Dimensioning Cabinets in an Elevation


Reference Number: KB-00927
Last Modified: September 13, 2023

The information in this article applies to:

Home Designer Professional or Home Designer Architectural



QUESTION

How can I create a detailed elevation view of my cabinets?  

Wall Elevation view of kitchen cabinets, appliances and fixtures with dimensions across the top, side and bottom


ANSWER

Create a cabinet elevation by using one of the elevation camera tools and then use manually generated dimensions.


To create an elevation

  1. Select 3D> Create Camera View> Wall Elevation  , then click and drag towards your cabinets in your 2D plan view to generate an elevation of that wall.

    In Home Designer Pro, navigate to 3D> Create Orthographic View> Wall Elevation instead.

    You can also create a Cross Section/Elevation view that will span all floor levels of the plan if you wish. This can be done by navigating to 3D> Create Camera View> Cross Section/Elevation in Home Designer Architectural 2021 and newer, or 3D> Create Orthographic View> Cross Section/Elevation in Home Designer Pro.


  2. To save this elevation view with the plan, select 3D> Save Active Camera  from the menu.


To dimension cabinets in an elevation

  1. While in the elevation, navigate to CAD> Dimensions> Manual Dimension  , then click and drag out a dimension line across the cabinets that you want dimensioned.

    To learn more about the Dimension tools that are available in Home Designer, please see the "Using the Dimension Tools" resource in Related Articles section below.


  2. You can now select the dimension line that was just generated and modify it further to your liking.

    Selected dimension line with various edit handles

    • The Move handle is square-shaped and is located where you clicked to select the dimension line. This handle is used to move the entire dimension line, including any subsections, perpendicular to itself.

    • Extension Line End handles are diamond-shaped and are positioned at the point that each extension line locates. Click and drag these handles to move or delete extension lines from a dimension line. Note that each extension line is numbered and will display as such when the dimension line is selected.

    • The Add Extension Line handle is diamond-shaped and displays next to the Move handle. These handles are used to add extension lines to the selected dimension line. Extension lines added in this manner are able to locate marks that the dimension line might not locate as it was being drawn.

    • In Home Designer Pro, each dimension number along the dimension string will have a smaller, square Move handle that allows you to move the number to your desired location. The pointer changes to a four-headed arrow when moved over this handle, allowing you to move the number in any direction.

    Note: By default, you will likely notice that the value of this cabinet dimension is in feet and inches. If you would like to change the format of dimensions to be just inches, please see the "Displaying Dimensions in Inches" resource in the Related Articles section below.

    If you're using Home Designer Pro, you can specify what objects manual dimensions locate within the Dimension Defaults. To learn more, please see the "Changing Your Dimension Settings" resource, which is also located in the Related Articles section.

  3. Continue to add as many dimensions, as needed


  4. You can also use the Text  tools to add notes in elevations.


  5. If you would prefer to have a black and white elevation, you can select View> Color  from the menu to turn off the display of color in the view.

    Elevation view with color turned off


  6. Once you're finished, navigate to 3D> Save Active Camera once again.