idea ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

DT — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:42:44 GMT

Simply put, please provide an option to disable the contextual ribbon, and enable dockable toolbars and menus in their entirety, just like ArcMap.

I have been trialing Pro for a few weeks for the second time since it has come out. I trialed 1.x, left it, and now 2.0.1. I have gone through several iterations of Arc since the 3.x days. I'm not against change, and 64 bit is the future. However, this round seems too focused on "look and feel", versus efficiency of core workflows.

That said, the contextual menu may have it's place, but not in my or many of my peers' workflows. It is just as much of a pain in Office 2016, and I believe a majority will agree. Ribbons have their place in single display devices with small screens, like laptops and tablets. I believe ESRI developers have lost touch with how big their software actually is, and how much of the [efficient] core work behind all the "slick" maps gets done at a desktop workstation with multiple monitors. Without the big work, you don't get "slick" maps for the pseudo "Arc Users" to play around with on their mobile devices. There's more to "GIS" than turning map layers on an off on a buttery smooth base map service. Don't forget about the power users behind the scenes.

Some running examples, not including the many missing tools:

1) The ribbon actually removes more real estate from my map display than a typical dual-monitor docking arrangement of regularly used menus and toolbars.

2) If I needed a different tool for a less common workflow, the ArcMap method of a single right-click that displayed all potential toolbars, with a check, or not, was magnificently simple and yet robust. In fact, seeing all the tools was an excellent way to encourage self-teaching of new tools and workflows. I can't count how many times I had some data or an idea, and looked at the toolbar list for the best (possibly new) way to get the end result. Now everything is split up and buried.

3) With multiple monitors to dock menus and toolbars, ArcMap power users are able to keep regularly used tools "in their place", and instantly select a tool or operation with one click from muscle memory. The contextual ribbon forced ESRI to split everything up, subdividing it under a limited number of "contexts". As end users, we are now forced to interpret which "context" the developers felt a certain tool or operation fell under, navigate to that tab, and then frequently now guess which dropdown to use under that tab. Once the correct tool or operation is found, we must then further navigate additional contexts within a pane or even panes. Sometimes we even need to navigate multiple contexts for a simple layer property or labeling change. All extremely inefficient, and oftentimes not intuitive.

That is all for now, but I have two unrelated observations to note:

1) This webpage is responding to mouse and keyboard at about 1 character or click per 3 seconds. Everything else on my machine, including other websites is extremely fast. Coincidence?

2) There is no flag or category for ArcGIS Pro. Very suspect, considering the popularity of the subject, its focus at the User Conference, and that this is where tech support refers all complaints.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

KoryKramer — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 09:00:15 GMT

dtschopp‌ You might also review https://community.esri.com/ideas/13236‌ as it relates to your comment about the ribbon taking up real estate.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

RobertBlash_HMM — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:56:45 GMT

Very well said and I agree with all of the points @D T has raised. I've spent a little time evaluationg Pro and there are some great new features, but I seem to spend most of my time looking for a tool or button that has been at my fingertips for 10+ years. There is nothing inherently wrong with dockable and customizable toolbars. Ribbons by default are a slower way to work because they often turn a simple single-click task into many click task. For example, while editing if I want to go back to my previous extent I need to click the map ribbon, click the previous extent button, then click the edit ribbon to return to editing tools. In ArcMap the Back button has always been there, right next to the editing tools.

ESRI cannot make the mistake of ignoring the core GIS professionals and their workflows. We are the ones behind the scenes keeping the "lights on" so to speak so that the casual users can create a nice 3D webmap so everyone else can say "cool".

Change isn't bad, but change for the sake of change is.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

DrewFlater — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 06:41:00 GMT

While this doesn't fully accomplish the idea, it may help improve your experience: ArcMap-style toolbar for ArcGIS Pro

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

ThomasColson — Thu, 03 May 2018 14:17:49 GMT

Drew, very cool! But I can't do something like pictured below. I like to keep my editing tools at the bottom of the screen, and have every tool available, as, I generally use most of them for big projects. Fussing around with ribbon customization has no similarity to the very simple and quick task of turning a toolbar on and dragging it where you want.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

JohnMDye — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:33:31 GMT

Take note Esri.

Microsofts Boldly Plans to Revert the Ribbon Back to a Toolbar.

Nobody likes the Ribbon UI. We want our toolbars!!!

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

ThomasColson — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 18:36:56 GMT

" Users have a lot of “muscle memory” built around these versions, so we plan on being especially careful with changes that could disrupt their work. "....another "note" that I wish ESRI would "take".......

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

MichaelKelly — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:47:31 GMT

One thing I find very useful is to customise the ribbon options as below.

This results in a custom Ribbon Tab getting added as below:

I find this quite useful for having my most commonly used tools in one place.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

JamalNUMAN — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 20:27:18 GMT

ArcGIS Pro 2.5: Why not to have the model builder tools available while working in the model builder pane?

For example, in the screenshot below, while working with a maximized model builder pane, it would be nice if we still have all the tools available in this pane as it is used to be in ArcMap. This would offer much more flexibility in reaching out the tools

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

Anonymous User — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 22:01:33 GMT

Lack of dockable customizable quick access tool bars is the sole thing that prevents me from making the full switch to Pro. Currently, there is only one quick access tool bar on the top of the window. All I want is that, but more of them, and to be able to dock them wherever I want on the screen.

