Hi all,
When using the backspace key in Rhino 8 -sometimes- it deletes the selected geometry. This makes it very easy to accidentally delete geometry when erasing commands in the command line.
Is this intentional or is this a bug? If it is intentional, is there a way to disable this feature?
Intentional. The backspace key has always worked as Delete if objects are selected and the focus is in the Rhino window.
The problem in V8 is that Rhino sometimes gets confused as to where the focus is between the main window, the command line, the panels, etc.
Not sure if I follow what you are describing. I tried the following:
Select an object and hit BS: works
Select an object and move mouse cursor to a panel, hit BS: works
Select an object and move mouse cursor to a panel, change a setting e.g. a checkbox, hit BS: object does not get deleted, same as in Rhino 7
Select an object and move mouse cursor to command line, hit BS: works
Select an object and move mouse cursor to command line, click, hit BS: works
The main difference I see with Rhino 7 is that once you click there in a panel to change something, you can only get focus back to the viewport by clicking there, whereas in Rhino 8 hitting the Esc key brings focus back to the views and BS works again to delete the object.
Interesting.
Now, after a quarter of a century, I’m learning that Backspace for Delete works.
Never tried that.
I only knew Del.
Then that change from V7 to V8 somehow leads to this accidental behavior, directly or indirectly.
In V7 this did not happen, if there’s a way to roll back to how it was before that would be nice, as long as it doesn’t affect any new features. Thanks for the support.
Regards,
Gonzalo.
Hi Gonzalo - Backspace is Delete in V7 as well.
-Pascal
And V6 and V5… I tested all of them.
Maybe it is just me realizing this quite late in my career 
I’ll check out if there’s something different and let you know.
Thank you.
Now I know why Backspace instead of Del is only partially useful.
When the “Select Object” menu comes up, Del works without interaction with the menu.
Not so with Backspace.
I’m having the same experience. I never accidentally deleted objects with the backspace before V8. Would love to turn off backspace delete!
On a Mac the backspace key is labelled Delete. When i swapped to Macs many moons ago it was an initial source of frustration, now used to it.
Is there anyway to turn this off? Checked Keyboard Settings but Backspace isn’t listed as a Shortcut, whereas, Home, Tab, End are listed
Hi, anybody found a solution for this? I have the same, as I type a lot of commands I hit backspace a lot. Sometimes I am not even aware I have deleted a part in a large assembly because of this until later. I would like to turn the backspace delete function of as well.
Hi Tideman -
Please run the Rhino SystemInfo command and copy-paste its output here.
When I have an object selected and start typing a command, using the Backspace command lets me delete characters on the command line. When all characters are removed and I continue hitting that key, nothing more happens. Objects are never deleted - unless I somehow move focus from the command line to the viewports.
-wim
Hi Wim,
I have tested that and found the same, it usually stays in the command line. But now and again I apparently move to the viewport accidentally. I will try to find out when it happens. But if the issue is rather small on this platform it would be user issue. However I come from Rhino 5 as well and did not encounter this until 8. Also on two licenses and installs, same story.
Here is the system info:
Rhino 8 SR25 2025-11-24 (Rhino 8, 8.25.25328.11001, Git hash:master @ 14cb4406ecadfa9b5d0230ac10bd86175bd37aff)
License type: Commercial, build 2025-11-24
License details: Stand-Alone
Windows 11 (10.0.26200 SR0.0) or greater (Physical RAM: 32GB)
.NET 8.0.22
Computer platform: DESKTOP
Standard graphics configuration.
Primary display and OpenGL: NVIDIA T400 4GB (NVidia) Memory: 4GB, Driver date: 10-29-2025 (M-D-Y). OpenGL Ver: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 581.80
Accelerated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
Secondary graphics devices.
Intel(R) UHD Graphics 770 (Intel) Memory: 128MB, Driver date: 5-12-2024 (M-D-Y).
Integrated graphics device with 4 adapter port(s)
OpenGL Settings
Safe mode: Off
Use accelerated hardware modes: On
GPU Tessellation is: On
Redraw scene when viewports are exposed: On
Graphics level being used: OpenGL 4.6 (primary GPU’s maximum)
Anti-alias mode: 4x
Mip Map Filtering: Linear
Anisotropic Filtering Mode: High
Vendor Name: NVIDIA Corporation
Render version: 4.6
Shading Language: 4.60 NVIDIA
Driver Date: 10-29-2025
Driver Version: 32.0.15.8180
Maximum Texture size: 32768 x 32768
Z-Buffer depth: 24 bits
Maximum Viewport size: 32768 x 32768
Total Video Memory: 4 GB
Rhino plugins that do not ship with Rhino
C:\ProgramData\McNeel\Rhinoceros\8.0\Plug-ins\Datasmith Rhino Exporter (d1fdc795-b334-4933-b680-088119cdc6bb)\DatasmithRhino8.rhp “Datasmith Exporter” 5.5.4.0
Rhino plugins that ship with Rhino
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\SolidTools.rhp “SolidTools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Commands.rhp “Commands” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\WebBrowser.rhp “WebBrowser”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk.rhp “Renderer Development Kit”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoScript.rhp “RhinoScript”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoBonusTools.rhp “Rhino Bonus Tools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\AnimationTools.rhp “AnimationTools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\IdleProcessor.rhp “IdleProcessor”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoRenderCycles.rhp “Rhino Render” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoRender.rhp “Legacy Rhino Render”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\rdk_etoui.rhp “RDK_EtoUI” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Users\MichielGuis\AppData\Roaming\McNeel\Rhinoceros\packages\8.0\PanelingTools\2024.8.20.677\PanelingTools.rhp “PanelingTools”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\NamedSnapshots.rhp “Snapshots”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\MeshCommands.rhp “MeshCommands” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\IronPython\RhinoDLR_Python.rhp “IronPython” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\RhinoCycles.rhp “RhinoCycles” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Toolbars\Toolbars.rhp “Toolbars” 8.25.25328.11001
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\3dxrhino.rhp “3Dconnexion 3D Mouse”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\Displacement.rhp “Displacement”
C:\Program Files\Rhino 8\Plug-ins\SectionTools.rhp “SectionTools”