idea Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

hherrmann_coj — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:27:29 GMT

Editing is so much more clunky in Pro than in Desktop. To edit, I have to make sure I'm on the edit tab, clicking at the top of my screen. Then have to click create, then have to click over on the right side of the screen to select the layer I want to edit, then I have to select what kind of feature to select, and then if I want to change the type of feature, I have to click on the bottom of my screen. I feel like ESRI focuses more on making Pro look "pretty", than they do functionality and speed. As a CAD person for much of my career, when I'm digitizing data, I want to be able to be quick. Most of us use large monitors and having to click all over the place to complete simple tasks takes up far more time in Pro than in Desktop and is counter productive, particularly when just trying to digitize simple data.

As you can see in the screenshot below, that's a LOT of clicking.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming - Status changed to: Needs Clarification

Scott_Harris — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:50:13 GMT

@hherrmann_coj Thanks for the feedback. Can you please provide a specific suggestion on how Editing in ArcGIS Pro can be more productive for you?

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

wayfaringrob — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 15:35:57 GMT

@Scott_Harris I've got some ideas - less of the contextual switching. Kill the ribbon and give us our toolbars back. In ArcMap, you could situate an editing toolbar on your screen and just go to town. It would never leave you and it wouldn't require a multi-click expedition to get started. Not only does the behavior described by @hherrmann_coj exist in Pro, but I also find the opposite happening - editing when I don't mean to be editing. It seems that if you have the create or modify features pane open whatsoever, I sometimes get switched into an editing tool when I just want to be selecting or something.

Can you imagine if your car keys only showed the unlock button sometimes? Or if a fire alarm pull station only showed a switch when it thought there was smoke? That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?

Agree with your points @hherrmann_coj about Pro being a major drag on efficiency all around.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

Scott_Harris — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 16:22:47 GMT

Thanks for the feedback @wayfaringrob. I guess we can wait until @hherrmann_coj replies to find out what their Idea is for improving Editing productivity. If it's not the same, perhaps your suggestion(s) can be their own "Ideas".

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RE: "I also find the opposite happening - editing when I don't mean to be editing. It seems that if you have the create or modify features pane open whatsoever, I sometimes get switched into an editing tool when I just want to be selecting or something."

One suggestion might be to check on 'Enable and disable editing from the Edit tab' in Editing options. Once you check it on, you can edit if the button is clicked on. Create and Modify are disabled until then:

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

RoseF — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:03:40 GMT

I'm not sure why I can't add Kudos to this idea, so I'm adding a comment to remind myself to check back later. I'd like to follow this idea to see what kind of improvements are or can be added to the editing processes in Pro. I definitely feel like editing is slower for me in Pro than it is in ArcMap but I'm not sure if it's me or the program -- maybe I don't know some tips or tricks that can speed things up.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

JasonDugas — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:40:43 GMT

I agree with the feedback/suggestions here. I edit very detailed habitat maps which requires switching tools in rapid succession. I agree with bringing back floating tool bars and how easy it was to add and remove tools from tool bars from ArcMap.

I am sure all would agree that there needs to be an option to turn off animation flashing after edits ( there is a topic on this already https://community.esri.com/ideas/17830 )

I cannot add kudo either.

Thanks!

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

hherrmann_coj — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:59:11 GMT

@ScottS I know you have but I feel like I should ask how much you've edited data in ArcMap vs ArcGIS Pro? Because I would think you might be able to answer those questions you're asking me.

To have to switch from multiple tabs through the "pretty ribbons" is such a cumbersome process. Like @wayfaringrob said, get rid of the ribbons. It feels like ESRI probably spends a lot on graphic artists to make all of the "pretty buttons" all over these cumbersome things too. LOL!

But on a serious note, going from the edit tab, to the table tab, to the analysis tab, to this tab, and that tab, and then from those, to clicking all over creation on the screen to get to the fly out window options for each of the above just really takes away sooo much time in terms of productivity. Thank goodness I'm not paid on production...eek! 😂

Also to mention, having to click save in multiple locations when editing data or tables...and constantly forgetting to hit "apply", or yet another window pops up asking you to confirm whether you want your changes saved or not, also reduces production. I know you can set it to autosave, but as in ArcMap, it just makes more sense to me to be able to start an edit session and have the option to have whatever toolbars open that you want, instead of having all of the fluff like Pro does.

