# Locking layers or folders

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [September 13, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982 "2020-09-13T22:34:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jayemery](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jayemery/32/25155_2.png) [@Jayemery](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jayemery)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/1 "2020-09-13T22:34:07Z")

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Locking layers or folders within a 3D drawing  
Ok so i have started working on multiple construction planes but i like to use the ground plane as a referent layer for the rest of my 3 d design is there any way to lock different files or layers so that once you have finalised them they can be locked in place so that you cant edit or move them them without unlocking  
I’m currently working on the internal design of mobile catering vans so floor and wall is important  
Any help advice or work around would be helpful thanks  
Jay

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**Author:** ![Victor\_Shapr3D](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/victor_shapr3d/32/3502_2.png) [@Victor\_Shapr3D](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Victor_Shapr3D)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/2 "2020-09-14T12:46:15Z")

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Hi, Jay! Currently, it’s not possible to lock in 3d bodies. Based on your description a workaround can be to set the body to be invisible on the Items window.  
This way you can not move the body mistakenly and you can actually create a design on the same position where the body is placed without any interference.

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**Author:** ![Jayemery](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jayemery/32/25155_2.png) [@Jayemery](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jayemery)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/3 "2020-09-14T13:29:03Z")

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The problem with the is that I need the underlying drawing for reference. So if I hide it I can’t see it or where I need to put stuff

I was so excited about the potential of this program. But without a work around  
And without being able to lock sketches it looks like going to have to go back to rhino fo the 3d work

Pitty  
Think about it  
I want to make up different kitchen components and then slot whichever one I news into the interior of a van.  
But if you can’t lock them then every time you try something else it compromises the whole layout

Gutted  
Is there a plan to get lockable layers in the foreseeable. Future or is it a lost cause?

get back to me  
Thanks

Jay Emery

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**Author:** ![Gelphyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gelphyn](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Gelphyn)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/4 "2020-09-14T16:32:25Z")

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@Jayemery  
I am trying to understand the NEED to Lock the Bodies, i.e., what will it specifically achieve to enable the Design of Kitchen Cabinets to be installed. Regardless of where that may be, a Mobile/Static/Camper Van, a House Kitchen or [in one case I’m my Kitchen Design life] the Tower of London.  
Three Cabinets placed in the same **Files.app Folder** will stay in position without locking them.  
To view the Sketch of your Design simply Move it from under the Cabinets into a space where it will be visible.

In:

[https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/grouping-sketches-and-moving-to-new-folders/8927](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/grouping-sketches-and-moving-to-new-folders/8927)

I attempted to show that by placing individual Objects in individual Files using **Files.app**  
They can easily be Imported into any Design.

Starting with this simplistic representation, the DarkBlue Cabinet is elevated to show it’s origin Sketch, a row of Cabinets was created. Originally there were 6 Cabinets and then two were joined as one using Union:

 ![IMG_2839](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/8/8a3540050c1b9317914aee407342b3590922a5b9.jpeg)

This was Duplicated 5 times and all but one Cabinet was left in each file.  
These 5 Files, shown here in **Design Thumbnails** were saved in Files.app:

 ![IMG_2838](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/0/08c04e3a15fa4d1cc2b17ae0d59773dd0aff84d2.jpeg)

This shows the easy way of ‘building’ the finished Design:

[/404](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/404)

Unfortunately the Pencil does not show while using Files.app

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/5 "2020-09-14T17:19:00Z")

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Hi Jay, this is a frequently requested feature. We will definitely implement it at some point of time, but we don’t know it yet when.

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**Author:** ![professor\_deb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eb8c5e/32.png) [@professor\_deb](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/professor_deb)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 7:23pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/6 "2020-11-29T19:23:44Z")

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As a long time CAD user, this is one of the first things I was looking for. It’s very easy to accidentally select an object and start to manipulate it when you don’t want to. Layer or object locking will be a great asset to the software. I hope that it is added sooner than later!

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**Author:** ![RMP](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/rmp/32/8476_2.png) [@RMP](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/RMP)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/7 "2020-12-15T22:10:12Z")

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This is a very clumsy and in fact unusable work around!

