„Unlock all“ Command

[olafwelling]

When working on a vector drawing with lots of elements it is usefull to lock Cmd-L those you do not want to touch right now. I got a bit struck and first thought it was bug that CMD-SHIFT-L doesn’t set those elements free again. I understand now, that you still can select the element in the Layer list and use CMD-SHIFT-L then, but to avoid scrolling through a list of several hundred elements it would be nice to have an „Unlock all“ command in the menu. I think, this should apply only to objects (elements), not to layers – what is the opinion of other highly valued foristi?

[CartoonMike]

For my workflow, being able to lock layers is essential because they are the first order of organization. Then I have layers within that have either groups or elements inside. If layers couldn't be locked, I'd be spending more time digging though things and locking up dozens of things.

 

What would be handy is some kind of Toggle or inverse option that would lock what's not locked and lock the unlocked things. This could have an setting to either lock only layers or groups or all elements. A lock selected option would be good, especially if there was a checkbox or button that would Unlock others, so that basically everything would unlock and then lock only those elements/groups/layers that are currently selected. 

[desult]

Is there a way to unlock all? Diving through the layers to unlock objects one by one is very time comsuming and practically imposible to get everything depending on complexity of artwork.

[peter]

There is a similar function in music studio software: mute one/mute all/solo current track modes.

[Raskolnikov]

+1

 

and please, make the layers panel "jump" to show the actual element on the window. :) it's essential when working with hundreds of elements.

[CartoonMike]

An animation app, ToonBoom Animate, has a nice feature that will lighten all but the active layer. Is that kind of the "jump" you're talking about, Raskolnikov? If a "dim inactive layers" option could be incorporated, then it would be a no-brainer as to what layer is currently active and which objects can be edited. 

[AshTeriyaki]

I'm quite old school and in illustrator I wouldn't spend a long time noodling in the layer stack. But I've got my current workaround. I tend to lock layers a little less and using alt click selections to ignore the object currently under the cursor. But it's not ideal.

 

What I'd love to see is selection sets, on-the-fly saveable selections of objects you can recall, lock or export in one go. Now thats a power feature!

[Hokusai]

+ 1 for "Unlock All" it saves a lot of time being able to unlock everything at once. 

[retrograde]

Forgive the repetition but, as I've suggested in a few other forum posts... much the same as right click "find in layers panel" I'd like to see a right click "lock, hide, unlock all, unhide all" 

 

Plus in Ai if you option click on the "lock" icon in the layers panel you lock all layers but the one you've clicked on VERY HANDY.

[retrograde]

The current lock - command "L" is great but in order to unlock it you need to find it in the layer stack... and you can't right click on it to do that because it's locked... the only time I have been able to unlock something using the command-shift "L" is only immediately after locking something before I click on anything else and while those "x's" are on the bounding box...

 

This all needs revisiting IMHO.

[frip]

Unlocking layer via context menu (right click on a locked layer) would be very handy I think. I believe Sketch allow this (and Balsamiq as well).

 

If I have many objects in the document (and I usually do), scanning through all of them in the inspector might be so painful that I tend to avoid "lock" feature.

 

"Unlock all" might not be a good solution in case if user have 5 objects and want to unlock only one of them - he will need to lock 4 objects back manually. Context menu should work. 

[Maxgraphic]

Why not do it the Freehand way and let locked items be selectable but not editable? Then we could simply select all and unlock.

[retrograde]

I think I'd rather not be able to select something I've locked at all. Most of the time I lock something to not accidentally select it.

 

Mind you, I haven't had the problems I have in illustrator because in Designer in node mode you can only select the object you're currently working on. This means I don't require as much locking and unlocking as only one thing at a time is selectable. Which is a very smart solution.

 

Different of course for when the move tool is used...

[Maxgraphic]

It's been a while since I've used FreeHand, but I think locked objects are selectable, but locked layers aren't. That might be the best of both worlds.

 

One place where "locked but selectable" is handy is for alignment.

 

Selection in Illustrator is such a train wreck that almost anything would be an improvement.

[ronniemcbride]

+1

[Fake Pilot]

Also did the mistake of thinking "Unlock" would unlock all objects. I do really enjoy the workflow of not having to use the layer panel at all... Speed is key!

 

+1

[SaucyWeeTart]

+ 1 to this. Would really love to have some more intuitive functionality regarding locking/unlocking layers and artwork. An 'unlock all' command would be superb.

[Dez!]

+1! Unlock All!

[pixeldroid]

+1.  AD is great, but this is an oversight.

[nametag]

+1. Either unlock all, and/or the option to right click a locked layer to unlock it.

[Kaze]

+1 We need "unlock all" functionality. Surely, this is an easy fix compared to others?

[DavidMac]

+1

 

and please, make the layers panel "jump" to show the actual element on the window. :) it's essential when working with hundreds of elements.

If have understood your question correctly, go into Preferences > User Interface and check Show Selection in Layers Panel. This will make the Layers Panel scroll automatically to anything you select on screen even if it was previously scrolled offscreen. Hope that's what you meant.  ;)

[LuisP]

Im there as well. come on...doesn't make sense to look through the layer for the layer that its locked.

[terrox]

Is it possible to unlock all objects yet? I can't find much on the net about it. I have 16 artboards and a locked object in each, toggling is not easy

[,,,]

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