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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Hi: As I mentioned elsewhere, I am an architect. That is the base of my problems. I think in structures, not in rooms, etc. -- Now I have a problem with the generate_staircase plugin. --When I, as an architect start to plan a staircase, I take the vertical floorplan to floorplan distance. Here is the example: Distance=2.70. Stair count=18 (two flights of 9 stairs; U shaped with landing; landing counts as one stair) Stair height=15 > because 18 x 15 = 2.70. --The result I got last time is: "Global size (WxDxH): 1.816 x 2.924 x 3.70 Last stair elevation: 2.70--Last stair TOP should be 2.70) I have tried to change things, but the staircase is always higher or lower than the floor level distance, never fits. Of course, I don't know what do you mean by thickness. I think in concrete, and it looks like a wooden staircase. I guess I don't get it what the "thickness" has to do with the section shape of the staircase. (It should be 15 high and 33 deep. I use the old formula: 2 x height + 1 x depth = 63 cm) -- If you have some user guide, please give it to me. I could not find one. Your software makes very fine staircases, I just don't know how to handle it. There must be a way. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
At the bottom the Last stair elevation is displayed so you can adjust the parameters to fit your required height.
The global size is the size of the object, i.e. including the handrails, pole, etc. So the global height is higher when there is a handrail. Last stair elevation 2.70 + handrail 100cm = global height 3.70. Same with the width: stair width + stringers left and right = global width (for a straight staircase).
Thickness is the thickness of the thread board. It doesn't change the step height because the riser height decreases when the thread thickness increases. Unfortunately it only goes up to 3 cm where I usually have threads of 4 or sometimes 5 cm thick.
If I can't get to the exact height I try to get as close as possible. After generating the staircase I simply adjust the height of the object so it fits flush with the floor. Put a camera pointed at the top of the stairs.Use the ⤓ handle at the corner of the staircase in the 2Dview to drag the height until it is flush with the top of the floor. While you drag in the 2Dview you can see in the 3Dview the height change. Make sure you are fully zoomed in in the 2Dview so you get the smallest height change for the drag.
Thread offset is how much the thread stick out over the riser. For public staircases 0 this should be 0.
For a simple concrete staircase without railing/handrails: Create a box for 1 step and use the multiplier plugin to create a staircase by simply generating the other steps. Give it a concrete texture and you're done. You can create a box sized to 1 mm precision. (For the multiplier set the Y value to 0, the Z value to the height of the step, and the X value to the offset for the steps (thread depth where the step itself is of course deeper).
It's a wonderful tool although I always custom create my staircases. I use it for quick prototyping and sometimes as as an easy calculator for the different sizes.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Hi: Thanks for your insights. I copied and saved your post for study, and read thru a couple of times. --One question directly: you wrote "Last stair elevation 2.70" I think that elevation in SH3D always means the bottom of an object. I need last (highest) stair TOP to be 2.70. So, if I got it right, Last stair elevation should be 2.70 minus the height of one stair. Please, tell me, if that is so or not. --The Multiplyer plugin approach for concrete staircase could work, but of course, I need the handrails. And mostly I need the very conservative U-shaped-with-landing-in-the-middle (two-flight) staircases, which I can't see how to do with the multiplier. There seems to be columns for handrails, but no handrails. (Also, I could not find concrete texture.) --As an architect, I actually drew lots of staircases with pencil on paper. Then went over to ArchiCAD. Now my free access ended, hence I am working with SW3D. I am doing visual plans only nowadays. --Please, tell me how you "custom create" your staircases, if it is not a trade secret. Best wishes Erik
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
So, if I got it right, Last stair elevation should be 2.70 minus the height of one stair.
No, in this case the display at the bottom "Last stair elevation" means the top of the last step or riser.
With concrete: For a U shape you create a small (9 steps?) staircase, group the objects and copy the group. Create a single box for the landing. Elevate the landing and one of the staircases to the correct height. Of course first rotate one staircase to get the U shape in combination with the landing. Just like furniture libraries you can import texture libraries. The AmbientCG library listed on this page is large and very good and has several different concrete textures. I think there is a handrail in the furniture catalog but otherwise you can create them using cylinders.
