Hi dbassett74,

the length of the foundation is usually the length of the wall. However, if you mean a stiffener beam, for example, you have several resources
1 - draw your beam (or other Punch element), and select it with the arrow with # sign (second icon on the left of the screen)--> Type the desired dimension
2 - Use the Virtual ruler or dimension tools to check the dimensions
3 - You can modify the size of the fonts (text and dimensions) Main menu--> Options--> text fonts and --> Main menu--> Options--> Dimension properties

Hope this helps

Patricia

Well, the concept of foundation is a little different, depending of the weight, the codes and the soil.

The purpose of the foundation is the transmission of the weight of the building to the resistant layer of the soil. In some areas / countries this may be very deep (I did a project in Brazil and we used piles at 40 ft), this is a case of a punctual foundation, a vertical support from skin friction between the surface of the buried pile and the surrounding soil.
However, if you have the same situation but with a seism restriction, you must link the piles with a beam. If your have this type of foundation or a footing or a wall foundation, it is called a linear foundation
At last, if you have a very hard soil (I did a project in Bahamas, where you have stone at 18"), you use a foundation platform, and it is called a pad foundation
There are mixed cases where you have, for example, a deep foundation where rest an isolated pad.
Punch allows several of this types in a way or other(not only the wall set) and this is useful for the estimator, however, they don't appear in liveview

Of course, users must remember that the decision of which foundation is the right one for each case as well as their dimensions is a responsibility of the engineer of the building

Hope this helps

Patricia