Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930), Author. Sherlock Holmes, in A Study in Scarlet (1887).
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Open Stairs

This method is the same as the solid steps, with one change and one additional step. The change begins when you are extruding. I would recommend changing the Wall Fill when doing the Steps.

To draw this style stairs you will need to first determine the number of steps you need for the tower based on the circumference of the tower and the height to the next floor. Normal stairs have a rise (distance up) of 7-9" and a tread (depth of step) of 12". Curved stairs have a tread of about 16" along the outside edge or 9" along the inside edge.

Using a 20' diameter tower which has about a 60' circumference with 12' between floors. (Do not forget to add the thickness of the upper floor.) Every three steps would rise about 2'-3" and cover about 4' of the wall. To go up 12' it would take 15 steps. (144"/9"=16 take away one for the upper floor which leaves you with 15 steps.) 15 steps would cover about 20' of wall space or a 1/3 of the way around the tower. (15/3 steps per 4' of Wall equals 5. Multiple 5x4'=20') This means you would need a Regular Polygon of 45 sides.

Draw the Regular Polygon with Ortho on (use relative coordinates to make sure it is close to 10' radius.) Draw the inner Polygon using the same center and along the same Ortho Line making the inner polygon at -3' to -5', again using relative coordinates. Draw the treads using the Endpoint Modifier to pick up the endpoints of the sides of the Regular Polygons. Erase the inner Polygon and Project the remaining Entities. You can Rotate all the Entities if you need to adjust the location of the stairs prior to
the projection.

Extrude each step starting with the lowest. Use relative coordinates to determine each height. Extrude the first step 9", and extrude each additional step individually 1'-1 1/2". Then use Move to raise each of the steps after the first so the top is 9" above the previous step. If you move from the top edge of each step you will follow the pattern of... (x'-0", x'-9", x+1'-6", x+2'-3", x+3'-0") starting at the second step. Send the higher steps behind the lower steps You will not need to do this for all the steps, only until you reach the backside of circular area. The actual Steps and number of steps will depend on your Projection and position of Steps. Change the outer Polygon to the desired Floor Fill and send behind the steps using back or by fronting the steps.

The downloadable File contains images and instructions for both styles of Stairs.
See Tutorial 1 Page for Link to File.

To Tutorial 1 : Closed Stairs
To Tutorial 3 : Column Stairs
To Tutorial 4 : Fun with Forced Perspectives
To Tutorial 5 : Sheets with Links
To Tutorial 6 : Printer Test
To Tutorial 7 : Printer Color Tests
To Tutorial 8 : Making a Symbol
To Tutorial 9 : CLOSEPATH Command
To Tutorial 10 : Customizing Menus
To Tutorial 11 : Line, Path, Spline, etc...
To Tutorial 12 : Making Symbol Images in 3D Apps

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