Prevent locked objects from being selectable

[Professor Pickle]

When working with a busy model it is often difficult to select the right object/element. Tabbing through the available selection candidates sometimes doesn't work and it takes a bit of zooming in and out to finally get at the right thing.

Other times we have some objects whose shape and position has been set and locked and they won't change. Selecting those elements doesn't make sense most of the time.

It would be really helpful if there was a way to disable selection of locked items. This of course would be a toggle option of the selection process.

[bvd]

This would be particularly useful, especially dealing with reno's and existing structures. I want to draw the existing then lock them and not touch them, but still see them and be able to snap to them. Not accidentally select them when working with something adjacent. Locking floor slabs / remove selection would also be ideal, turning them on when required. I appreciate there is a quick selection toggle, but prefer selecting walls etc in their area as opposed to zooming into a corner which is often shared by other elements, initiating a tab sequence. 

At a fundamental level, the reasons you would want to select a locked layer are far outweighed by the reasons not to, in my opinion.

[bvd]

Looks like you can take them off your pop up. couldnt find a way to make them void from selection 

[mthd]

I wonder if there is a way to create a special selection gravity cut plane. One horizontal and one vertical and we can set it where we want when creating and editing elements. Only elements cut by the plane can be selected when this cut plane is turned on. Just another of my crazy ideas.

Turning elements off and on will not help when you need these elements to show up as reference. I think this is probably why many use Trace & Reference where possible. I think I need to brush up on T&R.

[thesleepofreason]

Whats really frustrating is that this functionality actually got implemented in AC27 - but just for design options. The 'edit default only' functionality does exactly this - avoids selection but keeping them as reference and snap. I've played around with a workflow where you relink items to a "focus" option but it's a bit cumbersome for general use. 

GS seem oblivious to the every day workflow potential of the functionality implemented with design options and the fact that it got implemented as a separate feature rather than an enhancement of layers is symptomatic for the current marketing plagued mindset of GS. The marketing value of a design option feature - however shortsighted jerry rigged and not BIM - is higher than fundamental enhancements to an already implemented features which would give the same functionality.

[ethanbodnar]

Was just about to post about this issue, thought I was just silly newish Archicad user, but seems like a real thing!

"GS seem oblivious" — yep exactly, for this and many other very basic things.

Here's my experience:

• Drawing is locked but can still select it for some reason. This is rather annoying when trying to select other things that are part of the drawing, or on top of it, since my thinking is to lock the drawing, so I can do other stuff around it without it moving. For example dragging over a large area to multi-select objects without getting the drawing. I guess it’s technically locked, but still just gets selected?
• Seems like every other design program I've used it just doesn’t get selected. My brain sees it getting selected and thinks that it’s going to have whatever I’m doing to other things selected done to it. Maybe this is just how it is, and I’ve got to rewire my brain.

[RobPhill33]

Have you tried using the trace reference?  Might help you.

[ethanbodnar]

Maybe should use Trace Reference more, thanks! This happens lots with terrain and other very basic things, where Trace Reference doesn't really seem sensible, but it could help a bit sometimes.

[James B]

Thanks for the feedback, moved to under consideration as we investigate further.