Dimension snap on centerline of structural framing element in section view

[PeetCAD]

Hello, 

I am trying to create a section view that cuts different structural framing families (here with circular section) and snap dimensions in this section view. I would like to snap on the centerline of the framing element, the centerline is defined with a model line in the element family, but I can only snap to the extremities of the frame that are out of the section view ...

Where snapping the surface of the section is working but it is not what I want to mesure.

Is there any way to snap on the centerline cut point with the section view without adding a reference plane or detail line in the project?

I attached a revit project file with a simplified example.

What I am trying to achieve is to display the distances of tendons to the top of a deck section, which resumes to the situation exposed in the revit file. 

[vancikv · Accepted solution]

You won't be able to dimension to the section point of the model line itself, Revit will automatically snap to its start/endpoint, which is not relevant in a section. Your family has an internal reference plane titled "Center (Front/Back)". You can dimension to that, but there are limitations:

1) The section has to be exactly perpendicular (in my experience, the tolerance is 0.1 degrees, i.e. the angle between section plane and the reference plane you want to dimension to has to be in the range 89.9 -90.1 degrees)

2) Unfortunately you can't dimension to curved reference planes even if the section is perfectly perpendicular. (same goes for curved grid lines, but they will at least be shown in a perpendicular section)

Hope that helps.

[PeetCAD · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your reply vancikv.

In my case the Center plane will rarely be perpendicular to my section cut...
Ok so my best option is to use a workaround with a fake solid geometry in my family that creates vertices aligned with the centerline axis that I want to snap. I created a subcategory for this solid that I will hide once all the dimensions are placed in my project section view. 
Here is attached what I managed to get for now, it is not a very clean solution but I don't have anything better for now...

[vancikv]

I'm afraid the dimensions will always be hidden along with their references. Guess you could create a tiny kerf in the section profile, that would get hidden by the line thickness and wouldn't disrupt the view, but I don't like that solution very much myself.

[PeetCAD]

I see, we can include that in the messy alternative as well but it would work without having to hide a subcategory afterward.

For the fake solid when I hide its subcategory in the visibility settings the dimension is staying in place. But I have no idea if it will behave correctly in the future.

[vancikv]

You're right, the dimensions don't disappear, I learned something new then. The solution with the subcategory is better, because the kerf will disrupt graphics in other view types which gets more complicated to handle especially when you have a section of one element as well as a top elevation of a different element in a single view. You'll also be able to manage this in schedules well I think.