As stated in my original suggestion, I'd be much happier editing in Pro if it was focused on functionality and not looks. (I have similar complaints about Portal, too. So much clicking and looking for things that should be way simpler).

Again, I come from a speed CAD architectural drafting environment and while it lead me to GIS which I absolutely LOVE as a profession, now that Pro is being forced, I can only hope that over time, some of these things that are kind of a pain in the tukus, will be resolved. ArcMap edits beautifully. I'd love to see some of that functionality in Pro.

@RoseF I bet it's because they moved it to "needs clarification". 😕 I just noticed that.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

wayfaringrob — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:11:17 GMT

@hherrmann_coj entirely agree. If the ribbon must stay, I think AutoCAD is a good example to point out. I don't know if that's the CAD software you use, but in my experience with it, they've got things figured out. By making the buttons smaller (vs. Pro, where I've seen tabs with literally just three humongous buttons), they're able to show more commands on the screen, and most of those 'speed editing' commands live on a single Home tab. There is much less switching around, the tabs make much more sense, AND -- get this -- it supports floating and dockable toolbars as well. For the love of god, do something with the ribbon. It is a functionality nightmare.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

JasonDugas — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:34:33 GMT

@hherrmann coj @wayfaringrob

I agree with the toolbars. The ability to float a toolbar, able to customize how each tool looks and is worded. For ex. In ArcMap I edited Merge to just M to make my custom floating toolbar as small as possible. Having to go up to the docked toolbar is time consuming. When you do fine edits to habitat data, the time saved and the peace that settles in when all your tool bars are where they need to be is huge when factored in over time.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

wayfaringrob — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:35:00 GMT

Also @Scott_Harris re: the suggestion about turning on the edit switch, you really shouldn't have to do that. If I have the selection tool active, I expect to be able to do just that and only that -- select. It becomes really confusing for users when one minute you have the selection tool on and the next you're editing vertices or something just because you happened to have the modify features pane open. What controls the application? Is it the active tool, or the visible pane? If I want to modify vertices, I'll go over and click that tool.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

John_Jones — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:25:24 GMT

@wayfaringrob

> What controls the application? Is it the active tool, or the visible pane?

The active tool is definitely controlling the application. The thing is that editing tools rather than making you switch to the selection tool to make a selection, for them to operate on, have (much like the edit tool in ArcMap) a built in selection mode which acts quite similar to the selection tool but filters the selectable features by the features that are valid for the active tool. This is why when the edit vertices tool is active and the current selection isn't valid (e.g. no or multiple features are selected) that the tool reverts back into a selection state for you to select a feature to edit vertices. In ArcMap these tools would likely either be disabled (or worse yet show a modal dialog saying the selection was bad). In Pro the tool just asks "Okay what do you want to modify?" and after you answer that question (by selecting the feature to modify) it gets to work. It does indeed look similar to the core select features tool because they are both asking the same question, but once a selection is made the select features tool will just sit there and say "Let me know when you want to select again" while the Pro editing tools will move on and start trying to do their work on that selected feature.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

Anonymous User — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 19:35:56 GMT

There are many ideas out there about slow editing in Pro and bringing toolbars back. I have created and put kudos on several. I'm just happy to know I'm not alone. 🙂 I do need to look for some training videos on how editing is actually supposed to go in Pro - I can't be doing it the intended way - just trying to make it work. I edited and created annotation this week - if you need a laugh try out that workflow.

And I'm more and more convinced that most people at Esri don't use Esri software. (It sort of makes sense, they're developers or trainers or customer service etc etc. They aren't day-to-day GIS Pro workers). If they did I think we'd have a much different ArcGIS Pro.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

wayfaringrob — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 19:49:13 GMT

@Anonymous User re: your last point, I wonder the same sometimes. They need people on staff that use this software as we do that can help take care of these issues before they make it to production, instead of actual users ripping their hair out every single day, screaming into the Community void where our ideas are locked down or ignored for literally decades. It's nothing new, and every GIS meme page out there pokes fun at them, but in reality there's nothing funny about unstable software that is supposed to help users work efficiently and effectively. It is frustrating and disappointing.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

