topic How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs? in Revit Architecture Forum

How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:59:11 GMT

I need to create a set of stairs with a 3 metre rise and 15 risers each of 200mm. When I try to create these stairs it automatically changes the number of risers to 18 and also changes the height of each riser to 166.7mm.

When i try to change to number of risers back to 15, i get an 'Error - Cannot be Ignored' message:

"Desired Number of Risers is too small. Computed Actual Riser Height is greater than Maximum Riser Height allowed by type."

The stairs that I want to make have been specifically designed to have 15 rises of 200mm. Is there some way I can manually input the riser heights?

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:49:49 GMT

When creating your stair click Edit Type >
Duplicate> create a new stair name ie existing stair 01> click
ok > then scroll down and change the minimum riser height and
tread depth as necessary > click ok > then you should see the number of
risers change to what you are looking for. Sometimes you may also have to edit
the calculation Rules under type properties as well. After you do a few of these
it will start to make sense.

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I
need to create a set of stairs with a 3 metre rise and 15 risers each of
200mm. When I try to create these stairs it automatically changes the number
of risers to 18 and also changes the height of each riser to 166.7mm.
When
i try to change to number of risers back to 15, i get an 'Error - Cannot be
Ignored' message:
"Desired Number of Risers is too small. Computed Actual
Riser Height is greater than Maximum Riser Height allowed by type."
The
stairs that I want to make have been specifically designed to have 15 rises of
200mm. Is there some way I can manually input the riser
heights?

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 07:25:43 GMT

I don't have a minimum option. Mine only shows a maximum. I have changed that value and it still does not move the riser height. Any suggestions?

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

SteveKStafford — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 18:01:52 GMT

Once you've created runs/landings changing the parameters won't change your stair's sketch, you'll need to adjust the sketch so the run/landings have the correct number of risers. I usually just delete the existing run/landing and sketch them over...quicker/easier than dragging grips etc. (I think).

As for working with the stair properties and calculations...

The stair parameters merely react to input and preset values like Maximum riser height, for which the stock metric template is assigned to 190 mm. The previous reply explained you need to create a new stair type that uses a larger maximum riser value, like 200 mm.

When you start a stair the Properties Palette shows you what Revit considers the Bottom and Top of the stair to be by default and shows the total height of the stair in the read only parameter Desired Stair Height. You must adjust the Base Level and Offset and Top Level and Offset to provide the correct total rise. The stock template has levels that are 4000 mm apart which is too high for a stair configured for 15 risers at 200 mm since that's a total rise of only 3000 mm.

Revit merely calculates the largest possible riser height using fewest possible risers based on the Desired Stair Height. You can increase the desired Number of Risers but not decrease below this calculated minimum, based on the Maximum Riser height.

Make sure your levels are the correct distance apart (3000 mm).
Create a new stair type that has a larger maximum riser height.
Sketch your new stair, adjust the risers to 15
Sketch your run(s) and landing
Finish Stair

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 10:32:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Once you've created runs/landings changing the parameters won't change your stair's sketch, you'll need to adjust the sketch so the run/landings have the correct number of risers. I usually just delete the existing run/landing and sketch them over...quicker/easier than dragging grips etc. (I think).

Obviously not your fault, but this way of working with stairs just seem really "un-Revit-like".

Picture this scenario (which i am experiencing right now):

I have to create several types of stairwell drawings, based on a terrain height which is temporary since we are still waiting for the final terrain map from the landscape architect. Now, i have to work and calculate all my basement stair heights based on the temporary measurements. Afterwards i have to create railings for all of these stairwells (railings which extend beyond the speicific stairwell and therefore cannot be automatically generated), and finally create detail drawings for all of these railings.

Now, once the final terrain hights are in, i have to not just change the terrain height numbers, but instead delete all of my stairs AND all of my railings, redo the stairs with the exact same input data (it will calculate the new riser hight itself), redo the railings and maybe/maybe not redo the detail drawings.

All of which could be avoided if there was a simple "Recalculate Stair Sketch"-button, which in my case would simply readjust the riser hight by the needed 5 mm per riser.

One of many reasons why redoing Stairs / Railings should be a priority for Revit 2018.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 06:41:46 GMT

Until Revit autodesk doesn't get a real competitor in the BIM market, none of these issues will be solved or be intuitive because this is NOT a design software... is a BIM software for creating plans that has been long under developtment.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

ToanDN — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 07:34:52 GMT

@diojr1 wrote:

Picture this scenario (which i am experiencing right now):

I have to create several types of stairwell drawings, based on a terrain height which is temporary since we are still waiting for the final terrain map from the landscape architect. Now, i have to work and calculate all my basement stair heights based on the temporary measurements. Afterwards i have to create railings for all of these stairwells (railings which extend beyond the speicific stairwell and therefore cannot be automatically generated), and finally create detail drawings for all of these railings.

