Stairs and railings layout and design in Revit - Adding and editing railings

Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:

Create-Railings_001.rvt - (6 mb)

Transcript

00:04

Handouts and balustrades are used for safety purposes

00:08

first for us to hold on to as we ascend or descend the stairs.

00:12

But also to prevent anybody from falling into a stairwell

00:15

or falling over the edge of a balcony

00:18

in rev,

00:18

a railing can be hosted on the project level or

00:21

it can be hosted on objects such as stairs,

00:23

floors, walls and even roofs and topography.

00:28

Let's begin our lesson by opening the file, create rate lens.

00:32

This file will open into the entrance lobby, 3d view

00:36

and at the rear of the lobby here,

00:37

we can see the stairwell and we can see the stairs coming up from level one

00:42

to meet the level two floor.

00:44

And also we have the edge of the balcony here that we need to add a rail to,

00:48

to get a better view of the stairs. In the project browser under 3d views.

00:52

We have the crops stairs view. So let's open that up

00:56

and this has been cropped closer to the stairs

00:59

and it's also had the level two floor slabs set to be

01:01

transparent so that we can see the stairs in their entirety.

01:06

So let's add our railings to our stairs and

01:08

to do so from the architecture tab on the ribbon

01:11

under the circulation panel,

01:12

we'll choose, roll in

01:14

and then place it on stair or ramp.

01:17

Now, on the modify ribbon,

01:19

we have the option to place the railing either on

01:21

the treads or on the stringer of the stairs.

01:24

So this means that the railing will be hosted on each individual step,

01:27

which is the treads

01:29

or will be hosted on the supports on the side,

01:31

which is the stringer,

01:33

which you choose depends on your design.

01:35

For this instance, I will leave it set to treads,

01:39

looking at the properties pallette.

01:40

We have the handrail,

01:41

rectangular type of rail in selected and I'm gonna change this to handrail pipe

01:47

and now to place it, we simply need to select the stairs,

01:51

this places their aliens from top to bottom on both sides of the stairs.

01:56

But we can see we need to extend our railings to

01:58

return back to the wall and protect the stair wall.

02:01

This side

02:02

for the central rail in here.

02:03

We need to extend this across the stairwell and

02:06

across to the back wall on the rear wall.

02:09

We have a complete railing

02:11

when in reality, we only really need a handrail.

02:15

So we will edit this back row in here so that it contains just a handrail,

02:20

but we will leave the full rail in at the bottom flight here and at the top flight too.

02:26

So let's do that first, we'll select this handrail

02:29

and because we need to split this into two separate Rollins

02:32

from the modified tab on the ribbon under the clipboard panel,

02:35

we'll choose copy to clipboard.

02:37

Mhm.

02:38

Now we have that copied, we'll choose edit the path.

02:43

And now we can see the sketch of the railing

02:46

as it follows around the path of the stairs.

02:49

So to edit this, let's open up a floor plan view or go to the level one floor plan view.

02:56

And then as we zoom in,

02:57

we can see the sketch lines following around the edges of the stairs.

03:03

So for this one,

03:03

I just want the railing to come from the bottom of the stairs up to the back wall.

03:07

So we'll simply select the remaining lines and delete those.

03:13

Now I can choose finish edit mode.

03:16

And if I swap back to the crops stairs view,

03:19

I can now see the rolling, finishing at the back wall,

03:25

we'll post the a railing back in and then we'll repeat the process for the top row.

03:30

So from the modified tab

03:31

under the clip board, we'll choose under post

03:34

and choose aligned to same place.

03:39

So that's pasted the original railing back onto the entire length of the stairs.

03:43

So we'll choose edit path once more

03:47

and then we'll go back to our level one plan view

03:49

and we'll delete the lines at the bottom of the stairs and also along the rear wall.

03:57

And I will choose finish edit mode

04:01

to complete that.

04:03

And then looking back at the cropped stairs view,

04:05

we can see the railing coming from the back wall to the top of the stairs.

04:10

So this top rolling we need to extend so that it returns back across the stairwell.

04:15

So let's choose this rolling

04:16

and we'll choose edit path from the modify ribbon once more.

04:21

And this time, I'll go to the level two floor plan

04:27

here, we can see the rolling sketch

04:30

and we need to extend this on a little bit

04:32

further and then return it back towards the wall here.

04:34

So from the sketch tools on the modify railings ribbon tab here,

04:38

we'll choose the line tool

04:40

and then we'll extend the new line on three inches.

04:46

We'll sketch it across this way six inches

04:51

and now we return it back to the wall.

04:55

Mhm.

04:56

So once we've got that completed, we'll choose finish edit mode.

04:59

And once again, looking at the crop stairs view,

05:02

we can now see the railing

05:04

at the top of the stairs returning back to the wall

05:07

which will stop anybody from falling into the stairwells from this side.

