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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
re: American vs. British English
As far as I'm aware we use the same naming. I also double checked my naming before posting (always important ) and I didn't notice any differences between how the US and UK named these parts. In truth, I did pay more attention to UK based pages though. Keet agrees with me though, and that is money in the bank!
For the stringers, in the special case of turn steps=1, the outside stringers at the quarter turn should really be level. For me the nicest look would be to extend the upper flights stringer downwards to the same level at the turns step, so most of the top of the riser is level with the quarter turn step, with just a little triangle where it joins the upper flight. Hopefully that makes sense. Maybe this would be better handled in the "U shaped with top landing" entries. But if so, could we also have a "U shaped with top and bottom landing" option?
And while I'm thinking of things it would be cool if the settings for the stair are stored in the created object, so you could reopen the dialog, tweak the setting for that stair object, then update/replace it. This would allow easier experimentation. I found it hard to configure an exact 180 degree spiral for example.
This one is a real stretch, but here goes: It would be amazing if you could draw lines with a configured height above the steps pitch rising from the noses of the steps. Here's a diagram of the minimum headroom requirement in the UK. Being able to visualise this would really help in redesigning awkward buildings, (i.e. like mine.) This image is from this nice page that summarises the UK regs. From there, another idea would be if the pitch in degrees could be displayed at creation time as it is mandated to be no greater than 42 degrees. Maybe even the ability to set limits on the configured values (or calculated figures) so that the program could warn you if the staircase is not permitted. No collision detection style stuff, just if x < value < y then mark value in red type thing. i.e. our tread depth must be at least 220mm and our riser height can be no greater than 220mm.
Still with me? Looking at that page I have just spotted a possible change in wording. Stair/Tread depth would actually be Going and Step/Riser height would just be Riser. However, I don't think the US use Going, and these are probably less confusing left as Tread depth and Riser height.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
And while I'm thinking of things it would be cool if the settings for the stair are stored in the created object, so you could reopen the dialog, tweak the setting for that stair object, then update/replace it. This would allow easier experimentation. I found it hard to configure an exact 180 degree spiral for example.
That would be a great advantage while designing the stairs. It's something I also wish could be done with the Generate 3D Shape tool: right click the shape and read it back into the tool window. For the Staircase Generator it might be even more desirable. Maybe the best option is to have a function to save the configuration to a file and have the option to read back such a configuration (i.e. save as <staircasename>.scc StairCaseConfig). Such a workflow could be used for similar generators as well.
Regulations differ per country/state so it's impossible to incorporate them by default. There are even different rules depending on the place and function of the stairs. I did some heavy research when I designed my public staircases and I tried to stay as close as possible to the most common regulations for public staircases, which differ greatly from the regulations for home staircases.
I suggest that anyone who wants to stay close to the regulations for his country to just look them up and use them as a guide line to create the staircase. The most important ones are min/max sizes of threads and risers, the min/max depth of the staircase for a set elevation (i.e. the number of threads before a landing is required). One 'advise' for public staircases I didn't follow was adding a nose that extends over the previous thread. That's not advisable for public staircases for safety reasons. That's also why you can make them invisible
As it is the Staircase Generator plugin is great. Any finetuning can only make it better.
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Italia
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Wow, Amazing! I have to be honest, I'm not using SH3D since months, I do have to try this one. For my use case, I have a semi stair (0 to 150cm) that connects like an "S", i'll have to try how the plugin behaves (i did on my self with blender months ago).
My stair is white steps-structure + glass wall handrail, so will not be exact for sure, but i'll try to do a test!
France
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
I might provide a longer list of materials in a coming version since some of you think it's really necessary. I'll update the translation at that moment.
Could you share how to set randomized coordinates for the textures as you did for the threads and risers?
Source code is included in the plug-in so you can have a look by yourself. It's just a random offset added to x and y texture coordinates, a different offset being drawn for each tread and riser. In Sweet Home 3D, you can change the texture offsets in the texture modification dialog box and in Blender, you can move texture coordinates in UV editor yourself but in both cases, it won't be different for each staircase.
If you want to configure the size of a spiral staircase, you can check the angle covered by the staircase directly in the plug-in dialog box. It's written after the dimensions label and changing the stair/tread depth will change this angle. As finding the right value is a boring try and check process, I wondered if I should add buttons beside the depth field to compute the depth for 90° and 180° angles.
If you want a staircase with top and bottom landings, just select a U shpaed staircase type and set the Turn stairs count / Turn step count to 1.
About storing the staircase data to make it editable, I'm not really found of this at the moment. In case you didn't pay attention to it, the last entered values in the plug-in are kept until you quit the program, making it easy to update the last generated staircase by deleting it and opening the plug-in dialog box again. Storing entered values could be done simply with properties, but being able to reuse these values for each staircase would imply either an additional Modify staircase menu item, or modifying them from the current furniture modification dialog box, something which is not possible in the current version of Sweet Home 3D. I'm thinking about adding the ability to change the existing user interface from a plug-in, but fear it might get dangerous and provoke some instabilities. Maybe, just proposing an additional menu item in the contextual menu would be sufficient but many people don't use contextual menu (particularly under macOS). But proposing this additional contextual menu item implies modifications in Sweet Home 3D too.
Adding information about the slope or pitch angle shouldn't be difficult except that this angle varies along square spiral staircases, but we could display an average angle for them. Taking into account regulations is probably out of reach just because regulations are different from a country to the other, as Keet noticed also.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
About storing the staircase data to make it editable, I'm not really found of this at the moment. In case you didn't pay attention to it, the last entered values in the plug-in are kept until you quit the program, making it easy to update the last generated staircase by deleting it and opening the plug-in dialog box again.
