Reference lines are guide lines you draw on the canvas to set out a design: column lines, setbacks, alignment axes or construction geometry. Your draw tools snap to them, they show on every story, and they can appear in Present Mode drawings. Grids are a separate object for laying out a project grid.

Draw a reference line

On the design canvas, choose a draw tool from the top toolbar: Line (L), Arc (A), Circle or Rectangle (R).
In the object type options for the tool, choose Reference lines.
Set the line style before you draw (see below), or leave the defaults and change them later.
Click on the canvas to start the line. Enter a specific length and angle as you draw for more precision.
Press Enter to finish.

Note: Reference lines also have a polyline option for drawing a chain of connected segments.

Tip: You can switch object type or adjust line settings mid-draw. Finishing a reference line doesn't switch the right panel to the Areas tab.

Draw a vertical reference line in 3D

Switch to the 3D view and start a reference line the same way.
Press the Up arrow key while drawing. The line locks to the green (vertical) axis.
Press Enter to finish.

Style a reference line

You can set the style before drawing or change it at any time afterwards in the Properties panel.

Select one or more reference lines.
In the Properties tab of the right panel, set:
- Line Colour: use the colour picker or enter a hex code.
- Line Thickness: choose from 1 (thinnest) to 12.
- Line Style: Solid, Dashed or Dash Dot.

Snap and measure with reference lines

Once drawn, use reference lines as a base for sketching. Draw tools snap to the edges of reference lines, so you can sketch directly along them. Use Measuring Tape (T) to measure along them, and Angle Measurement to measure the angle between two reference lines.

Use reference lines across stories

Reference lines are visible on all stories. A line drawn on Story 2 also shows on Story 1, so a single set of setting-out lines can guide every floor of the project.

Note: The Story field in the Properties panel isn't available for reference lines, because they aren't tied to a single story.

Select reference lines

Reference lines can be selected at any zoom level, in both 2D and 3D:

Click a line to select it.
Drag a marquee to select lines within an area.
Hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) or Shift and click to add lines to a selection, or press Ctrl + A (Cmd + A) to select all.
Where a reference line overlaps the edge of another object, press Tab to cycle through the overlapping objects until the line is selected. Shift + Tab cycles backwards.

Copy and array reference lines

Copy reference lines with Copy/Array (C) on the top toolbar. Reference lines are always copied as unique objects: they are never created as instances, including in arrays. Reference lines can't be made into parametric arrays.

Delete reference lines

Delete one reference line

Select the reference line.
Press Delete, or right-click and choose Delete.

Delete many reference lines at once

Use either method to select a group of lines, then press Delete:

Select Similar: right-click a reference line and choose Select Similar to select all lines with the same style.
Filter selection: open the Select dropdown on the top toolbar, choose Filter selection, then choose Reference Lines to select every reference line in the project.

Note: The Erase Edge tool (E) doesn't delete reference lines. Select them and use Delete instead.

Show reference lines in Present Mode

Reference lines drawn in Design Mode appear in Present Mode views that are saved with those lines visible. To control how they look on drawings:

In Present Mode, select a plan view.
Open View Settings on the right.
Under Reference Lines, set the line colour, weight and type.

View settings apply per view and carry through to exports, so you can style setting-out lines differently on each drawing.

Grids

Grids are a dedicated object, separate from free-drawn reference lines. Use them to set out a regular grid for your project. Packing also uses grids when it arranges spaces.

Note: Creating a grid also creates default columns.

Troubleshooting

A reference line won't select. If it sits on top of a wall or space edge, hover over it and press Tab until the line highlights.
Reference lines are missing from a drawing. Check that the view was saved with reference lines visible, and check the colour and weight set for the Reference Lines category in View Settings.
Copies of a reference line didn't update together. This is expected. Reference line copies are always unique and edit independently.

Drawing Tools
Selection Tools
Copy, Array and Instances
View Settings in Present Mode
Keyboard Shortcuts

Reference Lines and Grids