idea Unclutter measure tool cursor in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Unhide measurements

RTPL_AU — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 02:17:59 GMT

Currently, in Pro 3.5.2, the distance measurement icon obscures the value on screen.

Please update the tool so that it shows the live measurement in an unobscured position.

Unclutter measure tool cursor

geodoozer — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:04:48 GMT

Symbols of nearby features often overlap Trying to measure what would be an appropriate gap between symbols, but the measurement line is obscured by the complex cursor The final look I wish to achieve

Situation: I often encounter overlapping features when making recreational maps. I find the measure tool invaluable to work out a good distance to manually separate my symbols for the layout. (Manually I can achieve better symbol order than using Disperse markers.)

Issue: Unfortunately, in Pro, I find the measure tool cursor hard to use because it has so many components. I find it tricky to see what is actually being measured because this can be obscured by the + and the right angle icon and the returned measurement itself.

Suggestion: I suggest simplifying the appearance of the measure tool, so it is clearer e.g. +---------+ where the end points of the measurement are the centres of the crosses.

This could be done for all situations; or,
Users could have a keyboard shortcut to show a simple cursor instead. In georeferencing in Pro, H hides the tips which can obscure helpful information from the map. In Adobe software, Caps Lock turns many complex cursors into a simple and clear target, +.

Trying to measure to choose parameters to smooth a line

Further use case: I also use measure to ascertain how squiggly tracks are and what parameters are appropriate for line smoothing so I can achieve a good look with a dashed line when mapping for signage. Again, the extra information Pro is giving me - whilst seeking to be helpful - makes it hard to see what I am doing. I also think the user having the ability to hide this information would be awesome.

Many thanks for your kind consideration. Happy to be pointed to information should my review of keyboard shortcuts and measure functionality have inadvertently overlooked a solution.

Re: Unclutter measure tool cursor

VenkataKondepati — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 12:57:50 GMT

Great idea! Having a cleaner, decluttered cursor when using the Measure tool would significantly improve usability, especially when working with tightly packed map features or complex symbology. Clearing the visual clutter allows for more precision and reduces visual interference.

If possible, it’d be even more helpful to offer an optional "streamlined cursor" mode maybe one that hides unnecessary UI elements temporarily while measuring and restores the full cursor afterward. This balance would keep the tool both functional and clean.

Thanks for suggesting such a user-friendly enhancement!

Re: Unclutter measure tool cursor

RTPL_AU — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:27:47 GMT