PSC AutoCAD Automation User Guide

07/20/23-08:33

List of Commands

Click here to see command list

Procedures

Double-click action

To edit stair and landing blocks by double-clicking:

  1. Run CUI command
  2. In the top-left panel, find Double Click Actions -> Block -> Block - Double Click
  3. In the right panel, edit the Macro field to say editblock
  4. Click OK

Stair Dialog Overview

Basic Information

This is mostly stuff that we don’t expect to change after being initially set for a given stair.

Property Description
Stair The stair “number” but this can be any string
Tread Depth Horizontal distance from nosing to nosing
Width The width measured from outside of stringers
Distance Between Clear space to the next stair’s stringer
Conn. Distances Distance from nosing to start of platform extension
Head Clearance Distance above finished floor of head clearance line (0 to omit)
Ascend Direction to turn in order to reach the next stair
Tread The tread style
Rail The rail style
Finish What kind/color of coating
Show Connection Uncheck to place connection members on non-plotting layer
Show Topview Arc Uncheck to omit clearance arcs from top view
Separate Stringers Uncheck to make the right stringer options match the left

Tread Options

The supported tread styles each have a different set of customization options, available by clicking the Options button next to the popup list.

Property Series Description
Pan Material 1,2,4 Thickness of bent plates
Tread Material 4,6 Material makeup of the tread
STN Style 1,2,4 None or an applicable STN product line
Concrete Thickness 1,4 Thickness of pan-filled/precast treads
STN T/B Only 1,2,4 Check to omit STN at middle nosings
Kickback 1,2 Check to include series-appropriate kickback
Quiet-Tread 2 Check to include Quiet Tread(tm)
STN SKU 1,2,4 Calculated automatically based on selected STN options

STN

STN product lines apply to particular tread series and support particular options. Note that STNR is now called STNRS. This is how Safe-T-Nose is referring to shop-applied 2" aluminum nosings. (STNR refers only to the field-applied nosings).

Style Series Nosing Color Iso Color 1" Strip 1 1/2" Strip
STNP 1 X X X
STNS 2 X X
STNRS 2 X X
STNPT 4 X
STNC3 1,4 X X X

Options descriptions:

Property Description
Nosing Color The color of the metal part of the nosing
Isolator Color The color of the plastic part of the nosing
Insert Strip 1 The content of the 1" insert strip
Insert Strip 2 The content of the 1 1/2" insert strip (STNC3 only)

Rail Options

Stairs contain at least two stair/wall rails: inside and outside. The style of rails is set in the main dialog and the options for left/right stair/wall rails can be set in the Options dialog. By default, the inside will be a standard Stair Rail with 0" extensions at the top and bottom and no D-loops, and the outside will be a standard Wall Rail with no D-loops. A third option exists: Chop-Top stair rails cut off horizontally at a given distance below the top nosing.

Either side can be any kind of rail.

Property Description
Handrail Level-off Check to include a 15" horizontal segment at handrail extensions
Top Mount Cut the bottoms of the posts off at pitch for mounting to the top of a channel stringer
Type Whether a particular rail is a Stair Rail, Chop-top Stair Rail or Wall Rail
Frame Extensions Horizontal extension of a post from its default position (3 5/8" from edge of platform). Positive values grow the rail and negative values shrink it
Cutoff How far down the top of a Chop-top Stair Rail is from the top nosing
D-loops Check to have handrail wrap around and back to a post/wall

Location

Properties related to the stair’s position in the main section view.

Property Description
Level Designation The floor “number”, but this can be any string to acount for floors like P1, PH, M, etc
Flight Sequence A letter denoting flight position between levels
Z-position Whether the stair is in the near or far plane

Risers

Properties related to riser geometry.

Property Description
Floor-to-Floor Height Distance between floors. Used for rise height calculation
Total Risers Number of risers between floors. Calculated automatically. User-settable
Risers This Flight Number of risers in this flight
Rise Height Vertical distance from nosing to nosing. Calculated automatically. Not directly user-settable

To set a specific rise height, set the Floor-to-Floor Height to the desired flight height and make Risers This Flight match Total Risers.

Stringers

Properties related to stringer geometry. By default, the Right Stringer values will match whatever is set for the Left Stringer. To set them individually, check the Separate Stringers box in Basic Information.

Property Description
Material Plate or channel used
Top Offset How far the stringer extends vertically above the top nosing
Mid Offset Top of stringer offset from nosing line at pitch
Bottom Offset How far the stringer extends vertically above bottom finished floor (bottom haunches only)
Extends How far the stringer extends past the end of the platform at top/bottom

Connections

How the stair connects at the top and bottom.

Property Description
Main popup list tile [unlabeled] Detail number from standard details and description of connection
Extension How far the top/bottm platform extends

Note: the platform extension described by the Extension property does not include the Top/Bottom Connection Distance in Basic Information. For example a Connection Distance of 1 1/4" (default) with an Extension of 11" results in a distance of 1’-1/4" from nosing to edge of platform.

Landing Dialog Overview

Basic Information

Property Description
Stair The stair “number” but this can be any string
Head Clearance Distance above finished floor of head clearance line (0 to omit)
Tread Style The tread style
Finish What kind/color of coating

Location

Property Description
Level The floor “number”, but this can be any string
Sequence A letter denoting the landing position between levels
Side Which side the landing appears on in the main section view

X-Bracing

Allows toggling of cross bracing in each of four bays. User may specify a distance from bottom of shorter post to centerline of bottom brace.

Miscellaneous

“Get X Stair Info” buttons will fill in the “Bolts” sub dialog (see below) for either the front or back channel.

Depth

Property Description
Nosing to Wall / Nosing to Nosing Distance from nearest front stair nosing to back wall or back stair nosing
Front Stair Nosing Distance Distance from nearest front stair nosing to front edge of landing
Platform Depth Distance from front edge of landing to back edge of landing
Back Gap / Back Stair Nosing Distance Distance from back edge of landing to back wall or nearest back stair nosing

Width

Property Description
Shaft Width Total clear distance between faces of finish
Platform Width Total width of platform
Gaps Distance from edge of landing to face of finish

Channels

Each of the main channels has a box in the dialog for independent settings. The default mode of the dialog is to have the back channel match the front unless otherwise specified. To set channel sizes independently, check the box next to the back channel size, which will enable its individual dropdown box. To set back channel connections to be different from the front, check the “Separate” box in the connection you want to change.

Property Description
Size Channel size
Bolts Opens a sub-dialog for setting stair bolt information
Location Distance from front edge of landing to face of back channel
Flip Check to flip the back channel

Bolts

Property Description
Bolt to… What this channel is bolting to, if anything
Offset From Edge Distance from edge of landing to outside stringer
Width Stair overall width
Bolt spacing keys Correspond to stair connection options
Double bolt Stair is a 5X connection rather than a 2X

Connections

Property Description
Channel Detail Connection detail that applies at the end of the channel
Support Detail Connection detail that applies at the end of the post or hanger, if applicable
Channel Extension Distance from edge of landing to edge of channel
Support Length Distance from landing finished floor to top or bottom of structure
Options Opens a sub-dialog for connection options, if any
Separate Allow a back channel connection to have different properties from its pair on the front

Connection Options

Property Description
Extra Holes Offset For post connections with a shared-post landing below, offset of lower landing (i.e. additional bolt holes on post)
Plate Height/Width Hanger rod connection plate geometry
Kick Brace Options Kick brace style and geometry