--Please, tell me how you "custom create" your staircases, if it is not a trade secret.
It's no trade secret, just a lot of learning and getting experience. Lots of users here create their own furniture instead of downloading ready made models. I am such a nutcase that I create ALL my furniture myself, including doors, windows, and of course staircases. How? That's a long answer. Some time ago I started to create a manual for creating furniture but it soon was clear that it would become more of a book than a simple manual. I gave up on that, it became too much like real work Basically you use objects like box, cylinder, and triangle and even walls and rooms. Or you can create custom shapes with the Generate 3D Shape tool. Resize, combine, and export to create furniture. There's much more to it of course but it is a little like drawing line by line only you use parts to create furniture. In some cases you need to use Blender because there are a few things you can't do in Sweet Home 3D. Blender can import and export the obj/mtl format so that's easy. It's also easy to edit the obj/mtl files to change material names but you have to learn how. My basic process is to create parts, export, edit material names, import. Next part. Then combine all parts and export/import as the finished furniture.
In this thread I offered a library with custom created public staircases: https://www.sweethome3d.com/support/forum/viewthread_thread,11998 . Not my the best work and it took way too much time. Nowadays I can do better and much faster. Maybe I'll update the library one day but it will give you an idea of what is possible. There are many more examples on the Sweet Home 3D site. On the sourceforge Sweet Home 3D many more examples are offered.
Romania
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
@architech I've tried to reproduce your issue with U shape with landing. 1. I'm not a math like I'm not an architect but
Distance=2.70. Stair count=18 (two flights of 9 stairs; U shaped with landing; landing counts as one stair) Stair height=15 > because 18 x 15 = 2.70.
The U shape staircase (at this moment) accept an odd numbers of stairs and one of them in the landing. So 9*2=18; 18+1=19 OR 8*2+1=17. 2. The plugin warning you about the incorrect input number (in red) but you choose to ignore it. Consequently the plugin ignore your input (18) and use 19 with the accordingly results. 3. The last stair elevation is where the last step end (at TOP). 4. You don't need to hide baluster like I've did because you have the last stair elevation. 5. There is 3 concrete texture in library name as Wall concrete.
To have exactly 2.70 the Stair height have to be 15.89
The concrete one is created with your settings.
---------------------------------------- A computer program does what you tell it to do, not what you want it to do. Murphy's Law (Greer's Third Law) When all else fails, read the instructions.Murphy's Law
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
One thing to keep in mind: the height of a staircase is the room height + the floor thickness. So if your level height is 2.50m and floor thickness is 20cm your staircase should be 2.70m. What I do is adjust the parameters to get as close as possible to the required height and if there is a minor difference after generating I correct that by changing the height of the staircase object. You can use two decimals in the number fileds and the calculation will use them. Just remember that the display of the number in the field will revert to one decimal (mm) once you leave the field. Using that it's almost always possible to get within a millimeter of the required height.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Thanks! Yet again I copied your answer for study. I am really grateful for your detailed descriptions. What I feel now is that I will have another try, and if I am no good, then I will get some other CAD software made directly for architects. My fault is that I can hardly wrap around my brains to that kind of thinking that the SH3D has. Thanks again, I think I won't disturb you anymore.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
You won't disturb anyone, that is what this forum is for. There's almost always someone to help with any kind of problem.
My fault is that I can hardly wrap around my brains to that kind of thinking that the SH3D has.
You have to understand that originally Sweet Home 3D was for interior design. Over the years it has evolved into much more. Where at the beginning you had to almost exclusively depend on the offered models you can now create your own very detailed furniture. Furniture that can deform if created that way: opening doors and windows, rotating or sliding furniture parts (opening drawers!). Lights that you can manage for creating great photos and video. There is even a tool to create a terrain around a house.
But, as with any advanced software, there is a learning curve. What Sweet Home 3D offers is that you can start immediately with just trying but if you want something specific you have to learn how to do that. It completely depends on your own wishes how much learning there is to do.
