Reference Planes Form

Use the Reference Planes form to establish a point that is then projected as a vertical plane.

Reference planes are horizontal planes at user-specified Z-ordinates. The main purpose of those planes is to provide a horizontal plane/line that can be used to snap to when drawing objects in elevation views. Reference planes also can be viewed in a plan view. This option can be useful for adding mezzanine-type framing when the mezzanine has not been specified as a story level in the story data.

Note the following about reference planes:

• When vertical frame or shell objects (columns or walls) are drawn in plan on a reference plane level, ETABS inserts one object from the reference plane to the story level below and another object from the reference plane to the story level above.

• When vertical frame or shell objects (columns or walls) are drawn in plan on a story level and there is a reference plane in that story level, ETABS does not  break the vertical object at the reference plane. A single object is drawn from the story level to the story level below.

Note that if multiple grid systems have been identified in the model, select the desired grid system on the Edit Story and Grid System Data form before accessing the Grid System Data form and clicking the  Modify/Show Reference Planes button.

See Also

Draw Reference Planes

Access the Reference Planes  form as follows:

Method 1:

1. Click the File menu > New Model command to display the New Model Quick Templates form.

2. Select the Custom Grid Spacing option

3. Click the Edit Grid Data button to display the Grid System Data form.

4. Click the Reference Planes button in the Click to Modify/Show area of the form.

Method 2

1. Click the Edit menu > Edit Stories and Grid Systems command to access the Edit Story and Grid System Data form.

Note: If the Options menu > Allow Multiple Towers command has been enabled, the Edit menu > Towers, Stories and Grid Systems command will be available and used in place of the Edit Stories and Grid Systems command to access the Tower, Story and Grid System Data form.

2. Highlight a Grid System definition in the Grid Systems display area.

3. Click the Modify/Show Grid System button  to display the Grid System Data form.

4. Click the Reference Planes button in the Click to Modify/Show area of the form.