Load Elevator and Escalator Families into Revit

ByMohamed Fakhry Updated

In this tutorial you will learn how to use elevators and escalators in Revit. I’ll show you where to find the family files and how to edit them to get the results you want.

revit elevator family

Load An Elevator Family

Revit files are now available from many manufacturers: type “manufacturer_name BIM files” into a search engine to check whether or not they are available online.

However, in this tutorial we will use families from the library of ARCAT.

Insert The Family

  1. Go to the Insert tab > Load from Library panel > click Load Family.
  2. Browse into the file directory > select the RFA elevator family.
  3. Click Open.
  4. Go to the Architecture tab > Build panel > drop-down Component menu > click Place a Component.
  5. In the Properties palette > drop-down the Type Selector menu > Select the family.
  6. Click in the viewport to insert the Revit elevator family.

✨ Tip: Drag the RFA file into the viewport of RVT to load the family.

revit elevator

Keep reading to learn how to change the height and the door of the family…

Create A Shaft

  1. Open a floor plan view.
  2. Go to the Architecture tab > Opening panel > click Shaft.
  3. Go to the Modify | Create Shaft Opening Sketch tab > Draw panel.
  4. Select the Rectangle tool.
  5. Click and drag the shaft opening around the elevator.
  6. Click Finish Edit Mode.
Revit Elevator Shaft

Add Core Walls

  1. Go to the Architecture tab > Build panel > click Wall.
  2. Go to the Modify | Place Wall tab > Draw panel.
  3. Select the Rectangle tool.
  4. In the Options bar, drop-down Location Line menu.
  5. Click Finish Face: Interior.
  6. Click on the outer line of the elevator at the top to create core walls.
revit elevator

Add Elevator Openings

  1. Open a floor plan view.
  2. Go to the Architecture tab > Opening panel > click Wall.
  3. Click on the front core wall > click and drag the door opening.
  4. Select the opening > hold down the CTRL key and then press C.
  5. Go to the Modify | Rectangular Straight Wall Opening tab > Clipboard panel.
  6. Drop-down Paste menu > click Aligned to Selected Levels.
  7. Hold down the CTRL key and then select all the levels in the list.
  8. Click OK.
revit elevator door

Edit Height

  1. In the Properties palette, scroll down to Dimensions panel.
  2. Change the value of “Top Landing Elevation”.

✨ Tip: To edit the depth and width, select the family in the viewport. Go to the Properties palette > click Edit Type. Scroll down to change depth and width values under the Dimensions panel.

Edit Door

  1. Select the family in the viewport.
  2. Go to the Modify | Specialty Equipment tab > Mode panel > click Edit Family.
  3. Select the door element > Grab the shape handles to change their shape.

✨ Tip: Click on a component twice in the viewport to open the edit mode.

Most elevator families contain in-place doorways.

If you can’t find handles while the element is on selection, that means it’s a family within a family group. Go to Modify | Generic Models tab > Mode panel > click Edit Family.

After applying changes, go to the Family Editor panel > click Load into Project.

Don’t forget to load the parent family into the main project eventually.

Load An Escalator Family

Escalator families are core-wall-based. Add a wall as a landing, then insert the escalator on top of it in the viewport.

Revit Escalator

To load the family file and to edit model elements, follow the steps mentioned above.

✨ Tip: Don’t forget to purge the family file and the project file.

What to Do: Specialty Equipment Not Visible in Section

  1. Change the family type to casework and save it as a shared family.
  2. Nest the casework family in a new empty specialty equipment family.
  3. Load the specialty equipment family into the project.

In this way, all our tags are functional and the section of our specialty equipment can be made visible.