topic Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro? in ArcGIS Pro Questions

How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

SabineSchnichels — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 11:09:31 GMT

Are absolute pathnames the default option? Does ArcGIS Pro always store absolute pathnames or is there a possibility to change this to relative?

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:11:13 GMT

The concept of relative paths is a bit different. When you create a project you can have a structure set up for you

so in theory, your geodatabase, home folder etc is already created.

Can you be specific about what it is you are trying to do. When you move 'stuff' if everything is moved 'relative' to the aprx, then there shouldn't be a problem

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

DanPatterson_Retired — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:32:49 GMT

Check this link...

you may wish to set up a project template for current and future use so your connections are maintained.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

MarcoBoeringa — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 16:26:57 GMT

Does ArcGIS Pro always store absolute pathnames or is there a possibility to change this to relative?

As far as I understood it, it is exactly the opposite of what you are writing: Pro defaults to using relative paths. This is why there is no setting for relative paths like in ArcMap.

The only "but..." is that, of course, as with ArcMap, in order to have Pro save relative paths, both your data and your project must reside on the same drive. If a certain data set used in your project is on C: and your Pro project (*.aprx) is on 😧, there is no other option for Pro than to save the particular data source with an absolute path. This is no different than ArcMap.

I just tested this out to be sure by moving a Pro project of mine from my 😧 to my C: drive (with all my data referenced from D originally). The project opened fine on C:, and the layer properties show the C: drive as data source. This is a clear indication of default relative paths in the project.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

PaulDoherty2 — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 21:07:26 GMT

Dan Patterson‌ et al.

We (+Alix Vezina) are working on a shareable ArcGIS Pro "template" but have hit two major issues.

Link: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=ee44dd7cd11c4017a67d43fcbb1cb467

1) Project Template: When using a Project Template, ArcGIS Pro Tasks could not find the models we built and totally broke. Let's skip this for now because maybe templates are not a good approach.

2) Zip and Ship: When we use a more "classic" approach of zipping up all of the resources (ArcGIS Pro Project File, Toolbox, GDB, Folders) - this problem is resolved but we run into another similar relative path issue.

If our Task references a geoprocessing tool or model, the predefined inputs / outputs are still pointing to the original PC. What is the best way to resolve this?

Screenshot below shows it references C:\Users\avezina but this is Alix' PC not mine Note inputs that point to feature layers in the web map are not broken, just the local feature classes stored in the .gdb. Whether it is the Default .gdb or other.

Any help you can provide would be fantastic! As a non-profit we do not get access to Esri Support for ArcGIS Pro

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

DanPatterson_Retired — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 20:13:44 GMT

We have an expression in our teaching labs... "Users is for Losers" if you want to lose data, have difficulty accessing data, use your 'users' folder . Sadly it is the default for many programs for installations of 'clones' and other such beasts.

The solution is to ensure that you are aware of the pitfalls and try to avoid them from the get-go.

Here are some examples below, with more at...

/blogs/dan_patterson/2016/08/14/filenames-and-file-paths-in-python

# ---- success 1, use 'raw' encoding (small 'r' in front of path)
pth = r"C:\Users\avezina"
print(pth)
C:\Users\avezina

# ---- fail 1, \U is a unicode no-no
pth = "C:\Users\avezina"
  File "<ipython-input-3-6108ffe99c8b>", line 1
    pth = "C:\Users\avezina"
         ^
SyntaxError: (unicode error) 'unicodeescape' codec can't decode bytes in position 2-3: truncated \UXXXXXXXX escape


# ---- success 2, use forward slashes, but hard to set up without reading a bad path
pth = "C:/Users/avezina"
print(pth)
C:/Users/avezina


# ---- fail 2, you get quasi-smart and switch folders, but discover that there
# are other fails, like \a, \t, \n plus others

pth = "C:\other_folder\avezina"

print(pth)
C:\other_foldervezina‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

If you were running a script in a tool in a toolbox, I would have a direct option.

I always set my 'paths' relative to the running script

import sys

script = sys.argv[1]

This gives the path to the running script... I just parse off the bits I don't want and append the location of such things as other folders and gdb's because I have everything to be contained in one folder when I 'zip and ship'

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

PaulDoherty2 — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 21:56:49 GMT

Dan Patterson‌ thank you for the quick reply. As soon as I clicked "Post" I thought of this myself. When I used to teach ArcMap I encouraged the use of C:/GIS and will go back to that here for this lesson. I just had hoped ArcGIS Pro somehow fixed this since it defaults to the "Documents" folder. It just shows, sometimes you have to go back to basic GIS101!

