Updated October 2026: A section in Revit is a 2D view that shows a slice through the model. You draw a section line on a plan, and Revit builds the view for you. This guide covers drawing the line, flipping it, setting its depth, splitting it, controlling the section tag, and fixing a section that does not show in plan. The steps are checked against Autodesk’s Revit 2027 help, with a note wherever an older release looks different.
If you only need the command: open a plan view, go to View > Create > Section, click once for the start of the line and once for the end, then double-click the section head to open the view.
Quick answer
To create a section in Revit, open a plan view and go to View tab > Create panel > Section. Click to set the start point of the section line, move the cursor across the model, and click again to set the end point. Double-click the section head to open the new view, or find it under Sections in the Project Browser.
To change what the section shows, select the section line. Drag the blue controls on its crop region to set the width and depth, or click the flip control (double arrows) to look the other way.
Practice file · .RVT
Draw your first section on the same Revit file
The Revit project (.rvt) from this tutorial is on the Mashyo Patreon. Open it beside this page and draw, flip and split each section on a real model instead of an empty project.
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What a Section View Is in Revit
A section view cuts through the model along a line you draw. According to Autodesk, you can draw sections in plan, section, elevation, and detail views, and the section then appears as a section symbol in the views it intersects. The view is live: it changes when the design changes or when you move the section line.
Most section questions come down to one of these jobs:
| What you want to do | Use this | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Cut through the building and get a new view | Section tool on the View tab | Create a section |
| Make the section look the other way | Flip control (double arrows) on the section line | Flip |
| Show more or less beyond the cut | Crop region controls or Far Clip Offset | Depth |
| Open the view, find it later, or rename it | Section head or the Project Browser | Open and rename |
| Choose a building, wall or detail section | Type Selector | Section types |
| Jog the line around a stair or a core | Split Segment | Split a section |
| Hide section heads on small-scale plans | Hide at Scales Coarser Than | Tag visibility |
| Get a missing section line back in plan | Scale, view range, discipline and visibility checks | Not showing |
| Point a section tag at a view that already exists | Reference Other View | Reference sections |
| Cut the 3D view instead of making a 2D view | Section Box | Section box |
How to Create a Section in Revit
You create a section by drawing a section line. A plan is the usual place to do it, so get ready by opening a plan view.
The section line defines the direction and extent of the cut, and the section view shows the result of the cut.
Steps
- Open the view where you want to draw the section line. A plan is the usual choice. Section, elevation and detail views work too.
- Go to the View tab > Create panel > click Section.
- (Optional) In the Type Selector at the top of the Properties palette, pick the section type, such as Building Section, Wall Section or Detail.
- Left-click to set the start point of the section line.
- Move the cursor across the model to draw the section line.
- Left-click to set the end point. The section line and its crop region appear, already selected.
- If you want, drag the blue controls now to resize the crop region.
- Click Modify or press Esc to exit the Section tool.
While you draw, the section line can snap parallel or perpendicular to an angled grid or level, and in plan views to an angled wall. That keeps the cut square to a rotated wing of the building.
Revit 2027: no Options Bar
Older Autodesk help and many older tutorials tell you to pick the view scale on the Options Bar while you draw a section. Revit 2027 removed the Options Bar and moved its controls to the ribbon and the Properties palette. Autodesk’s 2027 steps for the Section tool use only the Type Selector.
The habit that works on every release: draw the section, open it, then set the View Scale in the section view itself. See how view scale works in Revit.
How to Flip a Section in Revit
Select the section line and several small controls appear on it. Two of them look similar and do different jobs, so check which one you are clicking.
- Flip control (double arrows): click it to reverse the viewing direction. The section view then looks the opposite way.
- Cycle icon (circular arrows): click it to cycle through the section head and section tail symbols on the line. It changes the symbol, not the direction.
- Break control (zigzag): hides the middle of the section line in the current view. See splitting a section.
To move the cut, select the section line and drag it, or use the Move tool. The section view updates as soon as the line moves.
To turn the section to another angle, select it and click Rotate on the Modify panel. Autodesk notes that rotating affects the view only, not the elements inside it.
How to Change Section Depth (Far Clip)
When you create a section, Revit sets a default depth and width. The depth is how far the view looks beyond the cut. The plane where it stops is the far clip plane.
Drag the crop region
- In the plan, select the section line. Its crop region appears around it with blue controls.
- Drag the control on the far side, away from the section line, to change the depth.
- Drag the controls at the two ends to change the width of the section.
Type an exact depth
- Open the section view, or select the section line in plan.
- In the Properties palette, find Far Clip Offset.
- Enter the distance from the section line to the far clip plane.
The Far Clipping property decides how the far plane behaves. Click the button in its value column, choose one option, and click OK:
- Clip without line: the view stops at the Far Clip Offset and no line is drawn there.
- Clip with line: the view stops at the Far Clip Offset and Revit draws a line where the far plane cuts the model.
- No clip: the depth is not limited, so everything beyond the cut can show.
Autodesk lists one limit: elements that use a symbolic representation in certain views, such as structural beams, and non-cuttable families are not affected by the far clip plane.
