Illustrator: locking a single object – what's the quickest/most efficient way to re-unlock only that object again?

Question

I find my workflow for temporarily locking/unlocking single objects to be very awkward. I often refrain from this operation since the process of re-unlocking only that, one, particular object at a later stage, is simply too cumbersome.

I assume you can relate to what I'm referring to, but for clarity, here's my typical use case:

You're inside a tangled mixture of paths, groups, objects… trying to prevent affecting this one, particular object, while working on others. Once you hit Command-L/Ctr-L on that object… continue working… then sometime later want to revert the locked state on that one, particular object, you're pretty much screwed, having to either:

1. Locate the needle in the haystack (Layers palette) prior to unlocking it… or

2. Unlock All with Command-Opt-2/Ctr-Alt-2 which is obviously pretty stupid, since you only wish to (referring to the scope of this question) unlock that one, particular object under your mouse cursor.

…You can't just right-click on the locked object and select unlock.

So:

What's your workflow for this operation – how can I improve it?

 

Answer 1

1. Hit v to select the selection tool
2. Object > Unlock all... (Command/Ctrl-Option/Alt-2)
3. Shift-Click the object you want to keep unlocked
4. Object > Lock > Selection (Command/CTRL-2)

Seems to be the fastest, easiest method here.

Basically you unlock all locked objects, remove one object from the selection, then re-lock everything else.

Answer 2

There is a plugIn from ASTUTEGRAPHICS

Here is a tutorial for it.

It's called SubScribe and brings you a couple of features plus a new icon in the Tools-Bar: it's a lock/unlock-Symbol. I experimented with a tiny Script I did myself to solve this problem too. Select an Object, hit a special key to start the script and it's locked. The Problem was unlocking.

Of course you have to tell Illustrator which Object to unlock, therefore again a selection. But a selecion on an already locked Object would only be the highlight in the layers panel. In The end it was not a time saver. Get the PlugIn if it bothers you so much.