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Last Updated: 16 February 2021

2.2.9 - Create the exterior stair - Railing

You will notice that the ground floor level is 0.000 and the level house deck level is -1.00, as it is shown in Fig.2.2.9.6.
You have to create a stair leading up from the house deck level to the entrance of the ground floor, as shown in Fig.2.2.9.4, and Fig.2.2.9.5.

• Draw the layout of the exterior stair:
• On the plan view of the ground floor, draw the rectangular polyline (P7-P8-P9-P10-P7)) so that it is P1P2= 3.24, P2P3 = 1.50. Place the rectangle so that the side (P9P10) is parallel to line (cd) and at a distance of 1.05 (Fig.2.2.9.3).

This stair will be a straight stair, start from level -1.00, has as width = 1.50, has as total height 1.00, 7 risers, 6 treads, each tread = 0.34, and terminate with a 1.20 meter long landing.
To design it, you will use from the Design Tool Palette, the type of stair called Concrete (Fig. 2.2.9.1).
If there is not this type of stairs in 'Design Tool Palette' (Fig.2.2.9.1), you will get it from Ribbon > Tools  > and select Content Browser.
On the Content Browser which will open, select > Design Tool Catalog > Stairs and Railing > Stairs > select the Concrete Stair icon, and drag it with your mouse on the Design Tools Palettes.

Create the exterior stair.

• Open the Design Tool Palette, select the stair style Concrete (Fig. 2.2.9.1), the Properties Palette of this stair will open where you can modify the values according to your needs.
• On the Properties Palette (Fig. 2.2.9.2), on category General, make sure that Style is Concrete, select Straight for Shape.
• On category Dimensions, set the value of Width to 1.50 (P8P9 = 1.50 m), and the Height to 1.00, select Left for Justify, and select Landing for the 'Terminate with', Set Riser count = 7, and Tread = 0.34.
• At the prompt Flight Start Point or: select point P8 (Fig.2.2.9.3).
• At the prompt Flight End Point or: select point P7 and press ENTER.
• The stair is created. Select the stair, the grips will appear,  select the Edge grip on the side (P7P10) (Fig.2.2.9.3), and move it until the midlle of line (P7P10) and press Enter.
• With the stair selected, on the properties palette, on category Location > set the Elevation of the stair to -1.00.
• Select and delete polyline (P7P8P9P10P7).
• The stair is created as shown in Fig. 2.2.9.7 and Fig.2.2.9.8.

Stair – Cut Plane

After drawing the stair, it is possible to notice that it can not appear in the plan view. This is because the plan view is a horizontal section of the model at a certain level and displays anything found at this level and in a distance above and below it, as defined in Cut Plane.
Because the stair you design is on level -1.00, it is possible to notice that it can not appear in the plan view. To fix it, you can set individual settings for the height of cut plane of the stair style 'concrete', that can override the global cut plane settings.
The Stair object, in AutoCAD Architecture, has individual settings for cut planes that can override the cut plane setting of the display configuration.

To set a cut plane for the stair style concrete:

• Click Manage tab > Style Manager
• Expand Architectural Objects, and then expand Stair Styles (Fig.2.2.9.4).
• Select the wall style Concrete for which you want to set an individual cut plane, and click the Display Properties tab.
• Select Plan High Detail on the Display Representations column.
• Click the Edit Display Properties button .

• On the Display Properties dialog box that will open, click the Others tab (Fig.2.2.9.5).
• Select Override Display Configuration Cut plane.
• For Cut Plane Height, enter for this drawing the value 2.40 (Fig.2.2.9.5).
• Click OK twice. 

From now all stairs of this drawing, which have the concrete style, their Cut Plane level will be 2.40

Solution Tips for Stairs

Values entered for the design of the stair, must comply with the Design Rules, as shown on the Stair Style - Concrete dialog box (Fig.2.2.9.6).

When AutoCAD Architecture detects a problem with the way a stair is drawn, it displays a solution tip icon on the stair in the drawing. Move the cursor over the icon to display a message that describes the problem and provide possible solutions.

You have either to change the values for the properties of the stair (e.g. Height, Riser count, Tread) or to un-check the Use Rule Based Calculator box (Fig.2.2.9.6). To uncheck the Use Rule Based Calculator box, you have to edit the stair style as follows:
Select the stair, on Ribbon > select Edit Style >on the dialog-box Stair Styles - Concrete that will open > select the Design Rules tab > in category Calculator Rule uncheck the box Use Rule Based Calculator (Fig.2.2.9.6) and press OK.
After you apply the correct changes to the properties of the stair, or uncheck the box 'Use Rule Based Calculator', the stair Solution Tip icon will disappear from the stair plan.

Add the Railing

Railings are objects that interact with stairs and you can add railings to existing stairs. AutoCAD Architecture provides the tools that let you place railings using a railing tool with specific predefined properties. You can use the default settings of the tool or you can change the properties.

• To design the railing of this stair you will use from the Tool Palette - Design (Fig. 2.2.9.11), the style of railing called Guardrail - Pipe. If there is not this style of railing in the Tool Palette- Design, you will get it from Ribbon > Tools  > and select Content Browser. you will import this from Content Browser in to your Tool Palette-design.
• To do this: On the Content Browser which will open, select > Design Tool Catalog > Stairs and Railing > Stairs > select the Guardrail - Pipe Stair icon, and drag it with your mouse on the Design Tools Palettes.
  Open the Content Browser (Fig. 2.2.9.0) > Design Tool Catalog > Stairs and Railing > Railings > select the Guardrail - Pipe railing (Fig. 2.2.9.12), and i-drag it with the mouse in the Design Tools Palettes.

To design the railing:

• Open the Design Tool Palette, select the railing style Guardrail - Pipe Fig.2.2.9.11), the Properties Palette of this railing style will open (Fig. 2.2.9.12) where you can edit the values according your needs.
• In case you use the railing style Standard you have to do the following: On the Properties Palette (Fig. 2.2.9.12), in category Location make sure that attached is set to Stair and Automatic Placement is set to Yes. In this example you use the railing style Guardrail – Pipe, so you don't need this action.
• At the command prompt Select a stair or [….]: select a point on the side (P7P8) of the stair.
• At the command prompt Select a stair or : select a point on the side (P9P10) of the stair and press ENTER.
  With the same way design the railing for the interior stair (P1P2P3P4P5P6).
• The railing of the Stairs have been created as shown in (Fig. 2.2.9.13).

Crete the 3D View in Conceptual mode

• On View Cube, in the upper right corner of your screen, click on the corner WS of View Cube to get a 3D isometric view of your project.
• You can apply a Conceptual view in your plan, to have a more artistic view.
• To do this:
  On Ribbon > click on View tab > on Visual panel > > select Conceptual.
• The result is shown in Figure 2.2.9.14

Save this drawing under the name h21190_groundFloor in the folder customDrawings\groundFloor you have created, its full path is: C:\ACA\my_projects\house21_190\customDrawings\groundFloor\h21190_groundFloor.
You will use this drawing in chapter 5, to create the construct drawings of your project.