hherrmann_coj — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:01:13 GMT

@wayfaringrob, yes, AutoDesk software, primarily Auto Cad (for Architecture) and also Civil 3D are exactly what I used for 15 years or better. There was a pretty steep learning curve between Auto CAD for Architecture and Civil 3D when I switched from the field of Architecture to the field of Civil Engineering also but one of my most favorite things about learning Civil 3D was I could customize ANYTHING! I could chose to have toolbars, or I could chose to have ribbons. I typically had toolbars for non common tasks but I did most of my drafting with keyboard shortcuts and I was the fastest out of the two man team of CAD users in our Engineering department. I think it's partly why I fell so fast in love with GIS after I started getting into ArcMap and learning how to create/edit data. Granted, I haven't found a way to set up keyboard shortcuts in there and it was an adjustment for a while but once you get things set up the way you like them, editing is a breeze.

I am trying to force myself to get used to Pro and am using it predominantly but it's more begrudgingly that I chose to do so since support and upgrades to ArcMap is coming to an end eventually (which is a really bad idea in my opinion).

Pro is really great at some things, well one that I'd put out there, but it's not so great at more things in terms of data creation and editing. I love how easy publishing to our Portal or AGOL is in Pro but to be honest, I can't think of any other features I've seen so far while forcing myself to use Pro, that I would actually brag about.

Now I fear my post, with all of this great feedback and communication from actual users will remain in "needs clarification" now forever more...? ☹️

Developers vs users. Two very different beasts for sure. LOL!

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

RoseF — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:12:30 GMT

I completely agree with all of the comments about toolbars vs ribbons and so on. I have resorted to moving the "Quick Access Toolbar" down, below the ribbon and dragging and dropping tools I use frequently to that area. Here is an image of how things look in an empty APRX (so a bunch of tools are ghosted out):

One issue, of course, is that this is going to become one BIG toolbar where it would be nicer to have smaller ones.

Another issue is that I have to "memorize" what each little icon means. Honestly, though, this is how I managed in ArcMap and for me, returning my mouse to the same location on my monitor every time I want to do that thing is how I sped up my editing.

Are there customization options in Pro that I'm not aware of? Is it possible to customize other toolbars (one for editing, one for navigation, etc)? Or maybe that's what this idea is all about! I would be happy, if I could have three of these custom, quick access toolbars and had the ability to move them around to various places. Keep the ribbons but also give us that don't need ribbons a few toolbars!!

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

Anonymous User — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 21:27:53 GMT

Here you go everyone, just the editing related idea posts that I am following:

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/allow-the-arcgis-pro-ribbon-to-be-resizable/idi-p/924346

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/arcgis-pro-option-to-enable-dockable-toolbars-and/idi-p/940132

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/bring-edit-button-from-desktop-to-pro/idi-p/930578

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/edit-vertices-double-click/td-p/1064745

@RoseF I asked this exact question at the UC - they didn't choose to answer my question. 🤣 I miss my layout toolbar at the bottom everyday 😊

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

Anonymous User — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 18:03:48 GMT

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/arcgis-pro-reorder-and-group-items-quick-access/idi-p/928089

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/arcgis-pro-rearranging-quick-access-toolbar-tools/idi-p/921851

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

wayfaringrob — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 21:58:11 GMT

Had this happen again today: selected the feature select tool from my QAT, selected a feature, and out of nowhere the Modify Features pane activates, telling me I can't edit vertices on this layer, even though I wasn't trying to and didn't even have the pane showing.

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

AndreaB_ — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 14:37:34 GMT

I find it a little amusing that after 1 year this is still stuck on 'Needs Clarification'. I think there is plenty in the comments for this Idea to be opened back up for Kudos...

Re: Make Editing (Among other processes) Less Clunky and Time Consuming

Scott_Harris — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 14:58:27 GMT

Hey @AndreaB_

Thanks for the reminder. This idea actually does need clarification from the original submitter, @hherrmann_coj .

Ideas should follow the guidelines "One submission = One idea" posted here : https://community.esri.com/t5/community-help-documents/arcgis-ideas-submission-guidelines-and-statuses/ta-p/904874#toc-hId-1035765654

@hherrmann_coj please edit the idea to be specific so we can re-open this one.

To any of the commenter here, if you posted a suggestion here, please make them into their own Idea if they aren't already.

Thank you!