The restrictions of Shabbat apply to Jews, not utensils owned by Jews; therefore, generally speaking, it's OK to set things up before Shabbat so that things wil

The restrictions of Shabbat apply to Jews, not utensils owned by Jews; therefore, generally speaking, it's OK to set things up before Shabbat so that things will happen without any intervention. The most common example of this is setting a mechanical timer or an X10 system to turn lights on and off. And one common form of the "Shabbat elevator" is, indeed, to set up the elevator so that it will automatically stop at every floor. (This is all according to the traditions recognized as authoritative by Orthodox Jews. The Kera'ites, a dissident sect going back at least to medieval times, interprets the Bible differently; they think you're not just allowed to ignite a fire on Shabbat, you're also not allowed to leave a fire burning over Shabbat. If you're a Kera'ite you should probably not live any place where there are cold winters.)