idea Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

DanGoodrich — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:12:00 GMT

Pro needs a georeferencing viewer window like ArcMap has. I much prefer using the viewer to using fit to display.

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

EmmaDay-Gennett — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:28:01 GMT

Omg, Yes.

This is driving me nuts!

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

WStreet — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 18:00:26 GMT

Has this ever happened? I did a lot of georeferencing about 7-8 years ago and we are getting ready to do a bunch of as built drawings. The viewer window is super useful and I couldn't find it today in Pro 3.1.0.

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

TristanRota — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:07:23 GMT

Yes, yes, yes and yes please. put back the viewer window please, I can't believe such an handy tool has been left aside. I have to go back to QGIS to georeference maps now, which is much quicker and easier.

Thanks.

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

WStreet — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:41:57 GMT

I haven't used QGIS a whole lot but I do go back to Desktop to georef.

Bring back separate viewer window for georeferencing

AvaFarouche — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 16:54:26 GMT

Hi! Could you please, please, please bring back the separate window viewer for georeferencing that existed in Map??? I do a LOT of georeferencing for my work, and it often involves matching up two land imagery or hillshade layers that have no road intersections, orderly land parcels or anything so linear. It is basically impossible to match up land contours in two different layers to create control points without being able to see them clearly and simultaneously next to each other. Transparency also does not work when dealing with land contours or hillshade. Everything just gets muddled.

It is inefficient, no matter what kind of layers I'm working with, to have to zoom back and forth between extents, or to click a layer on and off every time I need to create a control point. Every time I see someone do a demonstration of georeferencing in Pro, it's an extremely simple scenario, so that works ok. But for anything more complicated, it does not. I usually need to create many control points, and they are not based on any kind of grid pattern. They're usually based on land contours and maybe a proposed mine footprint or species habitat or water body- which follow organic patterns and are often very complex. So all of the zooming back and forth and clicking on and off adds a LOT of time.

But the main problem is just that it's next to impossible to create accurate control points at all. So far, I have just had to use Map for the georeferencing, and to create a shapefile around the imported image, and then import the shape into Pro. There are obvious problems with this, not the least of which is that Map is going to be phased out.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration!!!

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

AvaFarouche — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:39:08 GMT

Yes, Dan!

I just made this same request, before realizing that you made it three years ago. I can't imagine why they didn't keep this feature in Pro.

Re: Bring back separate viewer window for georeferencing

wayfaringrob — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 20:43:26 GMT

I use QGIS for georeferencing, works in a separate window like you describe. Might be worth installing & trying since Esri rarely gets around to fixing quality-of-life problems in Pro.

Georeferencing in ArcGIS Pro - How to use the 'Viewer' tab like in ArcMap

BlendaRodriguesCarvalho — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 19:02:29 GMT

In ArcMap, when I needed to perform georeferencing, I used the 'Viewer' tab so that I wouldn't have to use 'Zoom to Layer' on the layer when adding control points. In ArcGIS Pro, I am unable to replicate this process. I suggest adding this feature, as it simplifies the workflow when georeferencing images:

Re: Georeferencing in ArcGIS Pro - How to use the 'Viewer' tab like in ArcMap - Status changed to: Needs Clarification

KoryKramer — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:35:43 GMT

@BlendaRodriguesCarvalho

In ArcGIS Pro you can open multiple views of the same map and you have options to do things like Link Views, Link Cursors, and so on.

To create a second view of the same map, just Open the map a second (or third, or fourth...) time.

Does that help with what you're trying to do?

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

Joey_Lecky — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 21:42:36 GMT

FYI, link to the idea that @AvaFarouche mentioned, which could be merged with this one (it has 9 kudos):

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/bring-back-separate-viewer-window-for/idi-p/1332792

I've tried opening two instances of the same map view with one zoomed to the ungeoreferenced image and one zoomed to the target location, to try to replicate the ArcMap viewer window. Unfortunately that is not a solution. The Add Control Points tool couldn't handle clicking back and forth between two map windows (or two views of the same map).

Bring Back the Image Window from ArcMap to ArcPro

StevenFama — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:46:53 GMT

Please bring back the window of an Image when GeoReferencing. This made it easy to add control points without zooming in and out and having everything in one window.

Re: Bring Back the Image Window from ArcMap to ArcPro

Robert_LeClair — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:46:18 GMT

Question for you - have you seen the Magnifier window—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation in ArcGIS Pro? I believe it would work for you when georeferencing.

Re: Georeferencing Viewer Window in Pro

StevenFama — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 22:54:49 GMT

We need to a separate window with the image to georefferance. Nice to have the separate window on a different monitor.