idea Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values

RobertAkroyd1 — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:13:59 GMT

When running ArcGIS Pro in a multi-user virtualised desktop environment such as Amazon AppStream it is necessary to have custom per-user configuration of file paths that can point to a custom location.

By default certain settings cause ArcGIS Pro to fill up the user's profile, which then leads to files getting swapped in and out of the user's profile, resulting in loss of previously stored files, such as the list of Portals which have been configured. Other applications also get corrupted, for example FME Desktop.

The main settings found that cause the profile to be filled up are:

StagingPath
LocalCacheFolderPath

The above 2 settings caused my 1GB profile to fill up very quickly, storing 750MB and 200MB respectively.

So, these locations need to pointed away from the default location (user profile), and to a file-share.

The file-share needs to have folders for each user to keep their temp/transient Pro working data separate from other users, so needs to have the ability to use the current user's username as a variable.

For example, the documentation for StagingPath is here:

https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/administrator-settings-list.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_63DC684EFCA44C99A8C33D9F890C9996

This shows an example setting as follows:

<StagingPath isLocked="true">C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\ArcGISPro\Staging\SharingProcesses /StagingPath>

However, <user> is just a placeholder for you to type your own username.

What is being asked for is something like:

<StagingPath isLocked="true">\\server\share\%USERNAME%\ArcGISPro\Staging\SharingProcesses </StagingPath>

So, this idea is to request that any values in the Pro.settingsConfig file that contain a path should have the ability to specify the current user's username using a variable.

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values

RobertAkroyd1 — Wed, 17 May 2023 10:13:58 GMT

@KoryKramer Enhancement request ENH-000158071 has been raised for this.

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values - Status changed to: Under Consideration

JonahLay — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:36:55 GMT

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values - Status changed to: In Product Plan

SusanTran — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:32:19 GMT

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values

JakubPruchnik — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:37:24 GMT

Is there any update available for this Enhancement request ENH-000158071. Using dynamic variables in config file is what we are looking for as well.

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values

KoryKramer — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:07:34 GMT

@JakubPruchnik In this idea, the StagingPath setting started supported environment variables in ArcGIS Pro 3.3 and we are working to support the LocalCacheFolderPath setting in ArcGIS Pro 3.4 (planned for Oct/Nov 2024).

We are working towards supporting environment variables for all the path settings, but there are different behaviors depending on the exact setting, so this has been phased work. Once Pro 3.4 is released, the primary settings that we'll be targeting for environment variable support are those related to project creation and we'll be working on those for the following release.

Re: Allow use of username variable in configSettings file path values - Status changed to: Implemented

ValeriaChavez — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:14:34 GMT

Hi @RobertAkroyd1! This Idea was implemented with the ArcGIS Pro 3.5 release. To see what else is new in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 checkout the What's new documentation and the Your Ideas in ArcGIS Pro 3.5 blog on Esri Community.