topic Re: Send to Back in General discussions

Send to Back

Velocipede2022 — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:17:58 GMT

As a new ArchiCAD user I am flabbergasted!! by these these limitations. As a program that wants to be better than AutoCAD, I cannot believe that sending something to back or to front is so challenging. In AutoCAD when I send to back, it goes to back and moves everything else up one level - there is no Error Message!! I cannot be spending >10minutes trying to send a mask to back to make a tree look fainter. This is silly, and would really like to understand why this is not updated...If "crappy & stupid" AutoCAD can do it I would think sophisticated ArchiCAD could too...

Also, I just sent out a drawing set to the GC only to then see that some dimensions were hidden behind a wall and not readable. This is not acceptable!! There is no architect that would dimension a plan set and then want to have the dimensions shown behind a wall! Please make dimension strings universally "On Top"!! The same with Notes - why would anyone want to hide a note?! Notes and dims should be universally "On-top" in the display order! My hunch is this could be an easy fix - if ArchiCAD stopped trying to destroy the planet with A.I. garbage! We don't need AI, we need a program that allows us to design, and then quickly make construction drawings. In general I think ArchiCAD beats Revit because of the flexible nature of of the modeling, like in SketchUP, and architects are designers first and foremost, but when it comes to construction documents, ArchiCAD is in need of some serious but basic tweeks, IMO...

Other suggestions:

--Allow multiple leaders for "dumb" notes...

--Have an Object that can serves as a reference level/plane, only visible in section/elevation...

--Allow worksheets to be referenced into a drawing view, as you do with a dwg - basically a "block"....

--Allow beam intersection to be by object and not layer...

--Let window and door openings cut near by objects as well, so we can have separate skins for remodel...

--Allow people to select which story an object could be shown on, not just one-up or down....

If Graphisoft could make these simple changes, ArchiCAD could be the "premier" software for design focused architects! Let Revit have the "cookie cutter" market!, but ArchiCAD take control of the "custom" high-end, design-based market. I choose ArchiCAD over Revit because I thought it was better for "design oriented" professionals, but as now see, it has some pretty fundamental limitations/flaws that I worry may not be a priority to fix, so I question this decision.

Thanks for listening...

Operating system used: Windows

Re: Send to Back

NateLumen — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:38:11 GMT

@Velocipede2022 Welcome new Archicad user! You are not alone in your flabbergastion. I think these are great ideas. There are many of us excited for Graphisoft to make updates to the software to make it more intuitive and functional. I would suggest either posting your ideas as "Wishes" on the Wishlist or submitting them as a Request. There are many ideas on the wishlist that we would love to have incorporated into the software and I've started a "campaign" to ask graphisoft to rework how they review and incorporate wishes. If you have a minute, check out that thread.

Re: Send to Back

Lingwisyer — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:58:42 GMT

AC does not use a dynamic display order. I would advise that you do not use the Send to Back and Send to Front options as you then lose all control. Instead, bind a hotkey for Send Backward and Send Forward and use those instead. Regarding text and dimensions always being on top, there are a few niche cases where a workaround to a limitation is to "whiteout" text...

2. Not 100% sure what you are asking, but you could look at my object

3. aCAD style blocks have been a long term wish

4. Are you using the steel beam objects instead of complex profiles in the beam tool?

5. https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Wishlist/Opening-Tool-as-Standard-Wall-Penetration-Tool/idi-p/262357

6. Objects are their own thing and can be coded to do so. Related to this, there is a feature on the Roadmap for more consistent storey display options between tools.

Ling.