I'm aware of that, it's the same with the Generate 3D Shape tool. I use that tool frequently because you can create nice cut corners instead of butting two box shapes together. Texturing looks much better that way. And I save the data for shapes.... by making a screenshot of the tool window
It's a clumsy way but the only thing available at the moment. Saving the data is one of the things that makes the Generate Terrain plugin so useful. You can delete the terrain object, select the room, and make further changes. I don't think saving the source data in that way would work for shapes and staircases but I see it like importing an object, only in the tool window, not in the plan. I haven't looked at the source code yet but I'm willing to bet that if the generated object has detailed naming you might even have enough for a clean re-import. Something to think about because eventually there will come a next generator and a standardized way to re-import generated objects back into the generator would be a good thing for maintainability.
For now screenshots work too and for staircases that's not a problem because you usually are creating a single staircase. I'd much sooner want it for the shapes because I use multiple shapes for combinations so the data of the last shape is often useless.
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
If you want a staircase with top and bottom landings, just select a U shaped staircase type and set the Turn stairs count / Turn step count to 1.
Yeah. That's what I did. I just thought the omission of a top and bottom option was strange. Now thinking about it, I see why the options you have were needed. Those couldn't work with the U type.
Adding information about the slope or pitch angle shouldn't be difficult except that this angle varies along square spiral staircases, but we could display an average angle for them.
θ = arctan (riser height/tread depth)
I don't see the need to complicate it any more than that.
Taking into account regulations is probably out of reach just because regulations are different from a country to the other, as Keet noticed also.
I think there will be a lot of common basic rules though. Max pitch. Min tread depth/width. Max riser height. Max steps in a single flight (i.e. between to landing zones). Min nosing. These could all be simple numerical min/max values that the user can configure for their own locale. Sure, the head height one was a bit more exotic, but I did say it was a stretch
One minor side niggle with the current version is the tread thickness maxing out at 30 mm. It is possible to approximate an open tread staircase by hiding the risers, but the 30 mm max tread depth means you can't emulate the kind of modern thick block floating staircase. A look at the code looks like this is an arbitrary figure you chose that felt right, but perhaps it is a limit forced by the code. It'd be nice to have the option to go higher.
Are you happy to accept patches to this plugin that add any of these things?
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Many thanks for this Christmas present I have to thank you for at least one reason: - You've save me for a lot of work! BUT "No good deed goes unpunished!" So: 1. About regulations: 1.1. The local regulations have to be known and respect by the locals. That's the way a society works. 1.2. We have to respect also some generals rules (mathematics, ergonomic, etc.). There is some ideal standards and there are some recommendations when you input some custom value:
Recommendations: Deviation from the sufficient comfort level formula 49,49 % We recommend to increase the amount of steps2 Stair depth is sufficient Not an ideal stair angle (slope) 29,1° , less 30° We recommend to shorten the overall runX to 49 mm Or use different dimensions for your staircase Uncomfortable staircase
Something similar could be shown in plugin. Warnings not limitations!
2. About limitations: 2.1. The tread thickness maxing out at 30 mm it's not enough but not more than 60 mm. 2.2. The stair height has to be limited at max. 40 cm. More than that you have to climb not to step.
3. About properties: 3.1. From my side could be good to have an Modify stairs entry active when a staircase generated with this plugin are selected. 3.2. On this new window we could personalize some parts with aid of some specific library (hand rails, balusters, several types of steps) 3.3. If we have this kind of approach I could (I really want to) use it on Generate Roof for similar purpose.
4. About Look & feel: 4.1. It's an very old problem: all staircases looks unreadable in 2D plan regardless of the texture or color you use. 4.2. An suggestion is to add some black edges OR to have an more performant image generator.
If you don't sleep already, I wish You all a Happy New Year!
---------------------------------------- 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
France
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Bonjour Emmanuel.
C'est par hasard que je viens de découvrir ce nouveau sujet créé par vous. Comme l'a écrit Dorin, c'est un beau cadeau de Noël que vous nous faites là, tant il était difficile sans cette aide de créer l'escalier correspondant à son besoin personnel.
C'est un nouveau gros plus qui aidera très certainement nombre d'utilisateurs de SHW3. Je vais me dépêcher d'apprendre à me servir de ce super plug-in.
Un grand merci à vous et une excellente nouvelle année.
France
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Re: Staircase generator plug-in
Bonjour Emmanuel.
Alors j'ai testé ce super plugin et j'avoue qu'il est très pratique, tant il y a de possibilités de modifier les différentes dimensions que celles permettant de modifier l'aspect général (contre marches ou pas, rambardes, limon, etc...).
Une petite remarque cependant concernant l'escalier demi tournant. On peut modifier le nombre de premières marches mais ça modifie d'autant celles d'arrivée. Il reste donc symétrique.
Chez moi, j'ai un escalier du même type (celui couleur bois rouge) mais avec moins de marches du côté départ que du côté arrivée sans que ça augmente le nombre de marches au tournant. Il est donc asymétrique.
Ci dessous les caractéristiques de celui couleurs claires.
Pourrait il être possible alors de pouvoir aussi choisir le nombres de marches d'arrivée ?
Quoiqu'il en soit, c'est super. Encore merci pour votre travail.
) and I didn't notice any differences between how the US and UK named these parts. In truth, I did pay more attention to UK based pages though. Keet agrees with me though, and that is money in the bank! 