Depth explains two common surprises. If the section shows objects from the far side of the building, reduce the depth. If something you expected is missing, increase it.
The height of the section is set inside the section view. Use Crop View and Crop Region Visible to show the crop boundary, then drag its top and bottom edges. Learn how to crop views in Revit.
How to Open, Find and Rename a Section View
To open the section view, you can either double-click the section head, or go to the Project Browser and locate the section under the Sections category.
Where it sits in the browser depends on the section type. Building sections are listed under Sections (Building Section) and wall sections under Sections (Wall Section). A section drawn with the Detail type is listed under Detail Views. If a section seems to be missing from the Sections branch, look there.
Rename the section
- In the Project Browser, right-click the section and click Rename, or select it and press F2.
- Type the new name in the Rename View dialog and click OK.
You can also edit View Name under Identity Data in the Properties palette. I rename every section as soon as I draw it. Default names tell you nothing once a project has a lot of them.
Finally, don’t forget to add annotation symbols and edit the Visibility/Graphics and Graphic Display Options from the View Control Bar to make the section fit your project presentation. Set the View Scale and Detail Level there too.
If several sections must look the same, save the settings as a view template and apply it to all of them.
When you place the section view on a sheet, Revit fills in its Detail Number and Sheet Number automatically, and a section head that carries those labels updates on every plan. You cannot type these two values yourself.
See how adding curtain walls and openings can enhance your sections.
Section Types in Revit
Autodesk’s help lists three section types: building, wall, and detail. You choose one in the Type Selector before you draw the line. Each type has its own graphical display and its own place in the Project Browser.
| Type | Use it for | Project Browser branch |
|---|---|---|
| Building Section | A vertical cut through all or part of the building. Shows the relationships between floors and spaces. | Sections (Building Section) |
| Wall Section | Details related to walls: construction layers, materials, and connections with other building components. | Sections (Wall Section) |
| Detail | A specific area of the model shown at a finer scale, such as a junction or an element. | Detail Views |
Detail sections are often set to custom scales such as 1:5 and 1:10 to show construction details. For the wall side of this, see the wall tutorials.
Views that are often called sections
Several other Revit views cut the model too. They are not made with the Section tool, but people look for them under the same name:
- 3D section: a section box that clips a 3D view to show the inside of the building in three dimensions. See section view vs section box.
- Callout section: an enlarged view of one part of a section or plan, drawn with the Callout tool. The guide is linked below.
- Floor plan and ceiling plan: horizontal cuts at a specific floor level. Their cut height comes from the view range, not from a section line. Learn how to create sloped ceilings.
- Site section: a building section drawn through the surrounding site to show the terrain and the building together.
How to Split a Section in Revit (Jogged Section)
A split section, also called a jogged or segmented section, steps sideways part of the way along the line. One view can then cut through things that do not line up, such as a stair and a core. Autodesk calls this a segmented view.
Steps
- Draw a section, or select an existing section line.
- Click Modify | Views tab > Section panel > Split Segment.
- Click on the section line at the point where it should jog.
- Move the cursor onto the part of the line you want to shift, then move that part to its new position.
- Click to place the segment.
The jogged line gets its own controls for moving each segment. All segments share the same far clip plane, so the depth is still one setting for the whole section. To add another jog, run Split Segment again.
To remove a jog, drag the segments back toward each other. When they form one continuous line, they merge.
Break a long section line
This is a different tool with a similar name. To hide the middle of a section line on a busy plan, select the line and click the break control in the middle of it, then adjust the length of the two pieces. Click the control again to rejoin them.
A break is view-specific. It affects the section line only in the view where you made it, and it does not change what the section view shows. If you need a break mark on the drawing itself, see break line symbols in Revit.
Section Tag Visibility: Hide at Scales Coarser Than
Every section has an instance property called Hide at Scales Coarser Than. It sets the coarsest view scale at which the section tag still shows in other views. Autodesk’s example: with the property at 1:100, the tag shows in a 1:100 floor plan and disappears when that plan is changed to 1:200.
Steps
- Select the section in the drawing area.
- In the Properties palette, choose a scale for Hide at Scales Coarser Than.
- Apply the change.
Use it on purpose. Wall sections and detail sections usually belong on enlarged plans, so hide them on the small-scale plans where they only add clutter.
Change the section head
The symbol at the end of the line comes from a section tag type, which points to a section head family.
- Go to Insert tab > Load from Library panel > Load Family, open the Annotations folder, and load a section head family.
- Go to Manage tab > Settings panel > Additional Settings > Section Tags.
- Click Duplicate, name the new tag, and set Section Head to the family you loaded.
- Start the Section tool, open Type Properties, and choose the new tag for the Section Tag parameter.
From Revit 2026.1, compatible labels on sections, elevations, callouts and view references can be edited directly in the canvas, without going through the Properties palette.
Section Not Showing in Plan? Check These
A section line that is missing from a plan is usually hidden, not deleted. If the view is still in the Project Browser, work through these checks in order:
- View scale. Compare the scale of the plan with the section’s Hide at Scales Coarser Than value. If the plan is coarser, the tag is hidden. Open the section view from the Project Browser and change the value in the Properties palette.
