Integration with Other Applications > Windchill Workgroup Manager Documentation > CADDS 5 > PDM Actions > Locking and Unlocking Objects in the Workspace
  
Locking and Unlocking Objects in the Workspace
Locking a workspace object gives it a read-only status in the workspace and in a CAD application session. The action is only available from an active workspace.
You may want to make an object read-only to:
avoid inadvertent modification.
reduce the number of times that the Conflicts window is presented for objects that are not intended to be modified.
give the user better visibility into changes made implicitly by the CAD application (for example, unplanned or unexpected changes required during regeneration/rebuilding).
prevent the object from being saved.
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Read-only object status is a property of the local cache, whether the workspace is online, offline, or portable. There is no notion of a locked object in the server-side workspace (which is viewed in standalone browser) or the commonspace.
You can set the preference Workspace > Add to Workspace and Checkout > Automatically lock objects added to workspace to set the workspace lock default to automatically lock all objects that are not being checked out during Add to Workspace and Checkout operations.
Locking Objects
To lock a workspace object:
1. Select one or more checked-in workspace objects (modified or unmodified).
2. Select File > Lock.
The object becomes read-only and is marked as such by a status icon in the General status column.
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If a workspace object you are trying to lock has been modified in a CAD application session but not yet saved to the workspace, you receive a warning about the in-session modification. The object is not locked in session.
Unlocking Objects
To unlock a workspace object:
1. Select a locked workspace object.
2. Select File > Unlock.
The object General status icon for the locked state is removed.