topic Re: Clearing custom workspace environment variables in Model Builder in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Clearing custom workspace environment variables in Model Builder

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 07:12:43 GMT

In Model Builder, I want to clear custom Workspace variables in the Environment settings.

To be clear, I want a model to run using whatever the default database/workspace of a given user is.

The below screenshot shows a brand new model with a simple string variable in it) where I have Saved it without having touched the Environments. I then opened it and confirmed the pathways were pointing to my default gdb (as shown in the tool tip for Scratch Workspace).

I then got a colleague to open the model and the Environments, and both pathways had changed to show her default geodatabase. I got her to manually enter a different pathway for the Current Workspace (%userprofile%\scratch.gdb) and save the model. I then reopened it and can see the updated Current Workspace pathway, but the Scratch one (left unchanged by my colleague) still reverted to my default gdb.

How do I get the pathway that has been customised to go back to defaulting to the default gdb of any given user? Simply selecting the pathway and deleting it doesn't work - this just results in the current default in my project being put there and remaining hardwired for other users.

Re: Clearing custom workspace environment variables in Model Builder

JulianBenz — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:27:52 GMT

I have run into this same problem. Except that in my case, I was trying to use utilize a model across many projects, each of which have a unique default geodatabase specific to the project.

My model is in my default geoprocessing toolbox. I do not change the default toolbox from project to project (so the referenced file for the tool stays the same). After figuring this out, I had to make absolutely sure that I did not change the environment workspace paths in the model, or else they would default to the workspace for the specific project I was working on and not change going forward when using the model in a different project.

I think an option should be added to allow the user whether to specific a specific workspace or just use the "default" workspace of the current project.

Re: Clearing custom workspace environment variables in Model Builder

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 01:17:29 GMT

Thanks for adding your experience! Glad I'm not the only one. I think I'll have to add an Idea so that we can reverse this behaviour after applying it.

Re: Clearing custom workspace environment variables in Model Builder

LindsayRaabe_FPCWA — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 02:02:32 GMT

https://community.esri.com/t5/modelbuilder-ideas/add-ability-to-clear-custom-workspace-variables-in/idi-p/1676980/jump-to/first-unread-message