editing cues with focus pallets

two ways: you either use {Make Abs}, so the console forgets that there was a reference before (i.e. the focus palette) and only leaves the absolute values. or in the Update dialog in the CIA have a look at the right hand side buttons, one of them is called Make Absolute. you can define in setup which of these buttons is selected by default.

Is it also possible to "lock" the palette in order to keep from inadvertently changing it?

yes. [Focus Palette] 5 {Lock} Enter

I've never used make absolute so will look into that. I assume it refers to the whole cue.
Is locking the palettes another way or does that not allow the changes I am asking about when a cue uses a palette initially? ie; moving the focus position but error when trying to update the cue. And I assume once focus palette # lock enter are used to unlock there is an unlock selection in that string.

make absolute refers to your channel selection.
when you lock a palette you basically just told the console not to write changes into the palettes when using update (unless you explicitly tell it to do so).
the locking command is a toggle. so if it is already locked and you use the syntax from my last post, the palette will get unlocked (i.e. not "write protected" anymore)