How to Add Break Lines in Revit

ByMohamed Fakhry Updated

If objects are too long to fit in a sheet but have the same shape along their entire length, you can shorten them in Revit with a breakline.

In the next two steps, you will add the default breakline symbol to your views (plans, sections, and elevations). In the third step, you will learn how to create a wavy breakline family.

Revit Break Line

There are two types common to blueprints: long break lines (zigzag) and short break lines (wavy).

Add Break Line

Details: Load the breakline symbol into your project.

The default family is located at: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 20XX\Libraries\English\US\Detail Items\Div 01-General\M_Break Line.rfa.

Steps

  1. Go to the Annotate tab > Detail panel > drop-down Component menu.
  2. Click Detail Component.
  3. In the Modify | Place Detail Component tab, click Load Family.
  4. Browse to the RFA file, select it and click Open to insert it in view.
load revit family

✨ Tip: Press Space on the keyboard to rotate the line before inserting it. Read more about Keyboard Shortcuts in Revit.

add break line

Edit Family Parameters

Once the family is in place, click on the annotation to use parametric handles for resizing or use the Properties palette to change values of dimensions.

edit family parameters
Revit Zigzag Line
Long break line (Standard).

Create Family (optional)

Details: Create an alternative parametric short break line family.

Steps

  1. Go to File tab > drop-down New menu > click Family.
  2. Browse to: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 20XX\Family Templates\English.
  3. Select Metric Detail Item.rft > click Open.
create break line family
Family creation. Instance parameters are in blue.
  1. Datum panel > click Reference Plane. Draw four vertical parallel reference planes.
  2. Dimensions panel > click Aligned. Click on all vertical lines in view, respectively.
  3. Click EQ to equalize the distance between them.
  1. Add one overall horizontal dimension, then select it.
  2. Go to the Label Dimension panel > click on the small Create Parameter icon.
  3. Name it “Jag_Width” > select Instance under Parameter Data > click OK.
  1. Datum panel > click Reference Plane > Draw two horizontal planes.
  2. Add dimensions between all existing 3 horizontal lines > click EQ.
  3. Add one overall vertical dimension then select it.
  4. Associate it with a new instance parameter named “Jag_Depth“.
  1. Add 4 reference planes as a square around the Jag.
  2. Add two dimensions (vertical and horizontal) for the new external square.
  3. Assign instance parameters named “depth” for vertical and “width” for horizontal.
  1. Go to Create tab > Detail panel > click Masking Region.
  2. Within Draw panel > select Partial Ellipse tool.
  3. Sketch curves of the symbol.
  4. Modify panel > Align (Shortcut: AL).
  5. Select the top reference line > Select the intersecting top point of the arc.
  6. Lock the alignment > Repeat the process for the second arc with its own reference line.
lock curve with intersecting reference plane
Lock curve’s cap point to the reference plane.
  1. Go to Draw panel, select Pick Lines tool.
  2. Within Options bar, tick Lock > Pick boundary reference lines of the mask region.
  3. Modify panel > Trim/Extend to corner (Shortcut: TR) picked lines > enclose profile.
  1. Add one final dimension connecting horizontal ends of the mask profile.
  2. Select dimension > create a new instance parameter and name it “mask_depth“.
  1. Select the upper 3 boundary lines > go to the Subcategory panel.
  2. Drop-down menu > select Invisible Lines.
invisible lines of masked region
parametric break line family
  1. Click Finish Edit Mode.
  2. Go to the Family Editor panel > Load into Project.
break line Revit family
Short break line (Custom).

The break line symbol can be used to split multiple objects in a view. Learn more about splitting a view into multiple sheets