Civil 3D Feature Lines Not Acting as Breaklines

June 4, 2025 Nick Turner

Applies to:
Civil 3D

Issue:
Feature lines added as breaklines to a surface have no impact—elevations and slopes remain unchanged.

Causes:
The feature line may not have elevations assigned, or it was added with the “Non-destructive” option. If the breakline supplementing distance is too large or the line is not in the correct site, it won’t affect the triangulation.

Solution:

1 – Select the feature line and use Elevation Editor to verify it has elevation data
2 – Remove and re-add it to the surface using Add Breaklines
3 – Ensure the “Non-destructive breakline” box is unchecked when adding
4 – Adjust the mid-ordinate distance to improve accuracy
5 – Confirm the feature line is in the same site as other geometry affecting the surface

Previous Article
Civil 3D Corridor Not Displaying in Section Views
Civil 3D Corridor Not Displaying in Section Views

A corridor that is clearly visible in plan view and profile view does not appear in section views created a...

Next Article
Civil 3D Surface Disappears When Data Shortcut is Refreshed
Civil 3D Surface Disappears When Data Shortcut is Refreshed

After updating or refreshing a Data Shortcut for a surface, the surface disappears from the drawing or show...

×

Get Tips Delivered.

Subscribe to Email Updates.

First Name
Last Name
Country
Thank you!
Error - something went wrong!