Stairs

[Anonymous]

OK, I am starting to get annoyed with stair maker. This is why.

If I use the stairs that are already made and I just adjust and alter them, I like the way they look in 2D OK, but they are so limited in choices, and irritating and complicated to use.

If I use the "Create new stair" then I can get stairs that I want, (Kinda) but the 2D look is limited. For instance, I want my above and below stuff to show up as dotted treads , but I can only get a dotted outline of the stair. Seems silly. Also, the stairs almost never believe me when I tell them I want all these certain parameters that I have done the math for. I get all these errors about tread so and so over lapping tread what ever, and so on and so on.

~So my questions are as follows:
Does anyone know any tricks to make stairs work easier and do what you want. Preferably with out fighting with it for a half hour every day.

Does anyone know of a different stair library that they like and thinks works well.

We do a lot of turny stairs, winder, many landings etc. . .

~~~Thanks!~~~

[TomWaltz]

Jesikuh123 wrote:
OK, I am starting to get annoyed with stair maker.

Either you're really patient or you're really new to StairMaker. It's one of the more aggravating products I've dealt with in my life.

I've seen a few other stair products over the years from a variety of sources, both add-ons and simple objects. I'm not really thrilled with any of them.

I've really thought about writing a fully custom stair that works the was US architects expect... but I can only imagine the effort involved! I wrote a simple one (for basic fire/egress stairs & railings) for my office a year or so ago and it was pretty involved.

[Anonymous]

Not that patient really,
more enthusiastic, and optomistic, thinking that if I use it enough I will figure it out.

Well, no.
I have figured out some of the quirks though.

this is what i have so far, to prevent error messeges and what not:

1st - set your floor to floor height & Lock It.
2nd- change the numbers that make up the equation stairmaker uses to something really small at one end and really big at the other.
3rd- set your tread width & Lock it
4th - Set your Riser Height & Lock it
5th- set the number of treads in each run & Lock them
6th- Then you're fight begins

In that order, then you're as good as you're gonna get with what you want, then you're going to start getting yelled at by stair maker, so you make do with as close as you can get.

When it is time for the client to see anything in 3 D or section- you erase the stair and build it from slabs and walls, and railings, a few choice words.
* Note - Violently Shaking your monitor doesn't make stairmaker any friendlier.

[Anonymous]

Jesikuh123 wrote:
.......* Note - Violently Shaking your monitor doesn't make stairmaker any friendlier.

Only the monitor?! you are patient.

Look @ ArchiStair or StairBuilder, but still you have too....

Wish all of us the best,
Joseph

[Anonymous]

aye, you've got the hang of it! one more thing, go to the nosings and change them to something else so that you don't get that shouting.

changing some lengths on the flights after you've done all of the above can be a nightmare too... just a case of try to change one thing after the next and finding the order by which it will allow you to change the figure to what you want it to be.

note: shouting at it doesn;t help either... but it makes me feel sooo much better!

[Anonymous]

Since our WISH LIST is not fulfilled from above maybe these little hints will get us first flight. Please pour it in.

[Laura Yanoviak]

Jesikuh123 wrote:
3rd- set your tread width & Lock it
4th - Set your Riser Height & Lock it
5th- set the number of treads in each run & Lock them

Something else I've discovered: just because a parameter is "locked" doesn't mean it's "fixed" -- I've had locked parameters change on their own.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have noticed too that locking the parameters doesn't allways work either, for what ever reason.

And yes, change the nosing, maybe #6 - I cant remebr where I left off- to 1 inch.

And yes, too, Never change the flight lengths in the top of the diallge box unless you have to.

Huge mess there.

[Pete]

Re-ordering the process might help:
1st - set your floor to floor height & Lock It.
2nd- change the numbers that make up the equation stairmaker uses to something really small at one end and really big at the other.
[since 25" is desired, I set mine @ 24" to 26"]
3rd- Set your Riser Height & Lock it [because you locked #1, the riser you enter is a "suggestion" that stairmaker will use to determine the riser and total number of risers/treads, don't fight it].
4th - set your tread width & Lock it [pick one that gets the equation close to 25"]
5th- set the number of treads in each run & Lock them [setting total run for each flight at this point will determine the landing size or vise-versa]
6th- Then you're fight begins [as stated, usually the fight involves nosings vs. landings. I set my nosings @ 7/8" and riser distance from landing @ 1"].

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

1. Can I Turn off the number of treads and Risers when I use "Create New Stair?"

2. Can I change the font of tread & Riser#?

3. Did anyone knwo if there is a way to change what you see on floor above or below with these stairs?