curved ascending profile to use as stair rails

[Anonymous]

I need to make a ascending curved profile to use as stair and ramp rails, but none of the standard library objects fits my needs. I can't use a profiled wall, cause it cannot be ascending, and neither a beam, cause it cannot be curved. How can I make it?

[Anonymous]

There is a useful library part by Oliver Dentan which allows you to extrude a circle, ellipse, or rectangular profile along a spiral. Its on his site here called "Rampes Courbes" which contains both english and french language versions.

If you needed to use a more complex profile it is difficult to make without knowing any GDL, but commands like 'sweep' or 'Tube/Tubea' may be useful.

Also do a search for 'handrail' or 'rail' on these forums as there may be other threads detailing different techniques.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Peter.
I just downloaded it and will try on monday.

[Ralph Wessel]

arqstein wrote:
I need to make a ascending curved profile to use as stair and ramp rails, but none of the standard library objects fits my needs. I can't use a profiled wall, cause it cannot be ascending, and neither a beam, cause it cannot be curved. How can I make it?

Take a look at OBJECTiVE - it will make short work of problems like this. I've attached some images to illustrate ways it can help with stairs in general:

• 1. The profile of the stairs can be transformed into a bendable object for curved stairs
  2. Illustrating how the stair can be accurately placed and bent to the required radius.
  3. The cross section of the handrail can also be drawn and transformed to a bendable object. It can bend in more than one axis and can also rise or fall along its length. In the example, it is placed at the ends of the stair, bent to the stair radius in plan, and offset to the rise of the stair in elevation.
  4. The same principle can be used for the wall capping, in this case using the capping as an SEO operator on the wall.
  5. Some images where these tools have been applied to stairs and walls in a real project.

There are also tools to cut and rotate the handrail sections in plan and elevation to make complex junctions or routes. For more information and examples, take a look at http://www.encina.co.uk/objective.html