Railing Macro Improvements - Added items and Summarized

[acbsdesign]

Hello,

Many users would like to have the railing macro improved, below are the items summarized and items added,

please implement this as soon as possible, railing macro is not done right:

1. Option Mid-rails to be polybeams (by dcubbedge)

2. Railing does not have an option for splitting into segments, usually 20'-0. (submitted by nialb)

3. When handrail and grab rails are polybeams-radius of bending has to be the inner radius, not the system line radius.

Bents / elbows if ordered are always classified into 1" IR, 2"IT etc. 

Same if bent "inhouse"-shop has a few standard raddi of bending-INNER radii, not at system line.

4. ALL HEIGHTS for handrails and grabrails have to be taken from the nosing line, what a shmako idea to get the heights from the top of the stringers even when sloped. (by bukko)

5. Post extension into Z-axis (encased in concrete) (by bukko)

When stringers / beams are sloped, we slow down to do the height right, instead of entering the values in the dialog box.

6. Connection dialog box-it is terrible-we can read only part of the lines without using the slider

7. Pickets-spacing has to be evenly spaced between the posts, with max distance between Face of steel, not center to center (by muleman1 and by bukko)
8. Automatic cut-out depths for posts to handrail and for mid-rails to posts-There are a few major sizes used, it is not a space science-Pipe 1.25”STD, Pipe 1.25” XS, Pipe 1.5STD and Pipe 1.5XS-please make these to be done automatically. Inner face of wall to stop at the outer face of main member.

Regards, 

Ilko Dimitrov

[DumitruBerteanu]

Thank you for the summary @acbsdesign. Also if other handrail requirements exist, it would be great to have them grouped under the same idea, so we can get good understanding of the current important improvements required for the handrail connection.

[acbsdesign]

@DumitruBerteanu

Thank you for your response.

Probably best thing to do is if you create a thread in the forum so more users will see it and comment on it.

But in general the items to be fixed are listed above.

Thank you again and have a great day.

Ilko Dimitrov

[acbsdesign]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/advance-steel-ideas/improved-bent-pipe-capabilities/idc-p/7128071#M19...

9. Combine all elbows, bents, straight parts in to one POLYBEAM- (pmccarthy).

This is how usually miscellaneous metals fabricators cut, bend and bill on BOM. Please make an option for us to leave particular part not to be part of the polybeam.

10. 99% of the shops do not want railing parts detailed separately, only bent rod brackets and end plates / base plates are detailed as parts (even these are not always detailed). No posts, no midrails, no handrails. There should be an option for an empty SP number, as the screenshot below. the attached JPG file represents typical railing dwg -this is how fabricators want it-BOM, polybeam, overall length billed, nosing line as a reference:

Typical railing dwg and BOM

Thank you,

Ilko Dimitrov

[acbsdesign]

11. When splitting the railing into 20' sections, we need an option for gap value between sections at handrail, grab rail  and mid-rails,

because sometimes we insert splice locks by Wagner or similar, as the two shown below:

Splice Lock by Wagner or similar

[markhubrich]

Add the ability to select grade of materials. For example painted steel railing with stainless grab.

[acbsdesign]

Panel Only Macro

@DumitruBerteanu 

13. This is a very common macro that is increasingly needed -'Panel only macro'-posts are cast iron, not part of the macro, inserted as special parts, railing is usually sloped. 

Regards, Ilko Dimitrov

[acbsdesign]

@DumitruBerteanu

Hi Dumitru, thank you for looking at this thread.

Nosing point and heights work when a nosing point is selected, mid-rail distance works when selected "from bottom",  probably there is a confusion when measuring distance between top rail and mid-rail, if set to "measure from top", for some reason the distance does not match the values for both horizontal and sloped handrails. Ref screen shot below, mid-rail to top rail is supposed to be 1'-10, but it is 2'-0 at horizontal and 2'-0 1/2" at sloped handrail. I hope I am not missing something, I updated the joint, and the mid-rail stays at 2'-0 from top. Thank you. Ilko Dimitrov, ACBS

Mid-rail height selected from top

[acbsdesign]

Hi again,

Probably it will be better if option NOT to select nosing point is eliminated, and check box "distance from nosing point" in Top handrail dialog is eliminated too. It creates confusion, I see users are asking the same question in other threads.

Since all OSHA and other standards and codes are requiring distance from walking surface to top rail, I would do it this way.

Thank you again for looking at this.

[acbsdesign]

@DumitruBerteanu

Please see the two screen shots below, railing heights do not always work when creating with Nosing Point selected. 

Hight does not match the nosing point locationMid-rail height does not match nosing point location

Regards, Ilko Dimitrov

[DumitruBerteanu]

Thank you for collecting those ideas for Stair and Railing improvements into a common thread.

[markhubrich]

Please also notice that when using kickplate with base plate on post the kickplate doesn't trim to the base plate shape and has to be done manually.

Mark

[acbsdesign]

@DumitruBerteanu

Aslo-besides mid-rail to be a polybeam-first and last post to be polybeam with the top rail.

And in General-please make an option to combine beams into a polybeam and STILL KEEP THE MACRO, it will make our life much easier.

If we combine the beams now in one beam it explodes the macro.

Thank you. 

Postas to be polybeams with top rail, mid rail to be polybeam

[acbsdesign]

Also-Currently the mid-rail has a knee (bent) only if we select top rail to be bent.

Please allow separate control for mid-rails and top rail to be polybeam, knee or miter.

Thank you.

[acbsdesign]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/advance-steel-ideas/handrail-post-alignment-to-beam-gauges/idi-p/8078...

Linked  suggestion by   @Anonymous

[acbsdesign]

-Allow element contour-Rule between poly-beam and beam.

[markhubrich]

Add support for mesh infill panels..

[markhubrich]

Add support for core drill attachment of posts..

[markhubrich]

Allow control over mid-rail cut-back from posts like we can control with posts to top rail..

[acbsdesign]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/advance-steel-ideas/handrail-post-connections/idi-p/8126656

Linked request.