less. please note the video i attached , the selected segment is not the segment that adjusts when edited. is this a bug?

[AllanP]

Yes, what you describe is either a Bug or a feature,

it is counterintuitive that the "Railing Settings" button controls everything that is "not set to Custom",

and not the "selected element".

if you do not click on the edit button, you can change things by just selecting the element and clicking on the element settings button

from your video:

when you start, nothing is set to custom, the blue box applies settings to everything, not just the selected element, the same as just changing the railing using Element settings (as above)

in the edit mode, the blue button control everything except what has been set to custom. you see that there is no yellow triangle by the "Segment", so the settings will be applied to everything.

then you convert part of it with a command, the settings for that segment are now set to custom and not controlled by the overall settings

The blue shows things controlled by the "Railing Settings" button, and the yellow shows elements that will no longer be controlled by the "Railing Settings" button even if  the yellow part is the selected part.

that button only apples to unedited elements(shown in blue)

the yellow triangle beside the "Segment" tells you that these setting will not apply to all elements of the railing.

To change the settings of the selected element you need to select the desired part (In your case the railing segment) then click on the element settings box

Note:

When you edit a sub element in the edit mode, it will never be controlled by the overall element settings unless you reset the Segment or Node.

this is annoying as the only option is to reset all segments or nodes.

When you click on sub-elements and go to the element settings you get the setting for just that sub element.

For an end/node, you only see the node setting

click on the node, click on the element settings button(or Cmd+T)

same for a segment, only the segment is seen, not the nodes.

for a post, just the post, not the pattern information

for the handrail...just the handrail, 

[heathldesign]

Thanks Allan, that's actually very helpful. still bloody confusing, but i'll keep re-reading until something sticks. so, do i need to select each segment to make it "custom" in order for each segment to be custom? i thought that by selecting the whole railing initially and context clicking "convert pattern to segment length", that by default the other segment(s) would be too. 

[AllanP]

Hi,

In the "EDIT" mode the act of making any change to the element by clicking on the element setting button makes it "CUSTOM".

In the "EDIT" mode the "Convert Pattern to Segment Length" also makes the segment "CUSTOM".

The "EDIT" mode is there to make "CUSTOM" edits to the individual elements that don't match the default pattern setup.

Once the element is "CUSTOM" it is no longer connected to the "Railing Settings".

To make changes you then have to come back to the "EDIT" mode and select the individual elements/segments again to update those elements.

Always try to get the railing to set as much as possible by the railing settings and avoid editing elements in the "EDIT" mode.

Once you start editing things in the "EDIT" mode then it is difficult to work out what is connected to the railing settings and it just appears buggy.

To get around this, I model things as separate railings and then turn off the end posts rather than losing track of the complex setting inside an edited railing.

I Hope this explanation helps.

[Barry Kelly]

Also in Edit mode, you can select multiple elements (of a similar type - i.e. multiple inner posts) and edit them all at once.

Stretching hotspots will be individual to the element though.

You can also use pick-up and inject settings (pipette and syringe).

Barry.

[heathldesign]

Thanks Allan, i think i'll approach it this way going forward.