Why are reference levels not shown in elevation/section levels?

Issue description

In section or elevation views, the built-in level markers only include the Story Levels and the project origin (such as Project Zero or Sea Level). You would like to display reference level names or alternative elevation values.

Solution

There are two ways to display reference levels in Section or Elevation views. You can either change the origin of the elevation dimension to a different reference level, or insert reference level values as Autotext in the dimension text.

Define your reference levels if needed:

• • Go to Options > Project Preferences > Reference Levels and add or edit reference levels as required. Enter the name and elevation for each level.
    Project Zero and Sea Level are always available and cannot be renamed.

A. Place an elevation dimension with the reference level as origin.

1. Open your Elevation/Section View.
2. Activate the Dimension Tool in the Toolbox.
3. Open the Dimension Settings dialog:
   
   • Expand the Dimension Type tab and choose Elevation Dimension as the dimension type.
   • Under the Dimension Origin setting, click on the drop-down menu and select the reference level you want to use (such as Project Zero, Sea Level, or any custom reference level you have set).
4. Click OK to apply the changes.
5. Place your elevation dimension/dimension chain on the View, their displayed  values will be calculated to the chosen reference level.
   Note: This changes the reference level for all values in the selected dimension chain.

B. Change existing elevation dimensions using Autotext.

1. Select an elevation dimension in your section/elevation view.
2. Edit the dimension text:
   • Double-click the dimension text or use Edit > Dimension Text Settings to open the Dimension Text Settings dialog.
3. Insert reference level Autotext:
   • Expand the Text Content panel.
   • Set the text content to Custom.
   • Click on Insert Autotext and choose the desired reference level. You can insert multiple Autotext fields to display several reference levels, or add a defined custom text.
4. Click OK to apply the changes.

Using these methods, you can display elevation values relative to any reference level, and optionally include the reference level’s name in your dimension text for clarity. 

TIP: You can also set the built-in Elevation/Section Story levels to be calculated from a reference level by following the process in this article -Reflecting Altitude on Elevations and Sections

If you need more help…

Check out more content on the Support Site, Graphisoft Community, or the Graphisoft Learn Portal. You can also contact Technical Support for further assistance.