PlotDirector/PlotLine/Help/Articles/FloorPlans/StairsLaddersAndLevels.md
Nick Beckley b998760e96 Implemented the Floor Plans help pass.
What changed:
Added 45 new Floor Plans help articles under [FloorPlans](C:/Source/PlotLine/PlotLine/Help/Articles/FloorPlans), including the seven full guides requested plus field-level help for the contextual icons.
Wired contextual help-icon entries into:Floor Plans list page
Floor Plan editor header
Structure / Occupancy mode controls
floor, block, background, transitions and occupancy UI
transition-specific areas for stairs, ladders, hidden doors and secret passages

Verification:
Confirmed every Floor Plans help-icon key used in the views has a matching article.
Confirmed all 45 new articles have required help metadata.
dotnet build PlotLine.slnx passes with 0 warnings and 0 errors.
No database changes, no Floor Plan behaviour changes, no transition changes, and no editor redesign.
2026-06-22 16:24:42 +01:00

2.2 KiB

title, category, tags, contextKey, micro, quickTitle, quickSummary, screenshot
title category tags contextKey micro quickTitle quickSummary screenshot
Stairs, Ladders and Floor Levels Floor Plans floor plans, stairs, ladders, levels, vertical movement floorPlans.stairsLaddersAndLevels Use Levels, stairs and ladders to make vertical movement believable. Stairs, ladders and levels Floor Levels control ordering, stairs link adjacent floors, and ladders can connect upward to higher locations.

Overview

Levels tell PlotDirector which floor is above or below another. Ground Floor is usually 0, First Floor is 1, and Basement is -1.

This matters for vertical movement. Stairs and ladders are how the plan says that characters can move from one level to another.

Stairs Up And Stairs Down

Stairs Up connect the current floor to the floor one level above. Stairs Down connect the current floor to the floor one level below.

When possible, PlotDirector treats stairs as one staircase. Adding stairs up creates the matching stairs down on the other floor, and adding stairs down can create the matching stairs up.

Stair markers sit inside the From Location rather than on a wall. This is because a staircase usually belongs to a room, hall or landing rather than being a wall opening.

Position Within Location

Use Position Within Location to place stairs or ladders inside the room:

  • Centre
  • North
  • South
  • East
  • West
  • Corners

This is especially helpful when a room has more than one vertical route or when you are aligning stairs with the floor above.

Ladders

Ladders are vertical movement too, but they are less formal than stairs. Use them for loft hatches, shafts, roof spaces, hidden access, maintenance routes or attic entries.

A ladder can connect to a location on any higher level. It does not need same-floor adjacency like a normal door.

Reference Floor Overlay

Before adding stairs, turn on the reference floor overlay. Showing the floor above or below as a faint guide helps align landings, corridors and stair positions.

Related Guides