Creating Stepped Walls

Stepped walls add wall peaks to existing walls created with the Wall tool or Round Wall tool. The existing wall can be a single wall or a chain of multiple wall segments that are L-joined to each other. Stepped walls can have a constant rise at each interval, or conform to underlying terrain with a variable rise, such as free-standing landscape walls or fences.

The options available depend on the selected Step Style (even steps or terrain steps). If the parameters are set so that the steps are uneven, the top step is truncated.

Parameter	Description
Even Steps	Creates a stepped wall with a constant rise and wall peaks at even intervals
Preview	Previews the selected configuration
Total Length	Displays the total length of the stepped wall to be created
Number of Steps	Displays the total number of steps to be created
Calculator	The steps are created based on three parameters: step length, step rise, and total rise. Based on the entry of two of these parameters, the third is automatically calculated. Click to place the calculator at the parameter that should be automatically calculated, and enter the values for the other two parameters.
Step Length	Sets the length of one step
Step Rise	Sets the rise of one step
Total Rise	Specifies the total rise value
Apply Steps to	Steps can be applied to either the top or bottom of the wall, or both
Top of Wall	Steps apply to the top of the wall
Horizontal Offset	Specifies the horizontal offset of the top steps; positive values move the steps to the left, while negative values move them to the right. This allows the last step to be shorter or longer, for example.
Bottom of Wall	Steps apply to the bottom of the wall
Horizontal Offset	Specifies the horizontal offset of the bottom steps; positive values move the steps to the left, while negative values move them to the right.
Reverse Direction	Sets whether steps should be started from the beginning of the wall (option is deselected) or end of the wall (option is selected)
Terrain Steps
Total Length	Displays the total length of the stepped wall to be created
Number of Steps	Displays the total number of steps to be created
Step Length	Sets the length of one step
Vertical Offset	Specifies the offset distance from the terrain surface; an offset of zero keeps the steps at the surface, while a positive value raises them above the surface
Apply Steps to
Top of Wall	Applies steps to the top of the wall, mirroring the terrain
Horizontal Offset	Specifies the horizontal offset of the top steps; positive values move the steps to the left, while negative values move them to the right. This allows the last step to be shorter or longer, for example.
Bottom of Wall	Terrain steps are always applied to the bottom of the wall, since the steps follow the terrain
Horizontal Offset	Specifies the horizontal offset of the bottom steps; positive values move the steps to the left, while negative values move them to the right.
Place Steps Above Terrain	The steps are reversed so that they are above the terrain

The Send to Surface command can be used on walls; it sets the bottom Z value at the start of the wall to the existing terrain surface (see Sending Objects to the Site Model Surface).