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

Anonymous User — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 18:44:26 GMT

Has anyone figured out how to use relative links in Pro? This is what my links like in ArcMap. The hyperlink lightning bolt is there.

This is what the look like in Pro.

Do the links need to be in a different format. I want to move my clients to Pro but how will links relative links work?

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

Anonymous User — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 15:13:36 GMT

Bump. So is there no way to do this? I can have relative links in ArcMap but not pro? I really have to put file:/// in front of the link?

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

ZaferDefne — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:26:41 GMT

My experience is that if you set things up consistently under a parent folder you can move it around (copy/paste to another location, even rename it) in Windows and things don't break.

See "current settings" under "project" menu. In this example "CHES_shorelines" is my parent folder.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

DavidWheelock2 — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:59:46 GMT

That's not Relative Pathnames from ArcMap.

In ArcMap, if you check the checkbox for Store relative pathnames to data sources in the Document Properties window, then pathnames will be stored in notation relative to the current location of the ArcMap MXD, anywhere in the file structure. It enables the user to copy a file structure to another computer or network location and still have everything work perfectly. This is a VERY useful and important feature. If you do not check the box then ArcGIS Pro uses fixed paths which is also very useful.

What the author is asking is, "Where in Pro is the equivalent setting?" It appears that this setting has not yet been migrated to Pro.

ArcMap Document Properties window:

You can find documentation for this here:

https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/map/working-with-arcmap/referencing-data-in-the-map.htm

and, more specifically, here:

https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/map/working-with-arcmap/referencing-data-in-the-map.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_03BE853AAD2F40B0AB28FDC0BEE31355

This is an ArcMap equivalence issue. Yet another important feature that hasn't yet been migrated.

... BUT ...

I just tested all of this and it appears that Relative Pathnames functionality is there and is the default and there's no way to turn it off. I just created an ArcGIS Pro document with data stored on the same file structure in a folder external to the home folder. Then I copied both the home and external data folders to a server folder and moved the original source folders so they couldn't be found. When I open the Pro project from the server copy, it finds all of the data in the new location and everything works fine.

So, how is absolute paths handled?

SUMMARY QUESTION
In summary, from experience with ArcGIS Pro up till now I have observed that:

If you copy just the APRX file then fixed paths are used,
If you copy the entire home folder and folder structure then Pro uses relative pathnames.

It appears that Pro is doing this on-the-fly without telling us or giving us the option to choose. Is this what the rest of you are observing?

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

Chris01 — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 21:05:00 GMT

Hey Paul, by any chance did you figure this issue out? Currently having a similar issue..

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

BarryFosberg — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 20:40:42 GMT

I seem to have come into this problem somewhere in the middle of what some here are addressing. I am using ARCGIS Pro 2.8. I cannot believe this is that hard. Therefore there has to be something I am missing.

I have been creating an involved project on a common drive. This avoids the C:\ issue. Within the home folder for this project I have saved different versions of the project (save as, a new .aprx). This was done to minimize the damage if something got corrupted. This approach is of limited value because the copy is still tied to the original project geodatabase.

One goal is to create a clean copy of the project, minus the various intermediate, test and otherwise no longer needed model, layer files and etc. To be clear, I want my original project map geodatabase intact, and the new copy to have only the minimum of features and associated materials. There are a few more things to be done, like designing my layer files for symbolizing. At that point I will want to create a final template. It must allow a future user to begin with all the base files, models and symbology .lyr files associated with this assignment. These copies, hypothetically can be anywhere, but are intended to be stored on the common drive, in a project folder.

All without damaging the latest, working map project:

Goal 1 Clean up and finish a project map

Goal 2 create a Project Template for sharing.

At some point I want to delete older copies and perhaps the working map project, but that should be a matter of deleing copies, at no risk to later versions.

First I created another copy of the project map. To it I added a 2nd copy of the original project geodatabase and renamed it. Then changed the source property for each layer to be the new geodatabase.

The project toolbox was still the original project toolbox. Also, every step in a project model/tool pointed to the original project map. The output appears in the new map project. It seems a toolbox either cannot be renamed or copied or doing so requires some not obvious steps.

Finding this unwieldy-

I reopened the last working copy of the map project and shared it as a project template.

