On the Vertical Definition tab of the Column - definition dialog, you can select levels (upper and lower) of a defined column.
The Column upper level and Column lower level lists include all defined levels of an active story of a building. The location of a column in a building is defined by selecting a plane in which the top and bottom points of the column should be positioned (for example, Top - Story 2, Bottom - Story 2).
When defining the vertical location of a column, you can specify an offset from the lower or upper level of a story. If the offset equals 0, the definition line coincides with the upper or lower plane. Click 
to select a horizontal element edge that determines an offset value.
Note: It is also possible to define the column by attaching it to only the lower level of a story. In that case, the column height is defined by the offset value.