a way to actually lock a layer so it can't be altered?

is there a way to actually LOCK a layer so it cannot be accidentally changed until intentionally unlocked?
seems that’s what’s normally implied by, and required of, a ‘lock’ function, but not in tbh timeline…

Can you be clear and specific?

What exactly do you want?

What do you expect?

What specifically does not behave as you expect it to?

well for example-

in the timeline a “locked” a layer can still be acted upon by all the timeline tools, e.g. deleted in entirety, chopped up, etc. not sure of all the tools that can effect a locked layer, but i keep being surprised encountering them and it necessitates extremely cautious work to not accidentally trigger unwanted losses. i’d rather finish working on a layer and make it secure so i cannot make further changes without intentionally unlocking it.

If you are using Premium, have you tried disconnecting the node?

That may accomplish what you want, or may get you closer to it than locking the layer.

You can even duplicate and stash a disconnected node or even an entire node tree (disconnected) off to the side of the Node View window.

I would keep the original in place and only disconnect it so all that you need to do is reconnect it to have things reappear in their proper place.

yes, i’m using premium and using the node view a lot, but still learning about it. (i was surprised to try to copy/paste a node tree of complex animation in order to duplicate and vary slightly the new one, only to discover they’re more like clones and both were affected by changing the dup; couldn’t figure out how to ‘un-clone’ them; didn’t see any clues in the ‘paste special’ tool.)

back to the orig issue-

yes, unplugging them certainly secures them, but then their unseen, right? i thought it was an interface convention that ‘locking’ secures an element in it’s place, whether in photoshop, after effects, tv paint… etc.

They become temporarily invisible.

Not a bad thing as it also reduces clutter while working elsewhere.

Generally speaking, Photoshop is not the end-all-be-all defining convention that many people believe. In fact many of Adobe’s approaches are invented from thin air and have no correlation to anything. They were thought up by software engineers. Illustrator is deplorable. But they are popular and widely used so people compare everything to them.

Under the hood other software is frequently very different. With Toon Boom there is a correlation to traditional animation. But there are inconsistencies. I have TVPaint Pro 11 as well. A different approach software-wise in many instances compared with Harmony.

I don’t know why the “lock” on layers functions like it does but it most likely had to do with an idea of workflow. If all it was intended to do was lock everything that would have been easier than a selective lock that takes into consideration how and why someone would need it to work a certain way.

So does disconnecting the node fit your needs?

yes, i like the node unplugging for a safety option, or even for clutter reduction as you say, like grouping.
but workflow-wise for me i often want elements visible but secured while i work on related elements, with quickly accessible buttons at my fingertips to do all that “disconnecting and reconnecting” for me without me having to go hunting around in a sea of virtual cables in another area.

Yeah I understand. Sometimes you would need to see things while they were locked as well. The use of the nodes is not keyboard shortcut friendly. :slight_smile:

Some of that can be a matter of mental adjustment. I find it all increasingly interesting. You may know of an ex-Disney animator named Adam Phillips (aka chluaid). He has been featured on TB’s blog and done some tutorials. He is currently creating a game using Harmony and streams as he works on Twitch. Just watching someone like that work with the nodes has changed how I think of it. He knows it very well and works fast. It has shown me how smooth it can be. Now when I use Harmony I think of his pace and agility with the software the whole time.

oh yea, i’ve enjoyed many hrs of Adam’s youtube tutorials and read, and cont. to refer to, his book. i’ll check out the streams.

I think Harmony is missing a “full lock” feature, maybe something to add to Preferences under Timeline or Advanced, where you could switch between the “simple” lock which basically prevents you from selecting a layer on the Camera View or draw upon it (you can draw or erase on the Drawing view) and a full lock that would prevent any change including on timing.

As for the other issue, you can clone or duplicate. By default, if you make copy/paste you will clone the assets. To duplicate you can right-click a layer in the Timeline or assign a shortcut (in Preferences > Shortcuts > General) so that you can duplicate more quickly anything you select on the Node view. You can also copy/paste special, but you have to select the option Always Create Drawing Files and, in the bottom, Nodes [v] Create New Columns (otherwise the new elements will still be linked to the original ones). Using a shortcut is the most practical option that I know of.


Luis Canau