--- title: Use Section Data Band Style to show Grade Breaks in table row for a Section View description: "## Motivation In Civil 3D, how can we show quantities like `Road Elevation`, `Survey Surface Elevation` and `Grade Breaks` ( the elevations at the interval where the road elevation changes) in the table row? I am talking about this: ![Table…" url: "https://civilwhiz.com/docs/use-section-data-band-style-to-show-grade-breaks-in-table-row/" updated: "2025-03-10" category: Road --- # Use Section Data Band Style to show Grade Breaks in table row for a Section View ## Motivation In Civil 3D, how can we show quantities like `Road Elevation`, `Survey Surface Elevation` and `Grade Breaks` ( the elevations at the interval where the road elevation changes) in the table row? I am talking about this: ![Table Row](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/table-row.png) The aim of this user guide is to work you through the process, and at the same time explain what is the meaning of all the tables and rows, so that you can have an intuitive grasp of how this is done. Though we are using `Grade Break` as an example, but it should equally be applicable to other data source such as `elevations` or `offsets` ## Bands and Table Rows The construction of table row for a section view is not intuitive at all in Civil 3D. You need to be familiar with the [Band Style, Band Set Style concept](/docs/what-is-layer-styles-and-code-set-styles/). Essentially, a *band* is a *row* in the table. In the example above, there are 4 bands-- and hence, 4 rows-- in total for the table: `EG Elevations` band style ( “Existing Elevations”), `FG Elevations` band style (“Proposed Elevations”), `Offsets` band style (“Offset”) and `Elevations at grade break` band style (“Elevations at grade break”). Since we are interested in *Grade Break*, let’s try to see how we can do the configuration. Right click on a `Section View`, choose `Section View Properties...` option. Then, click on either `Create New`, or `Copy Current Selection`, as shown in the screenshot below ![Add New](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Create-New.png) Either options will do. But you might want to copy current selection and modify from there. It may prevent unforeseen errors. ## Section Data Band Style/Band Details Now we are at Section Data Band Style table. This is a confusing table so it needs some detailed explanations. There are only two tabs that we need to focus on: the `Band Details` and `Display` tab. Let’s look at the `Band Details` tab first, it contains two main columns, `Title text` and `Labels and ticks` column. `Title text` contains the information on how you can configure for the *table title* ( like the “Existing Elevations” on the first row). When you click on the `Compose label..` button, it will bring you to another dialog box that allows you to configure the text appearance of the table title. `Labels and ticks` contains the information on how you can configure for the *table values* ( like the numerical values for `Offsets` or `Elevations`). You can’t simply show anything you want; only those that are already predefined, which is `Major Increment`, `Minor Increment`, `Centerline`, `Sample Line Vertices`, `Grade Breaks`, `Incremental Distance`. In other words, just what you will see in the `Section Data Band Style`, under `Band Details` tab, and the `Labels and ticks` section, as shown below: ![Section Data Band Style](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/section-data-band-style.png) Ignore for now everything except for the `Grade Breaks` option, click on `Compose label...` button, this is the same configuration that configures the `Title text` label. This `Grade Breaks` will only configure for `Grade Break`, and won’t configure for other fields like `Offsets`. ## Label Style Composer This brings us to `Label Style Composer` dialog box, where you can configure the text. So, the first step is to define a `Text` Component. You can do this by clicking on the “A+” sign ( “1” in the screenshot). Then we assign it a name, let’s call it `grade break` as shown in the screenshot below (“2”). This name will not affect any display, it is used internally only. You may configure other options, such as `X Offset`, `Y Offset`. But let’s move on to the actual content. Namely, how can we ensure that it shows what we want? To configure this, we need to click on the button at the `Contents` property ( “3”). ![Label Style Composer](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Label-Style-Composer.png). ## Text Component Editor This brings us to `Text Component Editor` dialog box, where we can define the “source” of the data. What you see on the black panel on the right hand side is exactly what will be shown as table values in numerical format. So it’s advisable that the very first step is to delete everything on the black panel before you add in your own content. Then, for `Grade Break` you *must* pick `Section 1 Elevation` ( “4”) and click on the `Arrow` (“5”) button to copy the values to the black panel. The `Section 1 Elevation` draws the data from what we define in the `Section 1` column in the `Section View Properties` dialog box, as we will see again this later. ![Label Style Composer](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Label-Style-Composer.png). It’s not recommended that you edit the black panel manually, unless you know very well what you are doing. If you want to change any configuration ( such as changing the Unit from `meter` to something else), remember to *clear everything on the black panel*, and then click on the `Arrow` (“5”) button so that new configuration can be copied over and applied properly. ## Section Data Band Style/Display Click `OK` or `Apply` all the way, until you reach back to `Section Data Band Style`. Now, we need to focus on `Display` tab. This tab basically contains the layer information for all the labels components like `Major Increment`, `Minor Increment` etc. To ensure no confusion, you have to make sure that for `Grade Breaks` band style, only Ticks and Labels for `Grade Breaks` are set to visible. Yes, *the Ticks and Labels for `Major Increments` and all should have the Visible set to false* to avoid unwanted interference at the `Grade Breaks` band. ![Display tab](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ticks-and-labels.png) Ditto for all other bands. Click OK to go back to the Section View Properties ## Section View Properties, again At Section View Properties, make sure you `Add` the newly configured band to the List of bands, and configure the `Section 1` to the `Road Datum Surface` ( or the `survey` surface if that’s what you want). This is where the table row will draw the data from: the `Road Datum Surface` at `Grade Break` interval ![Section View Properties](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/road-datum-surface.png) There are other columns like `Weeding` and `Stagger *`. They mainly control the appearances of the table row ticks. You can experiment them to see how they affect the appearances of the tables. So, as long as you have the `Elevations at grade break` style as a band, then the Grade Break values will show in the table as shown below: ![Table Row](/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/table-row.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.