Now, once the final terrain hights are in, i have to not just change the terrain height numbers, but instead delete all of my stairs AND all of my railings, redo the stairs with the exact same input data (it will calculate the new riser hight itself), redo the railings and maybe/maybe not redo the detail drawings.

All of which could be avoided if there was a simple "Recalculate Stair Sketch"-button, which in my case would simply readjust the riser hight by the needed 5 mm per riser.

One of many reasons why redoing Stairs / Railings should be a priority for Revit 2018.

You do not need to delete the existing stairs and recreate the new ones. What you should do is Edit Stair, delete the existing runs, and create new runs with the desired numbers of risers. That way, any railing associated with the existing stairs will remain intact and adjust themselves to the new runs of the stairs.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 08:10:43 GMT

That's really useful ToanDN - thank you.

I also found the following "hack" to achieve essentially a "recalculation" of riser hights.

Simply enter the new top hight of your stair and after doing so in the "Desired Number of Risers" property, enter a random number. Ignore any errors occuring and afterwards change the number back to the real amount of risers needed.

This essentially recalculates the riser height to the new stair height, and adjust both stairs and railing accordingly - no deletion needed.

I still vote for a "recalculate stairs" button!

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

ToanDN — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 08:43:42 GMT

@Anonymous

Yes changing "Desired Number of Risers" and edit the stair and stretch to add/remove actual number of risers is a better method (@RDAOU has demonstrated it in another similar thread). I would say it is a proper workflow rather than a "hack".

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 09:02:40 GMT

Well i think you misunderstood me then.

Take this as an example:

I have the following parameters set up for my stairs:
Max. Riser Height: 180
Min. Tread Depth: 280

Desired Stair Height: 1300

Desired Number of Risers: 8

Creating the stairs initially would give me an "Actual Riser Height" of: 162.5

Now i change my "Desired Stair Height"-parameter to: 1350.

This gives me a new "Riser height" of: 168,75 (Still well within my "Max. Riser Height"-boundary) - but Revit will not change my riser height. Instead i have to go through the tedious process of deleting the stairs or deleting the actual run.

With my "hack", i change my "Desired Stair Height"-parameter to: 1350 and nothing happens.

Then i change my "Desired Number of Risers"-parameter to 7. Revit now recalculates "Actual Riser Height" to 192.86 - yielding errors due to "Max. Riser Height"-being exceeded - but i ignore those.

Then i change my "Desired Number of Risers"-parameter back to 8 and Revit now correctly recalculates and readjusts both stairs and railings to the correct new "Actual Riser Height" of 168.75.

I see no reason whatsoever for Revit not a) either doing that recalculation by default as soon as a new "Desired Stair Height"-value is entered or b) does not come equipped with a "Recalculate stairs" button, which would do the above in one click.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

ToanDN — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 09:10:36 GMT

@Anonymous

I understand you completely. But you only consider component stairs with a single run. Think about a component stair with more than one runs, which one should Revit add or remove risers? It must be done by user input, hence the two-step workflow.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 17:12:58 GMT

Finally!!

I got the solution... First You have to duplicate the staircase and then Select > Edit Type > Calculation Rules > Change Maximum Riser Height( i.e. if you want riser height 155 mm you should change maximum riser height to 180 mm) Now in properties change desired numbers;it will change riser height.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 08:57:08 GMT

1-click "stair"

2-at the properties menu firstly select "top level" and click NONE. if you select another level such as roof it calculate automatically. that's the main problem.

3-then write your stair rise in "desired stair height" with this, the size you write becomes your top level.

4-finally type your rise number in "desired number of risers" like 15.

size: 300 rise:15 and bibbidi bobbidi boo revit magic your one single rise's height is 20 cm. It is all about the TOP LEVEL thing.

And if it make error "The Actual Riser Height of stair is greater than the Maximum Riser Height specified in the stair type. " like click edit type in properties. in "maximum riser height" type bigger than riser height. if your riser height is 20, make maximum riser height 25 or something. it's the same with maximum tread depth!

if it's works please let me know 🙂

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 23:55:39 GMT

It works! Thank you for your great efforts.

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 May 2020 09:45:26 GMT

You must set the top and base levels to reach the desired lengths
Set up your levels this way

Re: How can I manually change riser heights when creating stairs?

lkellyE7V8T — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 14:44:15 GMT

This worked, thanks!