A break line in Revit is a detail component that shows a long element has been shortened. Use it when a column, wall, beam, or pipe has the same shape along its entire length and will not fit on the sheet at your drawing scale. Revit has no built-in break line command. The symbol is a loadable family, so you load it, place it in the view, and resize it with parameters. Below, you will add the default zigzag break line, edit its parameters, and build your own wavy break line family.
Quick answer
To add a break line in Revit, go to Annotate > Detail panel > Component > Detail Component, click Load Family, and open M_Break Line.rfa from Detail Items\Div 01-General. Click in the view to place the symbol, and press Space to rotate it before you click.
The break line is a view-specific detail component, not a model element. It appears only in the view where you place it, and it hides what is behind it with a masking region.
Family files · RFA
Get the break line family ready to use
The family file from this tutorial is on the Mashyo Patreon. Open it beside this page and add the break line symbols yourself on a real long element in your project.
Get the break line family files
$5.5/month on Patreon. One membership unlocks all 40 Mashyo practice files. Cancel anytime. See the full file library.
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 break line.
In the next two steps, you will add the default break line symbol to your views (plans, sections, and elevations). In the third step, you will learn how to create a wavy break line family.
There are two types common to blueprints: long break lines (zigzag) and short break lines (wavy). The long break line suits wide or tall elements such as walls and columns in section. The short, wavy break line suits round or narrow elements such as pipes, rods, and posts.
How to Add a Break Line in Revit
Details: Load the break line 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
- Go to the Annotate tab > Detail panel > drop-down Component menu.
- Click Detail Component.
- In the Modify | Place Detail Component tab, click Load Family.
- Browse to the RFA file, select it and click Open to insert it in view.
✨ Tip: Press Space on the keyboard to rotate the line before inserting it. Read more about Keyboard Shortcuts in Revit.
Break line not visible? Open Visibility/Graphics (shortcut: VV) and check that the Detail Items category is switched on in the Annotation Categories tab. Detail components only show in the view where you placed them, so you need to add the symbol again in each plan, section, or elevation.
Edit Break Line Family Parameters
Once the family is in place, click on the annotation to use parametric handles for resizing the break line, or use the Properties palette to change the values of its dimensions.
How to Create a Break Line Family in Revit (Optional)
Details: Create an alternative parametric short break line family, with a wavy profile, that you can reuse in any project.
Steps
- Go to File tab > drop-down New menu > click Family.
- Browse to: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\RVT 20XX\Family Templates\English.
- Select Metric Detail Item.rft > click Open.
- Datum panel > click Reference Plane. Draw four vertical parallel reference planes.
- Dimensions panel > click Aligned. Click on all vertical lines in view, respectively.
- Click EQ to equalize the distance between them.
- Add one overall horizontal dimension, then select it.
- Go to the Label Dimension panel > click on the small Create Parameter icon.
- Name it “Jag_Width” > select Instance under Parameter Data > click OK.
- Datum panel > click Reference Plane > draw two horizontal planes.
- Add dimensions between all existing 3 horizontal lines > click EQ.
- Add one overall vertical dimension then select it.
- Associate it with a new instance parameter named “Jag_Depth“.
- Add 4 reference planes as a square around the Jag.
- Add two dimensions (vertical and horizontal) for the new external square.
- Assign instance parameters named “depth” for vertical and “width” for horizontal.
- Go to Create tab > Detail panel > click Masking Region.
- Within the Draw panel > select the Partial Ellipse tool.
- Sketch the curves of the symbol.
- Modify panel > Align (Shortcut: AL).
- Select the top reference line > select the intersecting top point of the arc.
- Lock the alignment > repeat the process for the second arc with its own reference line.
- Go to the Draw panel, select the Pick Lines tool.
- Within the options for the tool, tick Lock > pick the boundary reference lines of the mask region.
- Modify panel > Trim/Extend to Corner (Shortcut: TR) the picked lines > enclose the profile.
- Add one final dimension connecting the horizontal ends of the mask profile.
- Select the dimension > create a new instance parameter and name it “mask_depth“.
- Select the upper 3 boundary lines > go to the Subcategory panel.
- Drop-down menu > select Invisible Lines.
- Click Finish Edit Mode.
- Go to the Family Editor panel > Load into Project.
The break line symbol can be used to split multiple objects in a view. Learn more about splitting a view into multiple sheets
Autodesk’s Revit help does not document a built-in break line command, so a loadable detail component is the standard approach. You can use the symbol in any release, including Revit 2027.
Family files · Revit
Now do it once on a real model
Building the parametric break line family takes more than 30 steps, and the order matters. The family file for this lesson allows you to have and keep the finished family.
Download the break line family files
$5.5/month on Patreon. One membership unlocks all 40 Mashyo practice files. Cancel anytime. See the full file library.
FAQs
What is a break line in Revit?
A break line is a detail component that shows an element has been cut short in a view. It is used for long objects with a constant shape, so they fit on a sheet at your chosen scale. It is an annotation, so it does not change the model.
Where is the break line family in Revit?
Go to Annotate > Component > Detail Component > Load Family, then browse to Detail Items\Div 01-General and select M_Break Line.rfa in your Revit library folder.
Why is my break line not showing in Revit?
Detail components appear only in the view where you placed them. Also check Visibility/Graphics (VV) to make sure the Detail Items category is turned on for that view.
How do I resize a break line in Revit?
Select the break line and drag its parametric handles, or change the dimension values in the Properties palette.
How do I make a wavy break line in Revit?
Create a new family from the Metric Detail Item template, add reference planes with width and depth parameters, then sketch a masking region with Partial Ellipse arcs locked to the planes. Load it into your project when finished.
Is there a Revit family file for this tutorial?
Yes. The family file for this lesson is available to Mashyo members on Patreon for $5.5/month, together with the practice files for the other Mashyo tutorials. You can cancel at any time. Open the break line family file on Patreon.
Mohamed Fakhry has helped thousands of architects and designers find their next project with step-by-step guidance on his blog, mashyo.com. About Mohamed
His journey began during his university years when he recognized the need for information-rich 3D models to accelerate learning and improve production processes. Now, Mohamed shares his expertise through Revit tutorials that are accessible to all.