05:13

So we'll repeat that process with the central row.

05:15

So let's choose this one here and then from the modify railing, edit path once more.

05:21

And again, from the level two plan view which we have on the tab here,

05:26

we'll add a new line to the end of this one.

05:29

So three inches once more is its length

05:33

and then we'll return it across to the edge of the stairwell here

05:38

and then once more, return it back to the wall.

05:42

So now that's complete, we'll choose finish edit mode.

05:46

And once again from the crops stairs, view on the tabs here,

05:49

we can now see the rolling bending

05:51

from the top of the stairs back around the stairwell,

05:56

which is gonna prevent anybody from falling into the stairs from above.

Video transcript

00:04

Handouts and balustrades are used for safety purposes

00:08

first for us to hold on to as we ascend or descend the stairs.

00:12

But also to prevent anybody from falling into a stairwell

00:15

or falling over the edge of a balcony

00:18

in rev,

00:18

a railing can be hosted on the project level or

00:21

it can be hosted on objects such as stairs,

00:23

floors, walls and even roofs and topography.

00:28

Let's begin our lesson by opening the file, create rate lens.

00:32

This file will open into the entrance lobby, 3d view

00:36

and at the rear of the lobby here,

00:37

we can see the stairwell and we can see the stairs coming up from level one

00:42

to meet the level two floor.

00:44

And also we have the edge of the balcony here that we need to add a rail to,

00:48

to get a better view of the stairs. In the project browser under 3d views.

00:52

We have the crops stairs view. So let's open that up

00:56

and this has been cropped closer to the stairs

00:59

and it's also had the level two floor slabs set to be

01:01

transparent so that we can see the stairs in their entirety.

01:06

So let's add our railings to our stairs and

01:08

to do so from the architecture tab on the ribbon

01:11

under the circulation panel,

01:12

we'll choose, roll in

01:14

and then place it on stair or ramp.

01:17

Now, on the modify ribbon,

01:19

we have the option to place the railing either on

01:21

the treads or on the stringer of the stairs.

01:24

So this means that the railing will be hosted on each individual step,

01:27

which is the treads

01:29

or will be hosted on the supports on the side,

01:31

which is the stringer,

01:33

which you choose depends on your design.

01:35

For this instance, I will leave it set to treads,

01:39

looking at the properties pallette.

01:40

We have the handrail,

01:41

rectangular type of rail in selected and I'm gonna change this to handrail pipe

01:47

and now to place it, we simply need to select the stairs,

01:51

this places their aliens from top to bottom on both sides of the stairs.

01:56

But we can see we need to extend our railings to

01:58

return back to the wall and protect the stair wall.

02:01

This side

02:02

for the central rail in here.

02:03

We need to extend this across the stairwell and

02:06

across to the back wall on the rear wall.

02:09

We have a complete railing

02:11

when in reality, we only really need a handrail.

02:15

So we will edit this back row in here so that it contains just a handrail,

02:20

but we will leave the full rail in at the bottom flight here and at the top flight too.

02:26

So let's do that first, we'll select this handrail

02:29

and because we need to split this into two separate Rollins

02:32

from the modified tab on the ribbon under the clipboard panel,

02:35

we'll choose copy to clipboard.

02:37

Mhm.

02:38

Now we have that copied, we'll choose edit the path.

02:43

And now we can see the sketch of the railing

02:46

as it follows around the path of the stairs.

02:49

So to edit this, let's open up a floor plan view or go to the level one floor plan view.

02:56

And then as we zoom in,

02:57

we can see the sketch lines following around the edges of the stairs.

03:03

So for this one,

03:03

I just want the railing to come from the bottom of the stairs up to the back wall.

03:07

So we'll simply select the remaining lines and delete those.

03:13

Now I can choose finish edit mode.

03:16

And if I swap back to the crops stairs view,

03:19

I can now see the rolling, finishing at the back wall,

03:25

we'll post the a railing back in and then we'll repeat the process for the top row.

03:30

So from the modified tab

03:31

under the clip board, we'll choose under post

03:34

and choose aligned to same place.

03:39

So that's pasted the original railing back onto the entire length of the stairs.

03:43

So we'll choose edit path once more

03:47

and then we'll go back to our level one plan view

03:49

and we'll delete the lines at the bottom of the stairs and also along the rear wall.

03:57

And I will choose finish edit mode

04:01

to complete that.

04:03

And then looking back at the cropped stairs view,

04:05

we can see the railing coming from the back wall to the top of the stairs.

04:10

So this top rolling we need to extend so that it returns back across the stairwell.

04:15

So let's choose this rolling

04:16

and we'll choose edit path from the modify ribbon once more.

04:21

And this time, I'll go to the level two floor plan

04:27

here, we can see the rolling sketch

04:30

and we need to extend this on a little bit

04:32

further and then return it back towards the wall here.

