Documentation

Export documentation

Every Magic Stairs design exports as five complementary file formats. This documentation tells you exactly what each one contains, which tool opens it, and when to reach for which — so you can pick the right format for your workflow whether you’re hand-cutting a porch stair, CNC-routing stringers, or sending a 3D preview to a client.

Magic Stairs calculator showing a 3D preview of a staircase with key parameter controls on the left and a Download button in the top-right of the canvas — Adjust your staircase in the calculator, then click Download to get the full export bundle — PDF, SVG, DXF, STEP, and STL in one go.

The five formats at a glance

Every export is generated from the same authoritative geometry — so the dimensions in the PDF, the polylines in the DXF, the solids in the STEP, the paths in the SVG, and the triangles in the STL all describe the same staircase, down to the millimetre.

PDF

Construction PDF

11-sheet A3 landscape booklet — cover, plan, elevation, per-part workshop drawings, BOM. Opens in any PDF reader.

CAD & CNC exports

DXF (2D, layered) for CNC routing and CAM. STEP (AP214 BREP) for CAD modelling — every part as a named component.

SVG & STL exports

SVG for editable vector graphics — pitch decks, web, laser cutting. STL for 3D printing a tabletop model.

Which format do I actually want?

Most projects use two or three of them in combination. The quick decision matrix:

If you want to…	Use	Why
Print sheets and take them to the workshop	PDF	Everything dimensioned, no software needed
Route stringers on a CNC	DXF	2D, layered, opens in any CAM tool
Model the stair in CAD (Fusion, FreeCAD, Onshape, Solidworks)	STEP	Solid BREP, every part is a separate component
Embed the design in a client presentation	SVG	Vector — scales infinitely, fully restylable
Laser-cut tread templates from plywood	DXF or SVG	Both translate directly to a laser cutter
3D-print a tabletop reference model	STL	Watertight mesh, ready for any slicer
Get a sanity check before fabrication	STEP or STL	Both let you orbit the design in 3D and look for clashes

One geometry, five viewpoints

It’s worth saying explicitly: all five exports come from one source of truth. The 3D preview in the calculator, the PDF dimensions, the DXF polylines, the STEP solids, the SVG paths, and the STL triangles are all produced by the same geometry pipeline. There is no second-pass translation, no “lossy conversion” between formats — change a parameter, hit Download, and every file in the bundle is in lockstep with what you saw on screen.

Footer warning FOR PLANNING ONLY — VERIFY ON-SITE DIMENSIONS appears on every PDF sheet. It’s real guidance: the calculator can’t know how flat your floor is or whether your wall is actually plumb. Re-measure on site before you cut. The export takes a second; cutting the wrong stringer takes a day.

Pick a format and dive in

Construction PDF — every one of the 11 sheets explained, what dimensions it carries, what it’s for.
CAD & CNC exports — DXF layer conventions, STEP component naming, the workflow for routing and modelling.
SVG & STL exports — SVG for communication, STL for visualisation, the “when and why” for each.