idea Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro

alex_friant — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:18:20 GMT

I often find myself switching between tabs in the Content Pane. I go from List by Selectability, to List by Snapping layers, back to List by Order (Visibility).

It would be so very helpful if there was an ability to "pop-out" those Content Lists into separate panes so we don't have to constantly switch back-and-forth between Content List tabs.

The interface would be something like this:

Once it's open, you could have them side-by-side. This would allow for an interface with less clicking when you need to adjust various settings for layers.

--OPTIONAL IDEA--

Instead of pop-outs, keep the single pane but move Selectability, Editability, Snapability from tabs to 3 separate check boxes next to the layer names. Below sketches out the idea with the check boxes to the right of the layer names, but they could be off to the left, as well, with perhaps a "eye" icon above Visibility.

Re: Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro

wayfaringrob — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 18:34:56 GMT

Yes to this, or maybe combining the tabs together into a more functional single pane, perhaps with customizable columns for toggling different things like visibility, labeling, selectability, editing. Anything to get out of having to toggle back and forth between them constantly for different functions, especially when a layout is involved and you have to also deal with activation/deactivation.

Re: Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro

alex_friant — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 20:17:37 GMT

@wayfaringrob - Absolutely, having a single pane where it makes sense would be even better. Like Selectability, Visibility, Editability, Snapability are all things that are often used during editing and could line up as 4 separate check boxes next to the layer names.

Re: Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro

wayfaringrob — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 20:30:33 GMT

Yes, exactly that! Very much like the layers panel in Adobe products - a useful one-stop shop without any of the extra clicks/tab switching that has come to dominate Pro. You'd be interested in the discussion on this idea: Definition Query Icon in Table of Contents - Esri Community

Re: Provide ability to have multiple Content List Panes open in ArcGIS Pro

MitchellDrennan — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:10:25 GMT

This would be great. I used to employ data driven pages and page queries in ArcMap in order to step through features in a layer and the map would automatically pan/zoom to the target feature in the page-queried layer. Now, in ArcGIS Pro, with the Map Series tool being limited to the Layout View, I have to have a Layout View and Map View open side-by-side, click on the Layout View to activate the Layout Contents Pane, step to the next feature, then click on the Map View and manually pan/zoom to the target feature. Too much clicking and scrolling. The ability to open multiple Contents Panes (one for my Map View and one for my Layout View) would reduce some of that clicking.