Break and Split
The Break tool breaks a path or entity at the point you click.
Break and SplitThe Break tool divides a path or shape at exactly the point you click, turning one entity into two. As you hover over a path, intersection points and breakable positions highlight in real time so you can see precisely where the split will land. Use Break to cut long edges into smaller manageable pieces before trimming, to open a closed shape at a specific side, or to isolate a segment you want to delete or restyle without affecting the rest of the path.
Activate the Break tool
Select the Break tool from the left toolbar or from the Modification tool group. The cursor changes to indicate break mode is active. No parameters need to be set — the tool works entirely by clicking on paths in the canvas.
Hover over a path to find a break point
Move the cursor over any drawn path, polyline, or shape. Intersection points and breakable positions along the entity highlight as you move. The highlighted marker shows exactly where the split will be placed when you click.
Click to perform the break
Click on the highlighted point to execute the break. The path is immediately divided into two separate entities at that location. Both resulting segments remain selected so you can continue editing them straight away.
Snap both break points to endpoints or intersections for clean, predictable geometry. When snapping is active, the highlighted marker will lock to the nearest snap candidate — reducing manual adjustment afterwards.
Work with the resulting segments
After breaking, each segment is an independent path entity. You can move, delete, restyle, or further edit either segment using any other tool. To remove a middle section, break the path at both ends of the unwanted portion, then select and delete that segment.
Break at an intersection
When two paths cross, hovering near the crossing highlights the intersection point. Clicking there breaks both overlapping paths at the crossing simultaneously, giving you four clean segments. This is useful for creating T-junctions or precise path networks in hardscape plans.
Open a closed shape at a specific point
Break can be applied to closed shapes such as rectangles, polygons, and bezier curves. Clicking a point on a closed shape opens it at that location, converting it into an open path. The two endpoints created are placed at the break point, ready to be extended or reshaped with the Node Edit tool.
To create a doorway opening in a fence or wall outline, break the closed shape at both sides of the intended gap, then delete the segment between the two break points. This is faster and more precise than node-editing a gap manually.
Breaking a closed shape is non-reversible in a single step — it opens the path permanently. If you break by mistake, press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) immediately to undo before making further changes.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Escape | Cancel |
Frequently Asked Questions
Nothing happened when I clicked — why didn't the path break?
The Break tool only fires when a highlighted breakable point is visible under the cursor. If no marker appears, the cursor is not close enough to a path. Move closer until the highlight appears, then click. If the entity is on a locked layer, break actions are blocked — check the Layers panel to confirm the layer is unlocked.
I broke a closed shape and now it has a gap — is that expected?
Yes, that is the intended result. Breaking a closed path opens it at the clicked point and turns it into an open path with two endpoints at the break location. Use the Node Edit tool to drag those endpoints apart to widen the gap, or close the path again by connecting them with a new segment.
Can I break a path at a specific measured distance from an endpoint?
Not directly with the Break tool — it works by clicking a visual position. To break at an exact distance, first place a construction point or snap guide at that measurement using the Measure or Dimension tools, then snap the Break tool click to that point.
After breaking, can I rejoin the two segments back into one path?
Yes. Select both segments, then use the Join tool (or Node Edit) to merge their shared endpoints back into a single continuous path. Make sure the two endpoints are coincident — snap them together first if needed.
Does breaking a path affect its style — fill, stroke color, line weight?
No. Both resulting segments inherit the full style of the original path including stroke color, line weight, dash pattern, and any fill. You can restyle each segment independently afterwards using the Style inspector.