Rail extension to baluster

[p-jacobs]

Hi all,

I've made a railings family with a top rail and some balusters with a baseplate. I want the toprail to extend back to the balusters. But it seems that it only extends to the bounding box of the baluster.

Yes, I know I can do that with tab selecting the top rail and modify the path. But that means that I have to edit the path for every instance of the railing twice (the other side is the same).

Is there a parameter or setting in the family that solves this issue?

Or is there something in the baluster family that I can adjust to solve this?

[barthbradley]

Edit Rail should get you there.  

[p-jacobs]

I know, but I'll have to do that for every instance of the railing separatly. I don't really feel like doing that.

[barthbradley]

Ok. Gotcha.  

Take care.  

[barthbradley]

Actually, post your file here. 

[ToanDN]

Perhaps not including the baseplate with your post, and model them as handrail support.

[p-jacobs]

Hereby the example file. There are 3 options in there. 

1. The way I want to it to be but then with an extended piece of top rail as described above.
2. The workaround. Using handrail 2 for the middle tube but then I get that cut line at the meeting point of the top rail and handrail which I don't want.
3. I tried modelling the baseplate and post as separate family's. This works for the regular balusters. I added a post to the main pattern with an 'Dist. from previous' off 0. But this isn't possible for the start and end post.

[barthbradley]

Out of curiosity, how long have you spent trying to find a workaround to using Edit Rail?  

[Lachlan-JWP]

Have a look at the attached file. I've built the railing return as part of the start & end balusters. This will allow you to make the change to all railing by changing the type properties and doesn't require editing the top railing.

[p-jacobs]

I get your point.

But the thing is, it's a standard railing that is used all over the Netherlands by the national railway administration. So it's being used in a lot in projects. And it's definitly worth researching if it can be solved in a different way then using 'edit rail'.

[p-jacobs]

Thanks for this solution, I haven't thought of that. 

I'm gonna test this one out.