What Family Is Elevator in Revit?

Understanding Elevator Families in Revit

Elevators play a crucial role in modern architectural designs, facilitating vertical movement within buildings. In Revit, elevators are represented by a specific type of family, and understanding how to access and utilize these families is essential for effective BIM modeling.

Locating Elevator Families in Revit

To find elevator families in Revit, start by navigating to the "Insert" tab on the ribbon. Under the "Load Family" option, search for elevator-related families in the predefined categories. If you have installed additional family libraries or downloaded custom families, you can browse through those folders as well. Once identified, select the desired elevator family and load it into your project.

Characteristics of Elevator Families

Elevator families in Revit are designed to represent various types of elevators, including residential, commercial, and freight elevators. They often come with adjustable parameters for size, type, and components such as doors, cab design, and control panels. When using an elevator family, it is important to consider its dimensions and specifications to ensure it meets the requirements of your project.

Creating a Custom Elevator Family

If the available elevator families do not meet your project needs, creating a custom elevator family provides flexibility:

1. Open Family Editor: Start Revit and navigate to the "File" menu, then select "New" > "Family." Choose a suitable template for your elevator type.
2. Define Parameters: Establish the necessary parameters such as height, width, and door type. Use the "Family Types" dialog to organize and manage these parameters.
3. Modeling the Elevator: Use the modeling tools in the Family Editor to create the cab, doors, and any additional components. Ensure correct placement and alignment to standard dimensions.
4. Save and Load into Project: Once complete, save your custom family. Load it back into your Revit project through the "Insert" tab’s "Load Family" option.

Setting Up Elevator Doors

Elevator doors are a key component of the elevator family and require careful configuration:

1. Select Door Type: Once you have created or loaded the elevator family, choose the type of doors you want, typically swing or sliding.
2. Placement and Alignment: Position the doors within the elevator cab accurately. Ensure they align with the shaft opening.
3. Add Mechanism Visibility: If your design requires, incorporate graphical representations of door opening mechanisms to indicate functionality.

Modifying Elevator Properties

Adjusting the properties of elevator families enhances their usability:

1. Select the Elevator Instance: In the Revit model, click on the elevator object.
2. Modify Family Instance Properties: Open the "Properties" panel, where you can adjust parameters such as size, type, and appearance.
3. Use Type Catalogs for Variability: If a type catalog is available, you can choose different configurations and manufacturers easily.

FAQs

1. What types of elevators are available in Revit?

Revit includes various elevator families that cater to different applications, such as passenger elevators, service elevators, and freight elevators. These can be customized based on project requirements.

2. How can I import third-party elevator families into Revit?

To import third-party elevator families, download the family file, then use the "Insert" tab and select "Load Family" to integrate the downloaded family into your current project.

3. Can I create animations for elevator movement in Revit?

While Revit primarily focuses on the design aspect, you can use visualization tools and render settings to create presentations that illustrate elevator functionality within the model. However, detailed animations often require additional software.