b998760e96
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.
53 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
53 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Stairs, Ladders and Floor Levels
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category: Floor Plans
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tags: floor plans, stairs, ladders, levels, vertical movement
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contextKey: floorPlans.stairsLaddersAndLevels
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micro: Use Levels, stairs and ladders to make vertical movement believable.
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quickTitle: Stairs, ladders and levels
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quickSummary: Floor Levels control ordering, stairs link adjacent floors, and ladders can connect upward to higher locations.
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screenshot:
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---
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# Overview
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Levels tell PlotDirector which floor is above or below another. Ground Floor is usually `0`, First Floor is `1`, and Basement is `-1`.
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This matters for vertical movement. Stairs and ladders are how the plan says that characters can move from one level to another.
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# Stairs Up And Stairs Down
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Stairs Up connect the current floor to the floor one level above. Stairs Down connect the current floor to the floor one level below.
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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.
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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.
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# Position Within Location
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Use Position Within Location to place stairs or ladders inside the room:
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- Centre
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- North
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- South
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- East
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- West
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- Corners
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This is especially helpful when a room has more than one vertical route or when you are aligning stairs with the floor above.
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# Ladders
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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.
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A ladder can connect to a location on any higher level. It does not need same-floor adjacency like a normal door.
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# Reference Floor Overlay
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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.
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# Related Guides
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- [Reference Floors, Backgrounds and Grid Guides](/Help/Article/floorPlans.referenceFloorsBackgroundsAndGrid)
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- [Transitions, Doors and Entrances](/Help/Article/floorPlans.transitionsAndEntrances)
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