124 — Top Step

A top step is where the top of a panel drops to a lower height over part of its width, at one end, instead of running level all the way across. It is part of the panel’s form outline, so it is set before the openings and the face work.

The Top Step button records up to two steps on the panel. Each step is described by the side it is on, the elevation of its bottom, and its width.

Where it is

ConstructiVision toolbar → Top Step (tooltip: Top Step). It sits between Sandwich Panel and Footing Step, in the group that follows Edit Main Panel. The button runs CV-FEAT-TOPSTEP.

Open a panel drawing first. The button opens ConstructiVision – Top Step Details. The line at the top reads (Elevation from Finished Floor to bottom of Top Step).

column

what it holds

default

Enable

whether this step is built

clear

Side

Left or Right

row 1 Left, row 2 Right

Elevation

from finished floor to the bottom of the step

20'-0"

Width

how wide the step is

10'-0"

There are two rows, so a panel carries at most two top steps. A row’s Side, Elevation and Width stay greyed until you tick its Enable box. The buttons along the bottom are Calc, OK, Cancel and Help.

None of the sample panels opened for this lesson carries a top step. On AAA039, CSB001, CSB060, ODE038, SegalP15041 and Water048 the dialog opens with both Enable boxes clear.

Try it on AAA039

AAA039 is a panel from the Arlington Airport A sample project, 28’-0” wide. Its top is at 33’-4 1/2”.

  1. Open AAA039.dwg.

  2. Click Top Step. Both rows are clear: Left / 20'-0" / 10'-0" and Right / 20'-0" / 10'-0", all greyed.

  3. Tick Enable on row 1. Its fields wake up.

  4. Pick Right.

  5. Elevation 21'-5", Tab.

  6. Width 3'-7", Tab.

  7. Click OK. The command line reads:

    [CV-FEAT] Top Step accepted -- redrawing panel...

    and the panel redraws.

What you see

On the redrawn sheet:

  • an elevation callout 21’-5” at the right edge of the panel, at the bottom of the step;

  • the step’s width, 3’-7”, dimensioned across the step (a 43-inch dimension).

Save the drawing, close it and open it again, then click Top Step. Row 1 is still ticked, on Right, with 21'-5" and 3'-7". Click Cancel and the command line reads:

[CV-FEAT] Top Step cancelled -- nothing changed.

The 1 Form phase button includes steps (its tooltip lists forms, miters, steps, openings …).

What this lesson does not cover

  • More than two steps. The dialog has two rows.

  • Calc and Help were not exercised.

  • Metric. This lesson was run in imperial units only.

Watch the lesson

The video follows Try it on AAA039: row 1 on Right, 21’-5” and 3’-7”, OK, and the redrawn sheet. It does not reopen the drawing to show the step was saved.