LEGION Model Builder Help

Creating an Escalator

Note: As with the Stair object, escalators are always drawn from the bottom up.

While the flat stair and riser sections of an escalator are always rectangular, you may draw the areas between comb lines and balustrades as polygonal sections if required.

To draw an escalator:

  1. Draw the first portion of the escalator:
    • When drawing a rectangular area, click to complete it.
    • When drawing a polygonal area, place all the necessary vertices, press Enter to complete it and then click on the side of the area from which you want to draw the flat stair portion of the escalator.
  2. Drag out the first flat stair section of the escalator to the required size and click to complete it.
  3. Drag the main riser section out to the desired size and:
    • If the escalator is completely contained within one level, click to complete it and go to step 7.
    • If the escalator needs to be split across two levels, hold down Ctrl and click.

      You are prompted to accept the default overlap area (this will be somewhere between the minimum 0.5 metres and the maximum 2 metres) or define your own.

  4. Press Enter to accept the default overlap area.

    Type n, press Enter and then drag the area to the desired length (minimum of 0.5m to a maximum which cannot exceed the length of the first stair section); click to set the overlap area.

  5. Place the overlap area in the correct position on the second level of your CAD and continue to draw the rest of the riser section of the escalator. Click to complete the section.
  6. Drag out the second flat stair section of the escalator to the required size and click to complete it.
  7. Draw the area from the upper comb line to the end of the balustrades.

    If the area is polygonal, when you have finished drawing it you are asked to select one of its sides as the ‘entry segment’, being the segment which Entities will cross as they board the escalator at this end. This step is necessary because, depending on the direction of the escalator, a Focal Segment may be required at this end.

    You are prompted to "Create as Target or Filtering object? T[F]".

  8. Press Enter if you want the Escalator to be a Target or type F and press Enter if you want the Escalator to filter for Entities instead.

    The Edit Escalator dialog is displayed.

See the following procedures for further parameters for both Target and Filter objects.
Parent topic: Escalators

To set the Escalator’s properties (Target):

  1. Enter a meaningful name for the new escalator in the 'Name' box.
  2. Select a 'Direction':
    • Up
    • Down

    According to the direction you select, the focal segment will be automatically placed at the bottom (Up) or top (Down) of the Escalator.

  3. Set 'Speed and Slope' values:
    • Enter a value for Tangential Speed (escalator speeds generally range from 0.5m/s to 1.0m/s but check with the manufacturer).
    • Enter a value for Slope (escalator slopes generally range from 30° to 35° but check with the manufacturer).
    • Enter a value for the Distance Factor (for more information, see Distance Factors for Stairs and Escalators).
  4. In the 'Link Properties' area, select one of these three options:
    • Do not change target (Entities will proceed to their next target unchanged).
    • Revert to final destination (Entities will proceed to wards their original Final Destination).
    • Specify links (if you select 'Specify link', click on the 'Links' tab and add your target objects manually following the steps in Linking methods ).
  5. In the 'Escalator Walk/Stand Preference' area, select from the following options to define how Entities ride on the escalator:
    • Stand on the left
    • Stand on the right
    • Stand on both sides
    • Walk on both sides.
  6. If you need to test your model against required regulatory flow rates you may wish to set a maximum value for 'Flow Rate Limiting'. To do so, check the box Maximum and enter a value for people/minute in the adjacent field.
  7. To set Availability and possibly Condition parameters, follow the steps in Delay Points .
  8. Click OK.
If you need to adjust Focal Segments after drawing an Escalator, see Placing a Focal Segment for details.

To set the Escalator’s properties (Filter): 

  1. Enter a meaningful name for the new escalator in the 'Name' box.
  2. Select a 'Direction':
    • Up
    • Down

    According to the direction you select, the focal segment will be automatically placed at the bottom (Up) or top (Down) of the Escalator.

  3. Set 'Speed and Slope' values:
    • Enter a value for Tangential Speed (escalator speeds generally range from 0.5m/s to 1.0m/s but check with the manufacturer).
    • Enter a value for Slope (escalator slopes generally range from 30° to 35° but check with the manufacturer).
    • Enter a value for the Distance Factor (for more information, see Distance Factors for Stairs and Escalators).
  4. In the 'Link Properties' area, select one of these three options:
    • Do not change target (Entities will proceed to their next target unchanged).
    • Revert to final destination (Entities will proceed to wards their original Final Destination).
    • Specify links (if you select 'Specify link', click on the 'Links' tab and add your target objects manually following the steps in Linking methods ).
  5. In the 'Escalator Walk/Stand Preference' area, select from the following options to define how Entities ride on the escalator:
    • Stand on the left.
    • Stand on the right.
    • Stand on both sides.
    • Walk on both sides.
  6. If you need to test your model against required regulatory flow rates you may wish to set a maximum value for 'Flow Rate Limiting'. To do so, check the box Maximum and enter a value for people/minute in the adjacent field.
  7. Set the Escalator's filter settings by clicking on Entity Filter' and following the steps outlined in Specifying filter settings .
  8. To set Availability and possibly Condition parameters, follow the steps in Delay Points .
  9. Click OK.