---
title: Applying Label Sets in Section View
description: "# Motivation This is to explore the behavior of **Label Sets** in **Section Views**, which is not properly documented by Autodesk and can behave in unexpected ways depending on how you access the setting. Similar concepts and operations shall apply…"
url: "https://civilwhiz.com/docs/applying-label-sets-in-section-view/"
updated: "2026-08-06"
category: Road
---

# Applying Label Sets in Section View

# Motivation

This is to explore the behavior of **Label Sets** in **Section Views**, which is not properly documented by Autodesk and can behave in unexpected ways depending on how you access the setting.

Similar concepts and operations shall apply for **Label Sets** in **Profile Views**.

# Label Sets vs. Band Sets

There are a few ways to annotate a **Section View**. One is to use a **Band Set** and **Bands**, which basically function as table rows in a **Section View**. We explored this in our post: [Use Section Data Band Style to show Grade Breaks in table row for a Section View](/docs/use-section-data-band-style-to-show-grade-breaks-in-table-row/).

Another way is to use **Label Sets**, which allow you to annotate critical information directly on top of the **Section Line** you select. A meaningful **Section View** usually includes multiple **Section Lines**, for example, one representing the elevation of the **Existing Ground** surface and another for the Road Datum surface. This allows you to compare the elevation levels of different surfaces along the same alignment.

# Label Sets in Action

Here’s how a **Section View** with **Label Sets** looks:

![Section View](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/label-groups-1.png)

Note that at every interval where there’s a grade break (a change in line gradient), the **Elevation** and **Offset** values are plotted directly above the break point of the **Section Line**, in this case, the **Existing Ground** surface. You can choose to label other lines as well, but doing so for all lines can make the drawing cluttered due to overlapping labels.

# The Master Source of Label Sets

Before applying a **Label Set** to a **Section View Group**, you should know where it originates. The source is buried in **Toolspace → Settings → Section → Label Styles → Label Sets**, as shown below:

![Label Set Styles](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/label-styles.png)

It’s unclear why Autodesk placed this under **Section** rather than **Section View**, especially since it applies to the latter.

# Label Set Configuration

To configure a **Label Set**, you must define one or more **Label Styles** (or **Band Styles**), as shown below:

![Label Set definition](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Label-sets-definition.png)

Since **Label Set** configuration is very similar to that of a **Band Set** (they share [similar concepts](https://civilwhiz.com/docs/what-is-layer-styles-and-code-set-styles/#2-toc-title)), refer to our [post](/docs/use-section-data-band-style-to-show-grade-breaks-in-table-row/) on **Band Set** configuration. Once you’re in the **Label Style Composer**, the concepts—like different types (e.g., `Grade Break`) and data fields—are almost identical.

# Assigning the Label Set (First Time)

When you define [a **Section View**, or multiple **Section Views**](https://help.autodesk.com/view/CIV3D/2026/ENU/?guid=GUID-1C864DFC-FC08-48C3-A057-010807B2C794), you can assign different **Label Sets** to different **Section Sources**. In the example below, we assign the `EG Section Labels` set to both **Existing Ground** and **Corridor – (1)**, though you can use a different **Label Set** for each.

![Section View Label Set definition](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/label-set-section-view.png)

# Updating the Content of a Label Set

Civil 3D lets you update **Label Set** content either for an individual **Section View** or for all **Section Views** in a group. The workflows are slightly different:

## For the Entire Section View Group

To update the **Label Set** across the entire group, click on a **Section View** entity in the drawing. Then right-click and select **Section View Group Properties…**

![Section View Group Properties](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/section-view-group-properties.png)

This opens the **Section View Group** dialog box:

![Section View Group dialog box](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/label-sets-section-view-group.png)

Here, you can either modify the **Label Style** within the **Label Set** for each **Section Line**, or replace the **Label Set** entirely.

Clicking **OK** or **Apply** will apply changes to **all** **Section Views** in the group.

## For an Individual Section View

To change the **Label Set** for just one **Section View**, do not click on the **Section View** entity itself. Instead, click on the **Label Group** entity:

![Label Group](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/labelgroup.png)

Then click on the **Edit Label Group** button in the ribbon. This brings up the same **Label Set Properties** dialog box as before, but changes made here will apply **only** to the selected **Section View**.

This is demonstrated in the following images, where two different **Section Views** have distinct **Label Styles**:

![Section View 1 Label Style](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/different-styles.png)

![Section View 2 Label Style](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/standard-section-view1.png)

  [![](https://civilwhiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/someoneme.jpg)](https://civilwhiz.com/author/civilwhiz/)[Ngu Soon Hui](https://civilwhiz.com/author/civilwhiz/)

My passion is in [sharing knowledge](/about/) — Civil 3D or otherwise– with the world.

I’m also the [benevolent dictator for life](https://mes100.com/about-ngu-soon-hui/) at MES Innovation Sdn Bhd.