I have long thought this would be a great option.
It could be used to put production parts that would be locked and not modifiable.
Ex. If I need a production assy, which I have no modifying rights and view only, so I can build tooling around that assembly.
Windchill 11.1 M010 has added a new, smart locking option that will automatically lock objects in your workspace that you don't have rights to modify and then automatically unlock those same objects once you do. See the help docs for more info: http://support.ptc.com/help/windchill/whc/whc_en/#page/Windchill_Help_Center%2FNewandChanged_WWGM_11...