Snaptrude includes libraries of parametric staircases and ramps that you can place in your model and then adjust: height, flight width, riser height, tread width, landing depth and more. Staircases and ramps are Families, so editing a type updates every copy of it. Use them to add vertical circulation once your stories are set up.

Before you start

Set up your stories and story heights first. By default, a staircase's height matches the height of the story it is placed on.
You can place staircases in both 2D and 3D views.

Place a staircase or ramp

On the vertical toolbar at the right edge of the canvas, click Staircases (or Ramps) to open the library.
Browse the default list. Use the category filters to narrow the options.
Click the type you want.
Click in the model to place it. While it is attached to your cursor, press Spacebar to rotate it 90° if needed.

Note: A placed staircase is aligned to the height of its story, so it runs from one floor to the next.

Change a staircase's height

Select the staircase.
In the Properties panel, click the lock icon next to Height to unlock it.
Enter the new height.

To align the staircase back to the story height, click the lock icon again. Story heights themselves are edited from the Stories panel.

Note: If you change a story's height after placing stairs, select the staircase and click the lock icon to adjust it to the new story height.

Edit staircase parameters

Select the staircase.
In the Properties panel, change the parameters you need, such as number of steps, riser height, tread width, flight width, landing depth or well width.
Enter each value. The staircase adjusts to match.

The parameters available depend on the staircase type you placed.

Type parameters

Staircases and ramps are controlled by type parameters, similar to Revit:

The main controls appear first in the parameter panel. The rest sit under collapsible Advanced sections.
Geometry updates live as you change values.
Editing a type updates every staircase or ramp of that family.
Use the Story field to set which story the staircase or ramp sits on.
To change one staircase without affecting the others, use Duplicate Family to turn it into its own family. You can keep the new family in the project or save it to your library.

Rotate, flip or move a staircase

Press Spacebar with the staircase selected, or choose Rotate 90° from the Right-click menu, to rotate it 90° clockwise. Use Rotate (Q) for other angles.
Use the flip controls to change the staircase's orientation.
Use Move (M) to reposition it.

Copy a staircase to other stories

Select the staircase.
In the Properties panel, click Duplicate Above or Duplicate Below. You can also press Ctrl + Up or Ctrl + Down, or use the Right-click menu.
Repeat for each story you need to fill.

Note: Copies can be instances or unique copies. Instances stay linked, so changes to one apply to all of them; Ctrl + Alt + Up / Down duplicates the staircase as a unique copy. To give one staircase different type parameters, use Duplicate Family.

Save stairs and ramps to your team library

Team libraries are available on the Organization and Enterprise plans. They have Stairs and Ramps tabs with category filters, so your team can reuse the same types across projects. Use Duplicate Family on a customised staircase or ramp and choose to save it to the library.

Tips

Place stairs after you finalise story heights, so the height lock keeps everything aligned.
Staircases are generated as clean, solid geometry.
When the Snaptrude Agent builds a model for you, its model linter checks for missing stairs, among other issues.

Stories and story heights
Copying objects: instances and unique copies
Families and type parameters
Team libraries
Keyboard Shortcuts

Staircases and Ramps