How do you dimension to the edge of a pipe?
Is it safe to assume you are using the TAB key to cycle selection to the bottom or edge of pipe? That's all it should require.
Steve Stafford
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Which other parts are you referring to? Pipe Fittings and Accessories will be less respectful of dimensions but you should find the TAB key will cycle through possible references if there are any. You may need to move your cursor to a different location on the family and try again. Generally there needs to be a reference plane or an edge of a solid form available in the family for a dimension to see it. In some cases that might be something you can fix by editing the family so it provides what is missing. That's solved on a case by case situation.
Steve Stafford
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I just experimented with this in 2025.1. In a section view (cross section of the pipe diameter) I also find that the dimension tool does not recognize the edge of the pipe. It is only actually visible with detail level set to Fine because otherwise we are seeing a symbol representation of the pipe (or duct). In a side view (elevation or section parallel with the pipe length) the dimension does recognize the pipe edge.
I suspect that in a cross section of the pipe that since a pipe might also be sloping that the edge we see in section is ambiguous if we don't also know where the section cut occurs in plan as well. This ambiguity is also why grids don't show up in views that are not perpendicular to them.
A possible work-around for your cross section situation is to use a pipe tag which can report any of these parameter values: Lower or Bottom End Elevation, Bottom of Insulation Elevation, Centerline Elevation, Invert Elevation, Obvert Elevation, Top Elevation or Top of Insulation Elevation. It can also display a "spot" elevation relative to where you pick, assuming the pipe sloping was apparent in the section view.
Steve Stafford
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For some reason I usually use an elevation tag... but I tried in R2026.2 and was able to dimension pipes in section in both cross section ad elevation.
The two upper pipes have slope. in elevation view, you only can dimension the point where the pipe ends (at least I wasn't able to do better - but I didn't put a lot of time in)
In cross-section, I also was able to dimension the bottom, but that location depends on the how far the section view reaches (where the pipe crosses the far-reach location).
