Offsetting Railings, Rails, and Newel Posts

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

How can I offset my railings, rails, or newel posts from the floor platform they are associated with?

ANSWER

The entirety of a railing, which consists of balusters, newel posts, and rails, can be offset using the Horizontal Offset setting located on the Rail Style panel of the Railing and Deck Railing Specification.

Individual rails, newel posts, and start and end posts, can also be offset independently by accessing their respective panels within the Railing and Deck Railing Specification.

• Offsetting an entire railing
• Offsetting individual rails
• Offsetting newel posts
• Offsetting start and end posts

To offset an entire railing

1. Using the Select Objects  tool, click on the railing or staircase that you want to offset, then click the Open Object  edit tool.
   
   
   
2. On the Rail Style or Railing panel of the dialog that displays, specify either a positive or negative value in the Horizontal Offset field, then click OK.
   
   
   Note: A positive value offsets the railings in the direction of their interior surface, while a negative value offsets them outward. Room definition is not affected by this offset so you can offset a railing relative to the floor platform edge it defines.
   
   
   
   

To offset individual rails

1. Using the Select Objects  tool, click on the railing or staircase that you want to offset the individual rails for, then click the Open Object  edit tool.
   
   
   
2. On the Rails panel of the dialog that displays, notice that Horizontal and Vertical Offset columns are available for each rail within the Rail Profiles table.
   
   
   Note: The Horizontal Offset column allows you to move a rail inwards or outwards from its default position.
   
   The Vertical Offset column allows you to move a rail to be higher or lower than its default position.
   
   
   
3. Double-click in the desired cell to change to open the field for editing, enter in your desired value, then click OK.
   
   
   Note: A positive value offsets the railings in the direction of their interior surface, while a negative value offsets them outward.
   
   
   
   

To offset newel posts

1. Using the Select Objects  tool, click on the railing or staircase that you want to offset the newel posts for, then click the Open Object  edit tool.
   
   
   
2. On the Newels/Balusters panel of the dialog that displays, under the Newels/Posts section, specify either a positive or negative value in the Horizontal and/or Bottom Offset fields, then click OK.
   
   
   Note: The Horizontal Offset is the amount each newel is offset from the center of the railing. You can, for example, use this setting to create a fence with the posts on one side of the fence boards.
   
   

   • A positive value offsets the newels/posts towards the interior; a negative value, towards the exterior.
     
     
   • When this value is negative and Full Posts are specified for the start/end posts of a railing, a newel is created on each side of an exterior corner rather than one centered on the corner.
     

   
   The Bottom Offset is the amount each newel is raised or lowered. When this value is 0, the newels' bottom edges are positioned on the surface of the floor finish.
   
   

   Individual newel posts can also be adjusted manually using the Move Newels edit tool. To learn more, please see the Related Articles section below.