Is there anyway in Illustrator to prevent a path object from moving when selecting an anchor point?

Question

Is there any way in Illustrator to lock a path object in place while still allowing for anchors and handles to be edited with the Direct Selection Tool?

I am using a Wacom grip pen and tablet and I have a screen resolution of 1920 x 1200 with the anchors and handles at their largest visual setting. Since the points are still quite small, it makes pinpoint accuracy very challenging and slows down workflow to try and achieve at all times.

Quite often when I try to select an anchor point with the Direct Selection Tool I inadvertently move the entire path object instead. My click becomes a tiny drag. I undo the move and try it again, but I am afraid that it is inevitable that at some point I am not going to catch the path object nudging a bit and continue working. Precision is vital to line up with my reference so I want to make sure I am not missing any thing that will make my life easier using Illustrator. Any ideas?

Answer 1

You can make anchor points larger in preferences so they're easier to click on. But I always find it easier to work with paths using a mouse instead of the Wacom pen. I do use a Wacom pen but it's usually for fast/organic shapes.

There's not a way to lock an object and edit the path because they are one and the same. If you locked the object, you couldn't edit it's path—it just wouldn't make sense.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Use the Lasso Tool to select them.