- View range. The section’s crop region must intersect the plan’s view range. A section cropped to the upper floors will not appear on the ground floor plan. Open the section and drag its crop region so it reaches that level.
- Discipline. Check the Discipline property of the plan and of the section view. Autodesk’s troubleshooting page lists a discipline mismatch as a reason section marks do not display.
- Visibility/Graphics. In the plan, open Visibility/Graphics, go to the Annotation Categories tab, and make sure Sections is checked. If a view template controls the plan, make the change in the template.
- Hidden in view. Click Reveal Hidden Elements on the View Control Bar. If the section appears, select it and unhide it. Learn how to unhide elements in Revit.
Elevations follow a different rule. A section shows in an elevation when the section line intersects the elevation’s clip plane, even if the section’s crop boundary is turned off. Select the arrowhead of the elevation symbol in plan to see that clip plane and drag it.
How to Create a Reference Section
A reference section is a section tag that points to a view that already exists. It does not create a new view. Use it when the same detail applies in several places, or when the detail lives in a drafting view.
Steps
- Go to View tab > Create panel > Section.
- On the Reference panel of the ribbon, select Reference Other View.
- Choose a section, a callout of a section, or a drafting view from the list. Use the Search field if the list is long. If there is nothing to reference yet, choose <New Drafting View>.
- Draw the section line.
Things to know before you rely on it:
- There is no parametric link between the reference section and the view it points to. Resizing the reference section does not change the crop region of the referenced view.
- Double-clicking the reference section head opens the referenced view.
- The text beside the head comes from the Reference Label parameter.
- Any section you place in a drafting view must be a reference section.
Older tutorials place this option on the Options Bar. Autodesk’s help for Revit 2024 and for Revit 2027 both list it on the Reference panel of the ribbon. The same option exists for callouts, covered in the callout guide.
Section View vs Section Box
These two are easy to mix up because both cut the model. A section is its own 2D view. A section box is a setting on a 3D view.
| Section view | Section box | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A separate 2D view cut along a section line. | A box that clips the visible part of a 3D view. |
| How you make it | View tab > Create panel > Section, then draw the line. | Open a 3D view and select Section Box under Extents in the Properties palette. |
| Where it lives | Its own entry in the Project Browser, with a section line in your plans. | Inside the 3D view. No new view is created. |
| How you adjust it | Crop region controls, Far Clip Offset, Split Segment. | Drag controls on the faces of the box. |
| Best for | Drawings on sheets: dimensions, tags, details. | Checking the model and 3D cutaway presentation views. |
You can turn one into the other. In a 3D view, right-click the ViewCube, choose Orient to View, then pick the section by type and name. Revit moves the camera to match the section and places a section box around the model that follows the extents of that view. Do this in a duplicate of the 3D view, because it changes the camera.
For camera, perspective and orthographic views in general, see Revit 3D views.
Sections in Revit are simple once you know which control does what. Draw the line with the Section tool, flip it with the double arrows, set the depth with the crop region or Far Clip Offset, and split it when one straight cut is not enough. If a section disappears from a plan, check the scale, the view range and the visibility settings before you draw it again.
Practice file · .RVT
Now cut the model yourself
Reading where the flip control is takes a minute. Getting the depth, the jog and the tag visibility right takes a few tries. The practice file for this lesson gives you the Revit project from this tutorial, so you can run each step yourself and keep the file for reference.
Download the section practice file
$5.5/month on Patreon. One membership unlocks all 40 Mashyo practice files. Cancel anytime. See the full file library.
FAQs
How do you create a section in Revit?
Open a plan view and go to View tab > Create panel > Section. Click once for the start of the section line, move across the model, and click again for the end point. Double-click the section head to open the new view.
How do you flip a section line in Revit?
Select the section line in plan and click the double blue arrows (the flip control). The section view will immediately face the opposite direction.
Why is my section line not showing in plan?
The most common reason is the ‘Hide at Scales Coarser Than’ property on the section view. If your plan scale is coarser than this value, the tag disappears. Also verify that the section’s vertical crop box intersects the plan’s view range, and that Sections are checked in Visibility/Graphics under Annotation Categories.
What is the difference between a building section and a wall section?
Building Sections cut through the whole building to show general floor-to-floor relationships and appear under Sections (Building Section) in the Project Browser. Wall Sections focus on wall assemblies and junctions at a larger scale, and organize under Sections (Wall Section).
How do I jog or split a section line in Revit?
Select the section line in plan, go to Modify | Views tab > Section panel > click Split Segment. Click on the section line where you want the jog to start, then drag that segment sideways.
What is the difference between a section view and a section box?
A section view is a separate 2D view listed in the Project Browser created by a cut line. A section box is a 3D boundary inside a 3D view that crops the 3D model for cutaway perspectives and isometric views.
Is there a practice file for this section tutorial?
Yes. The Revit project file (.rvt) for this lesson is available on the Mashyo Patreon for $5.5/month, giving you access to all 40 practice files. Cancel anytime. Get the practice file.
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.
