Why does Illustrator switch hidden layers back on (and unlock) them when duplicating an art board?

[richardesignerUK]

I've always wondered why Illustrator switches hidden layers back on (and unlocks them) when duplicating an artboard? I have it set to copy hidden layers - but its a bit annoying if say I have some hidden layers (which I want to keep hidden for ref) but then they all get switched back on and unlocked when I duplicate my artborad (and in fact unlock and turn back on the ones in my original artboard). Is there a way I can get Illustrator to copy a new artborad and keep the layers switched off and locked just like the artborad I am copying? 

[Ton Frederiks]

I cannot replicate that, when I duplicate an artboard with a hidden or locked layer, I get this:

 

Where did you set it to copy hidden layers?

[richardesignerUK]

Here Ton. See screen shot.

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks Richard (did not look there).

But when I turn that on, the message about locked/hidden layers does not come up during duplicating the artboard, but the layers stay locked and hidden in the duplicate.

[richardesignerUK]

Mine is doing something really strange now. Check out the video. Nothing is moving. 

[richardesignerUK]

But when I alt drag it works perfectly. Bit strange. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Works fine for me when using various ways.

As @Abhishek Rao suggested,restarting and resetting Prefs may help.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @richardesignerUK,

Thanks for sharing the videos. From what you’ve shown, it seems the issue occurs only when duplicating via the panel option, while Alt-dragging works fine. Could you confirm your exact Illustrator version and OS, and if this happens in a new file with just a couple of layers set to hidden and locked? If you haven’t already, try resetting Illustrator preferences to see if that clears the behavior. Reference: https://adobe.ly/4loLPkL

Let me know what you find.

Abhishek 

[richardesignerUK]

HI Abhishek. I'm using Illustrator 29.7.1 on a 2024 M4 Mac MIni running  Mac OS 15.6. I don't really want to trash my prefs at the moment. Sorry. 

[Ton Frederiks]

@richardesignerUK I can reproduce now what you see.

When using the new option to duplicate an artboard by Alt/Option-clicking the Plus sign with the Artboard Tool unlocks and shows locked/hidden layers, but when you undo immediately and Alt/Option-click again, it works as expected.

[richardesignerUK]

Hi Ton. Thanks for replicating. However I dont undretsand what you are saying or what you are trying to show in the video? 

[Ton Frederiks]

When I click the + sign with the Alt key depressed, you can duplicate the artboard and its contents.

It does that, but as you mentioned it also unlocks and show everything that was locked and hidden.

I did an undo and clicked again with the Alt key depressed and it suddenly worked as expected. Unreliable at least.

[richardesignerUK]

Oh I see what you mean now. My file also did the same thing. As soon as you open a file or click from one file to another in illustrator and click the + key, and hold down alt, it unlocks all layers and shows any hidden layers the first time you do this. However if you repeat the process again it behaves itself and keeps any hidden layers or locked layers (which obviously I've just hidden and locked again). And if you do this again it behaves itself. So this seems to be a bug when you first open a file or click between files? 

[Ton Frederiks]

It is definitely a bug, you may want to report it here where Illustrator engineers are watching bug reports.

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/

[Ton Frederiks]

Posted the problem here:

https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-desktop-bugs/suggestions/50333634-duplic...