Dear Archicad Development Team,
I would like to propose a feature that could significantly improve the process of verifying surface-based schedules in Archicad. When generating a schedule (such as a surface area list), it would be extremely helpful to have an option that visually highlights the exact faces or surfaces being counted — directly in the 3D window. This could be implemented as a visualization toggle that temporarily colors or outlines the relevant faces/edges of the objects included in the schedule.
This feature would:
• Help users instantly verify which surfaces are being counted,
• Avoid misinterpretation or errors caused by hidden or unexpected geometry,
• Improve workflow clarity when managing custom components or complex objects,
Additionally (maybe), it would be extremely valuable to have the option to manually select specific faces or edges for inclusion in a schedule. In many practical cases, it’s unclear how exactly Archicad determines which surfaces are counted, especially with custom or complex objects. In discussions with fellow architects, I’ve found that many still calculate areas and volumes manually — not because the tools are unavailable, but due to a lack of confidence in the accuracy or transparency of the current automated methods. Allowing manual face/edge selection — or at least showing more explicitly which parts of the geometry are considered — would help bridge this gap, and increase trust in the software’s calculations.
The idea is not to change any geometry, but simply to provide a live 3D overlay (similar to selection or renovation filters) that visually confirms what Archicad “sees” and includes in the schedule. Thank you for considering this enhancement — I believe it would be a valuable addition for many professionals working with surface quantities in Archicad.
Open