What’s wrong with using the typical Follow Me tool? I would temporarily (or in a new file) rotate the stair so that it’s nearly flat along the red/green axis, then use the Arcs tool to get the best curve shape to suit, then just use follow me along the line
A VERY quick and basic example, the largest arc is only so segmented because it is enormous lol:
Nothing, of course. Nothing is wrong with it.
I see the real issue as drawing the path in the first place.
The native follow me tool makes a mess of curving handrails. A circular profile might not look bad, but any other profile gets all twisted. You need Eneroth’s Upright Extruder to do curving handrails right.
Yes drawing the path is the main task. I would draw out the centerline of the railing in plan (parallel offset from outside edge), and then drop/project/extrude that onto the treads to find the intersection points with the nosing edges, and then “connect the dots” of all those points in 3D. Raise that path the 30"~36" as needed.
@Box recently demo’d some plugin that smoothed 3D text by adding more segments to curving paths, and maybe that could then make the handrail path smoother before using Upright Extruder.
Fair enough with other profiles, but OP seems to using a circle in their early screenshots
Who is planning the stairs? I would say you should first fix the layout of the stairs. There are sections without a continuous flow. The length of the sides of the steps could be more balanced. The inner radius is too small.
I typically use the Eneroth Upright Extruder extension for handrails. You have to keep the profile rather simple otherwise the geometry can glitch. (if someone else mentioned this already, I’m sorry I just skimmed through this thread but I love making stairs building stairs in sketchup)