04:34

So from the sketch tools on the modify railings ribbon tab here,

04:38

we'll choose the line tool

04:40

and then we'll extend the new line on three inches.

04:46

We'll sketch it across this way six inches

04:51

and now we return it back to the wall.

04:55

Mhm.

04:56

So once we've got that completed, we'll choose finish edit mode.

04:59

And once again, looking at the crop stairs view,

05:02

we can now see the railing

05:04

at the top of the stairs returning back to the wall

05:07

which will stop anybody from falling into the stairwells from this side.

05:13

So we'll repeat that process with the central row.

05:15

So let's choose this one here and then from the modify railing, edit path once more.

05:21

And again, from the level two plan view which we have on the tab here,

05:26

we'll add a new line to the end of this one.

05:29

So three inches once more is its length

05:33

and then we'll return it across to the edge of the stairwell here

05:38

and then once more, return it back to the wall.

05:42

So now that's complete, we'll choose finish edit mode.

05:46

And once again from the crops stairs, view on the tabs here,

05:49

we can now see the rolling bending

05:51

from the top of the stairs back around the stairwell,

05:56

which is gonna prevent anybody from falling into the stairs from above.

Step-by-step guide

Add a railing to a staircase and modify the railing properties.

Open the file Create Railings.rvt. It opens in the Entrance Lobby 3D view.
In the Project Browser, under 3D Views, open Cropped Stairs.

In the Revit interface, the project for this example open in the 3D view, and in the Project Browser, opening the Cropped Stairs 3D view

In the Architecture tab > Circulation panel, expand Railing and click Place on Stair/Ramp.

The open Cropped Stairs 3D view, and in the Architecture tab, Circulation panel, Railing expanded with Place on Stair/Ramp selected.

In the Modify | Place Railing on Stair/Ramp tab > Position panel, click Treads.
In Properties, in the Type Selector, select Railing: Handrail – Pipe.
In the view, select the stairs.

In the Modify | Place Railing on Stair/Ramp tab, Position panel, Treads selected and highlighted; in the Type Selector, the handrail type selected and highlighted; and in the view, the staircase selected. The railings are placed on both sides of the stairs

Select the railing against the wall.
In the Modify | Railings tab > Clipboard panel, click Copy to Clipboard.

In the view, the railing against the wall selected, and in the Modify | Railings tab, Clipboard panel, Copy to Clipboard selected.

With the railing still selected, in the Modify | Railings tab > Mode panel, click Edit Path. The railing sketch displays.

In the 3D view, the railing sketch displayed as purple lines.

In the Project Browser, open the Level 1 floor plan and zoom in on the sketch.
Select the sketch lines along the wall and to the right.
In the Modify | Railings > Sketch Path tab, Modify panel, click Delete.

In the Level 1 view, the railing sketch lines along the wall and to the right selected, and in the Modify panel, Delete selected and highlighted in red.

Click Finish Edit Mode.
Open the Cropped Stairs 3D view to see the changes. Click Modify.
To paste the original railing back in, on the Modify tab > Clipboard panel, expand Paste and click Aligned to Same Place.

In the 3D view, the railings along the wall and to the right deleted, and on the Modify tab, Clipboard panel, Paste expanded, with Aligned to Same Place selected.

With the pasted railing still selected, in the Modify | Railings tab > Mode panel click Edit Path. The railing sketch displays.
Open the Level 1 view. This time, delete the sketch lines along the wall and to the left.
Click Finish Edit Mode and open the Cropped Stairs 3D view to see the changes.

To extend the railings around the Level 2 stair opening:

Select the railing from the back wall to the top of the stairs, and in the Modify | Railings tab > Mode panel, click Edit Path.

In the Cropped Stairs 3D view, the railing that extends from the wall along the landing selected, and in the Modify | Railings tab, Mode panel, Edit Path selected.

In the Project Browser, open the Level 2 floor plan.
In the Modify | Railings > Sketch Path tab > Draw panel, click Line.
In the Options Bar, select Chain.
Draw the following sketch to extend the railing to the wall. (Dimensions for reference only.)

In the Level 2 view, a sketch drawn to extend the railing to the wall, highlighted in red.

Click Finish Edit Mode.
Switch to the Cropped Stairs 3D view to see the extended railing.

In the Cropped Stairs 3D view, the railing now extended to the wall.

Repeat the process to add railings around 2 remaining sides of the stair opening, using the center railing sketch in the Level 2 view.

In the Level 2 view, a sketch drawn to extend the center railing around the 2 remaining sides of the stair opening.

Open the Cropped Stairs 3D view and rotate it around to see the new railings.

Rotating the Cropped Stairs 3D view to see the new railings around the stair opening.

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Adding and editing railings

Step-by-step guide

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