Another thing you may be interested in is that there is an implicit grid movement in elevation built in to many things.

For example, if you start a circle by placing a point in the top view, you can then switch to the front view for the radius point and the circle will be parallel to the front view but go through the first point you picked in the top view.

Many other things behave in a similar way - for example place the first point of a curve in the top view, and then the rest in the front view and they will be on a plane parallel to the front through the first point.

That might be useful to you...

- Michael