Upon opening the template and saving a new project; it has two geodatabases, one empty and one with the original layers. Both appear to be tied exclusively to the new map project. It also has two tool boxes, both with the original project models/tools.

The good news is that the project models/tools look to be tied to the new map project.

This is a lot of steps. This cannot be the intended process.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

KeithOlson — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:14:43 GMT

In my experience, the relative paths functionality in Pro only works within the project's Home Folder. In the case where data is stored on the same drive, but outside your project's Home Folder (like with shared data for multiple projects), relative paths does NOT work.

For example:

- Project Location: X:\Projects\MyProject\MyProject.aprx

- Home folder: X:\Projects\MyProject\

- Some layers sourcing X:\Data\SharedData.gdb

In this case, if your colleague has that same drive mapped to a different letter, all the layers sourcing X:\Data\SharedData.gdb will be broken.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

curtvprice — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 21:14:20 GMT

Once the damage is done, this help article points you to various methods of fixing the dreaded red exclamation points in your map or layout Contents, Catalog pane, or Catalog view.

Repair project items

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

BarryFosberg — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 19:07:17 GMT

At this point I have project templates. I will be posting a further question on a thread about Templates verses Packages, but this one is about relative path names.

long set up :

My Goal is a template or package that will allow a particular project to be loaded onto another machine and run a map project from that machine. In this project the user will supply one data table and it along with one pre-existing feature layer will be put through two models. The other user should be able to function without any path to any existing data source.

A further complexity is that we are in a One Drive environment. ESRI has not solved all of the problems associated with One Drive. That again is a separate issue.

The one feature that the user must have to run either of this project's two tools is stored in a geodatabase. It looks like the geodatabase is recreated in each new project made from the template. So far so good.

What I cannot test, for the moment, is how well this works from another computer.

Almost there:

The tools that calls for the feature class seems to work with a path to the geoodatabase like this:

C:\Users\MYLoginName\OneDrive(localDirectory)\HomeDirectory\Map1FmTemplate3_21\MapProject1.gdb .

Un fortunately the tool opens in the new project map asking for the feature class with the path:

C:\Users\My long in name\OneDrive - HPD\(Subfolder where the original map project was developed\MapProject1\MapProject1.gdb\feature name

Footnote, the subfolder: OneDrive(localDirectory) is always on my computer and in the cloud, apparently solving some ESRI/ArcPro issues. I am using my C: drive to save computer operating time as our server connection is not that robust.

Actual Question:

In the Template, I think I need to change the path to the geodatabase to something like:

C:\Users\%anyones login name%\

OneDrive(localDirectory)\HomeDirectory\Map1FmTemplate3_21\MapProject1.gdb .

For %anyones login name%

I have tried %name% and %username%

Any suggestion as to the right inline variable to allow a path to whatever C drive is the host drive for their new map project?

Bonus Question

The feature class is in the geodatabase in the newly created map project. How do I design the model so that it does not look to the geodatabase back in the original, project development geodatabase?

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

curtvprice — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 22:13:57 GMT

Be very careful with use of OneDrive and Pro (or ArcMap)
More details here:
Esri Tech article 25605: Problem: ArcGIS Pro and Cloud Storage Services
https://support.esri.com/en/technical-article/000025605

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

BarryFosberg — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:24:27 GMT

Thank you for posting the link.

I am aware that Pro and One drive are not fully integrated. Part of what I am attempting is to see if I can use the Home Drive with the setting , always stored at this location. I think it could work, but, the testing is beginning to take too much time, when we have common drive that avoids One Drive.

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

BartGriesenauer — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:46:52 GMT

Has there been a solution to saving relative path links in ArcGIS Pro? Using these links is a part of our workflow. Matts example is perfect, is this something that is on the radar at ESRI to address and if not, how can it be brought more to their attention

Re: How can I "store relative pathnames" in ArcGIS Pro?

BarryFosberg — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:58:56 GMT

I do not think I have THE answer.

ESRI knows that One Drive can be a problem. I know that because I have begun to see warnings' from ESRI about possible conflicts. The ones I have seen were built into the descriptions for various tools.

In running my two model from other than my computer, I find one only works as a model, but not as a tool. This may be a coding issue unrelated to One Drive.

The other runs as a tool but causes a number of one drive conflicts with temp files. These conflicts are not critical and the tool will run to satisfactory completion.