This section assumes that the "Non-rasterized priority sort mode" pen table option is cleared. This is the default setting.

In a 3D design, display priority is unsupported. Instead, the Z coordinates of the elements normally determine their display and print order.

In a 3D design file, the pen table priority output action causes the element to be added to a deferred draw list. After all the non-prioritized elements have been printed, the elements within the deferred draw list are printed in increasing priority order. This technique is supported when printing in rasterized or non-rasterized mode.

Note that some element types, such as dimensions and shared cells, are atomic in nature. Such elements may not be deferred individually. They may only be deferred as a single unit by assigning priority to the complex or compound element header.

Further note that since elements are eventually sorted by their Z coordinates regardless of their file order, and pen table priority in a 3D design file basically just rearranges the file order, pen priority in a 3D design file has no effect unless either file order display is enabled in the view's display style or all the elements have identical Z coordinates.

The limitation designed for 2D display priority concerning 3D references attached to 2D master models also applies to pen table priority in 3D design files. Attempting to use pen table priority to defer an element in such a reference may yield unexpected results.