Edit Baluster Placement Dialog: Main Pattern

Use the Main Pattern section of the Edit Baluster Placement dialog to customize balusters for railings.

Select a railing, and click Edit Type on the Properties palette. In the Type Properties dialog, for Baluster Placement, click Edit.

Note: Changes made to the type properties affect all railings of this type in the project. To create a new railing type, click Duplicate.

Property	Description
Name	The name of a specific baluster within the pattern.
Baluster Family	The style of the baluster or post family. If you select None, no balusters or posts display in that portion of the pattern.
Base	Specifies where the bottom of the baluster is placed: at the top of the rail, bottom of the rail, or top of the host. A host can be a level, floor, stair, or ramp.
Base offset	The negative or positive vertical distance between the bottom of the baluster and the base.
Top	Specifies where the top of the baluster is placed (usually a rail). Values are the same as Base.
Top offset	The negative or positive vertical distance between the top of the baluster and the Top.
Dist. from previous	Controls the space between the balusters in the pattern. For the first baluster (line 2 in the Main pattern table), the property specifies the space between the start of the railing segment or the pattern repeat point, and the placement of the first baluster. For each subsequent line, the property specifies the distance of that new baluster from the previous one. After the last baluster in the list, there is a space to the Pattern end. If the railing segment continues past the pattern end, the pattern is repeated until there is not enough space.
Offset	The distance to the inside or the outside of the railing path.
Break Pattern at	The point along a railing segment at which the baluster pattern stops.
Angle	A value specifying the angle at which a pattern breaks. This property is available when Angles Greater Than is selected for Break Pattern At.
Pattern Length	The sum of all values listed in the Dist. From Previous column.
Justify	Balusters in a pattern are justified along the length of a railing segment. Beginning starts the pattern at the beginning of the railing segment. If the pattern length is not an exact multiple of the railing length, then there is excess space between the last pattern instance and the end of the railing segment. End starts the pattern from the end of the railing segment. If the pattern length is not an exact multiple of the railing length, then there is excess space between the last pattern instance and the beginning of the railing segment. Center places the first baluster pattern at the center of the railing segment and any excess space appears evenly at the beginning and end of the railing segment. Spread Pattern to Fit spreads the pattern evenly along the length of the railing segment. No excess space occurs, and the actual placement value of the pattern differs from the value indicated in Pattern Length. Actual placement value is determined by the formula: Rail Length / Pattern Length. When the result is not an integer, the placement value is rounded to the nearest integer. Example: Rail Length (1,100mm) / Pattern Length (400mm) = 2.75. Three instances of the pattern will be placed (2.75 rounded up) and the spacing of balusters in the pattern adjusted to fill 1,100mm. How Revit determines the beginning and end depends on which way you drew the railing, right to left, or left to right.
Excess Length Fill	If there is extra space along the railing segment, but it cannot be filled with a pattern, you can specify how to fill that space. You can specify that a specific baluster family fill the excess space and set a spacing increment for it. You can specify that the baluster pattern be truncated to fill the excess length, or you can specify none so that the excess space remains open. This property is available if Justify is set to Beginning, End, or Center.
Spacing	The distance between balusters that fill any excess length along the railing segment. This property is available if a baluster or post family is selected for the Excess Length Fill property.