Locking layers/folders is definitely a must and should be implemented immediately.  
Complex designs with dozens of parts or lots of parts with very different sizes which need to be adjusted perfectly can’t be handled by making necessary parts invisible (this may be just enough when designing a cupboard… but not for serious technical designs!)

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**Author:** ![Naoki072894](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ec9cab/32.png) [@Naoki072894](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Naoki072894)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2021, 8:20am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/8 "2021-01-03T08:20:00Z")

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![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/2X/6/6b891a058241224f467e0c94d87297575331af97.jpeg)  
I just started using shaper 3D recently, but I have exactly the same problem right now. Hope the developer will fix this soon😱

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**Author:** ![Curiobot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/curiobot/32/8166_2.png) [@Curiobot](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Curiobot)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/9 "2023-03-11T22:48:08Z")

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Reviving topic. Any updates for this @Istvan @Victor_Shapr3D? Being able to lock a layer so it’s visible but can’t be interacted with would be great.

Here I tried bringing an image in for reference, with a full opacity ref behind and a transparent ref in front, but it’s unusable since I can’t select the body. Having to toggle visibility on and off is cumbersome.

Thank you!

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/0/60c7cabfa0956e456f1f5199d264ac2e03f5bd1f.jpeg)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/3/2/32c09ad870a788a94e90469ec2593ade20b0ec9c.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![quag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b5ac83/32.png) [@quag](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/quag)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2023, 10:24am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/10 "2023-05-15T10:24:13Z")

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More than two years have passed. Great app, unfortunately without locking objects is unusable for me

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**Author:** ![Jayemery](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jayemery/32/25155_2.png) [@Jayemery](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jayemery)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2023, 9:21am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/11 "2023-07-30T09:21:44Z")

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I struggled with the same problem for a long time  
But there is workaround  
Simply group the items that you want to fix in place in to their own folder  
Open a new folder and create new geometry’s and modles in that folder.  
You can then move the folder as a whole. And hide it as you wish

It would be great if you could then lock that folder so that it does not move.  
But the problem is not so great that i would give up on shapr 3D

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**Author:** ![cgpro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8491ac/32.png) [@cgpro](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/cgpro)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 8:13am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/12 "2023-12-29T08:13:42Z")

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the same here, in which 3d-tool can you not lock elements? Shapr is pretty cool, but the more I work with it, the more I see that feedback and requests from here hardly flow in. 😔

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**Author:** ![azweinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@azweinger](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/azweinger)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:13am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/13 "2025-01-21T08:13:22Z")

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4 or 5 years have passed since original request. Istvan said that it was a frequently requested feature back than. I don’t think that is a hardest feature to implement, I assume that the feedback is just ignored. Therefore looks like there is no alternative to Fusion 360. I keep watching on Shapr3d at my university, but looks like waiting wouldn’t bring anything. Pretty sure it is a bealbreaker for many. Pity

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**Author:** ![SCALEMODEL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@SCALEMODEL](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/SCALEMODEL)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 8:55am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/14 "2025-01-21T08:55:55Z")

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Good point by now Shapr is way beyond it’s age for missing these features. Lot of the comments in the Help section is because of those missing features.

Monthly Subscription model should also have benefit for the user! Could we see your Feature Rollout Roadmap for the year?

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**Author:** ![danno11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@danno11](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/danno11)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/15 "2025-01-21T15:22:08Z")

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I hate to say this but good luck hearing back from shapr3d about any of our suggestions of adding new commands to shapr3d to improve it. I would like to hear something back from shapr3d about what is in store for 2025 but all we get is “IT IS ON OUR ROADMAP” I think their roadmap has come to the end. Seriously thinking of switching to Fusion 360 and I hate to say that because I really like Shapr3d and would even consider paying more it they delivered on their promises.

Still Waiting…

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**Author:** ![Yousef.K](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/yousef.k/32/35931_2.png) [@Yousef.K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Yousef.K)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2026, 6:17am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/locking-layers-or-folders/8982/16 "2026-06-21T06:17:13Z")

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I want to add my voice to this feature request