Feature Request: Lock all layers on all pages in Publisher

[Nicola Taylor]

Hi - just wanted to add a feature request to be able to lock/unlock all layers on all pages at once, or to lock/unlock the entire document. 

Every year I produce a planner and when it's finished, I need to lock all of the layers so that nothing can be accidentally adjusted before it's printed. This means tediously going through every individual page, selecting every layer and clicking the lock.

Then the next year, when I duplicate the document, I have to unlock them all individually again to edit, and then lock them again when it's finished. This is very frustrating, time consuming and ripe for error.

Please please please consider making an option available to lock down the whole document without having to lock down each page individually. 

Thank you!

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, Nicola Taylor said:

Every year I produce a planner and when it's finished, I need to lock all of the layers so that nothing can be accidentally adjusted before it's printed.

I assume you know that Serif's "lock" concept in no way protects the content of layers from being modified or deleted!

 

[carl123]

Select > Select Objects > Opaque Objects

Layer > Lock

May work in the case of a planner, if all objects are Opaque

[Nicola Taylor]

7 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

I assume you know that Serif's "lock" concept in no way protects the content of layers from being modified or deleted!

 

Thanks for the heads up but this doesn't really affect me as I'm only trying to avoid accidentally nudging layers and editing text boxes from the canvas. And the current lock system works fine for that. It does sound like a better lock option is a reasonable feature request though.

[Nicola Taylor]

7 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Select > Select Objects > Opaque Objects

Layer > Lock

May work in the case of a planner, if all objects are Opaque

Thanks @carl123 but that's not working. I would think all objects are opaque but it's not locking all of the layers or even any of them on most of the pages.

[carl123]

What version of Publisher are you using?

V1,  V2 or V2.1

[Pšenda]

1 minute ago, Nicola Taylor said:

from the canvas. And the current lock system works fine for that.

Unfortunately, this only works until you group the pseudolocked layer with an unlocked one.

 

 

 

[Circulus]

Create a template>Export to pdf with convert text to curves.
Or group things and lock the group.
Or use placed, linked files on the pages for layout.
Or use locked masterpages.

[Nicola Taylor]

 

1 hour ago, carl123 said:

What version of Publisher are you using?

V1,  V2 or V2.1

@carl123 2.1

[Nicola Taylor]

@Pšenda - like I said, I'm okay with the functionality. I'd just like to be able to lock all layers in the document at once.

[Nicola Taylor]

1 hour ago, Return said:

Create a template>Export to pdf with convert text to curves.
Or group things and lock the group.
Or use placed, linked files on the pages for layout.
Or use locked masterpages.

@Return - Thanks for your suggestions. I'm already doing some of these but they won't cut down the time involved in my workflow - which is the aim of this feature request.
 

[carl123]

4 minutes ago, Nicola Taylor said:

 

@carl123 2.1

Strange, it seems to work Ok here, as long as you have Edit all Layers selected in the Layers panel and don't select another page/object between the two commands....

Select > Select Objects > Opaque Objects
Layer > Lock

I think you are on a Mac, maybe someone with a Mac can check if it works for them.

(I am on Windows)

[Nicola Taylor]

3 minutes ago, anto said:

  

Select page in Pages panel and click Ctrl+L.

All layers will blocked.

@anto - I want to lock all layers on ALL pages at once and this doesn't work for that. 

[Nicola Taylor]

4 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Strange, it seems to work Ok here, as long as you have Edit all Layers selected in the Layers panel and don't select another page/object between the two commands....

@carl123 What's Edit all Layers? I can't see that option anywhere.

[MikeTO]

Here's one approach to use until Publisher has the type of locking features you'd like - use Ctrl instead of Cmd if you're on Windows:

1. Select the Move tool
2. Go to a page
3. Cmd +A (Select All)
4. Cmd + L (Lock)
5. Cmd + Down Arrow (Go to next page)
6. Repeat 2-5 for as many pages as you want to lock

1 minute ago, anto said:

Select page in Pages panel and click Ctrl+L.

All layers will blocked.

That doesn't do anything for me on macOS, only selected object(s) on the pages are locked.

[Nicola Taylor]

5 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

Here's one approach to use until Publisher has the type of locking features you'd like - use Ctrl instead of Cmd if you're on Windows:

1. Select the Move tool
2. Go to a page
3. Cmd +A (Select All)
4. Cmd + L (Lock)
5. Cmd + Down Arrow (Go to next page)
6. Repeat 2-5 for as many pages as you want to lock

@MikeTO - this is exactly what I'm doing and what I'd like a "Lock all" option to avoid.

[Nicola Taylor]

12 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Strange, it seems to work Ok here, as long as you have Edit all Layers selected in the Layers panel and don't select another page/object between the two commands....

Select > Select Objects > Opaque Objects
Layer > Lock

I think you are on a Mac, maybe someone with a Mac can check if it works for them.

(I am on Windows)

@carl123 - Ah found it! That actually worked. It doesn't lock the sub layers in a group (only the group layer) but I'm okay with that. Thanks so much for your help!

[carl123]

No problem, when it's time to unlock them just use...

Select > Select Objects > Opaque Objects
Layer > Unlock All

 

[Francis Hurtado]

Zoom out sufficiently to select all pages for which you want to lock their layers. Then Layer>Lock

[Affinity-Inspiration]

So I have nearly 200 pages here, each with at least 4 layers on it. Main layer with Picture Frame and a sub layer with the image.

On a Mac. V2.5. How on earth do I Lock or Unlock all layers at once?

 

[walt.farrell]

8 minutes ago, Affinity-Inspiration said:

How on earth do I Lock or Unlock all layers at once?

I would be curious why you want to, as I can't think of a workflow where I'd want that

However, if you designed this cleverly, you've used a Master Page for all those pages and their contents, and you can simply Lock the layers on the Master Page and that will apply to all the document pages.

[Affinity-Inspiration]

1 hour ago, walt.farrell said:

I would be curious why you want to, as I can't think of a workflow where I'd want that

However, if you designed this cleverly, you've used a Master Page for all those pages and their contents, and you can simply Lock the layers on the Master Page and that will apply to all the document pages.

Well I do have master pages. But I don’t have any layers in the master pages! 
So I can’t see how you would do what you suggest.

Each page of the book is different and I don’t want them accidentally changing now I have each pages images fixed.

I can of course work through all the pages and lock all the layers but it’s a bit time consuming.

 

 

[Affinity-Inspiration]

In fact, the OP originally said it neatly.

”- just wanted to add a feature request to be able to lock/unlock all layers on all pages at once, or to lock/unlock the entire document. ”

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, Affinity-Inspiration said:

In fact, the OP originally said it neatly.

”- just wanted to add a feature request to be able to lock/unlock all layers on all pages at once, or to lock/unlock the entire document. ”

Generally it helps justify adding functions if you can provide a reason or a workflow that benefits from a suggestion. That's why I expressed curiosity about your purpose.

If you're not putting your layers (objects) on Master Pages, then my suggestion of using Master Pages won't help.

[Pšenda]

5 hours ago, Affinity-Inspiration said:

I don’t want them accidentally changing

Locking a layer only prevents the selection of an object on the canvas, not against unwanted changes to its content if you select it (perhaps by accident) in the Layers panel.