Thanks!

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

SimonKedward — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 19:23:58 GMT

Add a custom Panel into ArcGIS Pro where the users can create groups and add tools to those custom group.

After seriously using Pro over the past few weeks it's becoming evident that a custom tool panel would be very helpful and speed up my use of the software.

I'll give an example of why using the dynamic Ribbon in a number of cases is failing for my use.

Label weights - While in the layout I was looking at my labels and wanted to play with Weights. In order to access this button I have to click on a layer and then go to that Ribbon and then click Weights. In ArcMap the Label Toolbar would always be accessible and the Weights were one click away.

My solution was to put Weights on the Quick Action Toolbar, but this should not be the real solution of every tool.

So in light of the above an added Panel that users could add tools to and then drag to another part of the screen or pin to the side would save time and reproduce old Toolbars in ArcMap.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

DanielWhitworth — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:10:40 GMT

10,000% agree with Robert. I couldn't have said it better. You need to focus on the professional users and stop only designing this for casual users who aren't as effected by having to occasionally hop thru ribbons..

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

SimonKedward — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:56:14 GMT

I've been forced to putting almost everything on the Quick Action Toolbar. But just today I was editing a table and I had to search for the "save" edit button as I was moving about the map and somehow ArcGIS Pro thought I wanted some other Ribbon then the one I had told it I wanted.

The "quick action" toolbar is not the solution but a work-around. Come on ESRI I know you can do it.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

Anonymous User — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 20:42:31 GMT

The "quick action" bar could be a solution if you can create multiple of them and allow them to be docked anywhere you want. That would satisfy me. Still a lot of work to create all the custom action bars, but at least I would only have to do it once.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

ChristinaBrewer1 — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 19:13:58 GMT

So much nodding to this post.

Toolbars help create a customized work environment, that enables efficient workflows for professional users.

I agree with other users that the large buttons garner way too much screen space and limit what is accessible in a given ribbon. Customizable icon sizing would be nice.

Not against change, but change should maintain the good, efficient things about a platform while improving the shortcomings.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

OskarErdödy — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 20:11:47 GMT

Yes, no change in 2022, Pro 2.91.

So one more consent from me, and I am only on my second day with Pro.

Luckily, I still have the old Arcmap. I think I will use it until it expires.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

Anonymous User — Mon, 16 May 2022 15:32:11 GMT

I can't agree with this post and comments more. I've used Pro solidly for a year and half now. I need multiple Quick Access Toolbars I can customize!! Just like someone above said. And I want my layout toolbar on the bottom. Do you know how annoying it was to find the Full Extent Layout button?

I was looking for disgruntled users like me and I found you. 🙂 How about we all respond to Jack Dangermond's 2022 User Conference Pre-Event Survey and tell him "We want our Toolbars back in ArcGIS Pro!" 🙂

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

wayfaringrob — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 21:37:44 GMT

I kudoed this long ago but reread this today - points in the post and comments are very well supported & articulated. Any of these improvements would be more than welcome. One of these days, I'm going to run out of room up here (already difficult to use if I have anything other than a maximized window). The ribbon tabs are just functionally a mess, and as other applications abandon them I wonder why we're continuing down this path. It was a good experiment in software UIs but they've run their course. In Pro, they were terribly disorganized to begin with and have seen no real changes since the first versions of the software. It would be another change, but after using Pro for a few years I still haven't gotten used to them and wouldn't mind learning something new (back to toolbars or something else) if it made more sense.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

wayfaringrob — Wed, 17 May 2023 20:37:19 GMT

I think about this idea every time I come across a ribbon tab that looks like this:

Just a huge waste of space that not only requires manual user input to get the dang commands to appear, but it obscures other commands that may be needed one or two clicks later.

Then, you have ribbon tabs that look like this -- over 50% of the buttons are the same, if not rearranged or collapsed into dropdowns to make things even more confusing. The cognitive load required to decide what tab you need increases as it's not immediately intuitive if you're on the right tab since it looks a lot like like the other one.

Why not just put everything "cataloggy" on one tab and disable things that aren't relevant to the selection? That's how toolbars work, and they work fine. Are there more on the screen that are perhaps not relevant all the time? Yes! That's the point, and there's room for that when the buttons aren't the size of Texas. (Not that I want a Vatican-sized button, but you get the idea. Bcc: Bookmarks dropdown.) There's less brain power required to go hunt down a tool. You can decide where they go, and they don't move around. They shouldn't move. Or, rather than showing/hiding entire tabs, let those subsections appear and disappear with the selection.

The ribbons still feel half-baked 3 major releases in. There's got to be a better way -- putting tools inside the views and/or yes, the tried and true ArcMap toolbars. Dockable floating palettes -- combining the ribbon idea of contextual buckets with the full functionality of a pane, a la Adobe and many others, would also be help create a much more efficient & desirable UI.

Re: ArcGIS Pro: Option to Enable Dockable Toolbars and Menus

CalebGarrett — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:47:31 GMT

I couldn't agree more with all of the posts above. Esri appears to be more interested in the way things look than functionality and efficiency. It feels like change for the sake of change. As one user said above, I'm good with change if it provides benefit to the end user. If ain't broke, don't fix it!