# SketchUp 2024 Group Arranging (Stack Forward/Back) **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro\ **Tags:** modeling\ **Created:** [March 10, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443 "2025-03-10T21:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruahaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@ruahaus](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ruahaus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/1 "2025-03-10T21:36:14Z")
Hey Guys & Gals, Wondering how to bring groups forward. I imported a floor plan PNG image, exploded it, grouped it, locked it. Now redrawing the walls over that image (with hopes of doing a wall takeoff for a paint contractor buddy). I tried paint bucket to get a nice translucent color to see my work BUT the color doesn’t show unless I turn off the image (thus, SketchUp put it on top). Anyone have a way to fix this? ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/2 "2025-03-10T21:57:10Z")
There is no bring to front / send to back in 3d space. There is on top / in front / behind, etc. Sounds like you have 2 surfaces trying to fight for the same place in space. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/3 "2025-03-10T21:57:27Z")
Sounds to me as if the first thing to do is go through the instructional materials at [learn.sketchup.com](http://learn.sketchup.com) SketchUp is a 3D model envronment, as such there is no “StackForward/Back” as there is in a 2D application. Instead you actually need to move objects in space if you want them to appear in front of or behind other objects. ---
**Author:** ![designforlife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@designforlife](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/designforlife)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:03pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/4 "2025-07-12T17:03:32Z")
I have this problem too. If I am tracing an imported image, ok, I will have ‘2 surfaces trying to fight for the same place in space’ but it is inconsistent. Somethings are visible ‘on’ the image I’m tracing but others are hidden by it. The work around of course is to lower the image in 3D space so everything I draw floats above it but that means constantly raising it to trace over and lowering to check the result. I think it is not good enough to say ‘Sketchup is a 3D model environment, as such there is no “StackForward/Back” as there is in a 2D application’. I’d just point to AutoCAD as a counter example. I really don’t see what is the problem unless there is no such option because --programmers. I see many questions about this stacking of – I’ll say drawing elements rather than tags or layers – and the people asking basically being told how dumb they are to think software could work how users want. It appears to be their intent to make users work their way rather than listen to what users want. I’ve charitably assumed it was an unintended consequence of the introduction of tags and would eventually be fixed. But still waiting in v2025. ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/5 "2025-07-12T17:18:15Z")
> [@designforlife](#): > > The work around of course is to lower the image in 3D space so everything I draw floats above it but that means constantly raising it to trace over and lowering to check the result. I believe the solution is to explode the image and then start tracing. The image will be a surface and you only need to work with one surface, not 2 stacked on top of each other. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/6 "2025-07-12T17:19:35Z")
You could also change the Face Style to Xray or Wireframe while tracing the image. ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/7 "2025-07-12T17:19:48Z")
> [@designforlife](#): > > I’ve charitably assumed it was an unintended consequence of the introduction of tags Has nothing to do with tags. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/8 "2025-07-12T17:20:42Z")
> [@designforlife](#): > > I’ve charitably assumed it was an unintended consequence of the introduction of tags I wonder where you got that idea. ---
**Author:** ![designforlife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@designforlife](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/designforlife)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/9 "2025-07-12T18:54:51Z")
Yes you could charitably assume I misspoke. ---
**Author:** ![designforlife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@designforlife](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/designforlife)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 6:56pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/10 "2025-07-12T18:56:30Z")
Wireframe hides the image and I am turning x-ray on and off constantly. ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 7:01pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/11 "2025-07-12T19:01:01Z")
> [@designforlife](#): > > Wireframe hides the image and I am turning x-ray on and off constantly. > [@bmike](#): > > I believe the solution is to explode the image and then start tracing. The image will be a surface and you only need to work with one surface, not 2 stacked on top of each other. ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯ ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/12 "2025-07-12T19:06:50Z")
> [@designforlife](#): > > Wireframe hides the image Since when? Here, switching to the Wireframe face style and the image is still displayed. ![wf](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/1/8/1887e9ed5f2073164a73923975c7a4dce51b6bdd.gif) It would hide faces, textured or not, but not images. ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/13 "2025-07-12T20:28:33Z")
> [@DaveR](#): > > It would hide faces, textured or not, but not images. I’m guessing OP has exploded the image. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-2024-group-arranging-stack-forward-back/318443/14 "2025-07-12T20:32:27Z")
> [@bmike](#): > > I’m guessing OP has exploded the image. I wouldn’t be surprised but then it’s no longer an image in SketchUp. It’s a textured face. If the image is only going to be used as a reference it doesn’t need to be exploded. Leave it as an image to trace it. That also means it will remain visible when a group or component is opened for editing. ![edit](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/5/c/5c8d12b25062d3b054776788706e9e96f739b22a.gif)