idea Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

paulbehnke — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 16:30:55 GMT

When you have stacked Panes, Pro remembers the last Pane you had open and every project thereafter (whether a new, blank project or an existing one) Pro will open with that as the active Pane. This also happens if you have a project open and save it on a particular Pane, the next project you open or create will default to that Pane.

PLEASE allow us the choice! It would be VERY beneficial to have a toggle option to specify this (remember last pane open or specify a default pane).

This is a problem for me because I jump around between projects and often open blank projects just to do something in Catalog (I moss the old way where Catalog was separate - it being locked with Pro causes plenty of its own set of issues) or a geoprocessing tool, but 99% of the time I need to start in Catalog.

In order for this to be accomplished in Pro is to remember to close every project on the Catalog pane, and make sure that when I save any open projects to save them while the Catalog pane is open.

This is a bit clunky and annoying to say the least.

Re: Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

vanesch — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 21:00:42 GMT

Is this command helpful? It allows you to create your own collection of Pane sets (opened Panes) and jump between them.

Re: Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

RTPL_AU — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:25:20 GMT

@paulbehnke Good Idea.
Having Pro be in a consistent state every time it starts would be great.

@vanesch
Pane sets are handy but having to click at minimum 2 clicks to get the Catalog open, if it isn't, rather than having it open and in focus by default is not efficient.

Re: Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

ValeriaChavez — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 16:37:59 GMT

Hey @RTPL_AU! May I recommend adding a custom pane set to your quick access toolbar and then using Alt keys? I understand it's not what the Idea is asking for but it's something I do when I want to get back to a specific / cleaner state 🙂

Re: Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

RTPL_AU — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 07:41:51 GMT

Hi @ValeriaChavez

Yep - there are many options that we can use to create the perfect environment. Most require a keystroke or a click or sequence of clicks.

What I'm suggesting overall is to reduce the number of inefficient clicks/drags/scrolls/keystrokes/etc in Pro. In this case having a consistent state when opening would help.

Re: Allow User to Control the Default Pane in Pro

wayfaringrob — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:08:34 GMT

@RTPL_AU @ValeriaChavez @vanesch

What I'm suggesting overall is to reduce the number of inefficient clicks/drags/scrolls/keystrokes/etc in Pro. In this case having a consistent state when opening would help.

I entirely agree. I hate being a pane janitor. The sets may be helpful, but still require extra time for configuration and constantly having to go reset them. Click click click. All day long.

The ribbon itself, IMO, is light years more inefficient than the ArcMap toolbars, which stay put without having to make an extra click for everything. The same is true for the Pro panes. Scrolling single-column toggle panes that appear on top of each other and remain until the user closes them are inherently less efficient than the spatially-arranged ArcMap dialog boxes, which typically did not require any scrolling or expanding disclosure menus unless a symbol gallery or dropdown was being used, and would dismiss themselves once OK/cancel was pressed. There's no OK/Cancel in Pro, just apply and a tiny X. That's two clicks on opposite sides of the pane. It's a massively inefficient way to work--not to mention that most panes have all of their toggles collapsed by default. Click click click.