Adding Data in ArcGIS Pro is Cumbersome

[MarkVolz]

1) Folders under "My Computer" are listed as \\server\share (Drive Letter).  The drive letter is not displayed if the server name and share name is long.  This makes it difficult for users whom are accustom to adding data from a specific drive letter. I don't think that most users know or care about the server name or share.

Please change so the add data dialog displays the drive letter first before the server name and share name.

2) The scroll bar is too narrow and hard to grab with a mouse.

3)  The add data from a folder dialog displays every single drive that a computer is connected to in "My Computer" - even if the folder does not contain any GIS data.  I presume this may be in response to users whom did not realize they needed to connect to a folder in ArcGIS 10.x.  This effectively made it so that users went from having too few folder connections to too many folder connections. Consider allowing users to mark a folder as a favorite folder - similar to how connected folders in ArcGIS 10.x work.  That way users may toggle between "favorite connections " (similar to ArcGIS 10.x)  and "all connections"  (similar to the current behavior)

4. I think adding data is now much more complicated than it needs to be.  For example:

*Is a SDE connection a "Query Layer" or is it something else?   I always thought that they were seperate.  However I am not sure how to add a query layer.

*I am guessing we can add WMS, and WFS data by adding data from a path.  Can we save these connections so we dont have to write down the URL to the services?

Thanks!

[KieranSmith2]

Any progress with this yet? I would also like ability to customise the folder list - it is incredibly tedious to have to navigate from the root Computer folder every single time i want to add data

[KoryKramer]

Mark Volz‌ Check out Favorites with Pro 2.0 releases next week.  I think that it will help with the issues managing connections you mention in the original idea.  

A query layer is not the same as a database connection.  See Create a query layer—Query layers | ArcGIS Desktop  

You use the Add Data button on the Map ribbon to create query layers. Before you can create a query layer, you must first make a connection to the database.

So now, it seems like the idea boils down to wanting the drive letter to come before the path, correct?  After you've had time to work with and understand Favorites in Pro 2.0, if you agree, then I'd recommend changing the idea title and updating the description to describe the change in drive letter position that would make adding data a better experience.

Thank you!

[deleted-user-sYHsW3p_gN5o]

When you create a new project, it asks you to select a new folder. Do we know if they are planning to add "Favorites" to this folder search? It's cumbersome to go through the often 8+ folders I have.

[KoryKramer]

For point number 1 in the description, look for the ability to https://community.esri.com/ideas/13083‌ in ArcGIS Pro 2.2 in a couple of months.  I think that will take care of the issue.

For point number 2, we really should be directing attention to https://community.esri.com/ideas/13897‌

[NaicongLi]

Hello @MarkVolz,

The main suggestions in this idea are already offered in ArcGIS Pro:

1) This was resolved in ArcGIS Pro 2.8 and was associated with this other user idea: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/showing-the-name-of-the-hard-drive-on-the-catalog/idi..., which was marked as Implemented. Folder connections in Pro that access disk drives now have names that exactly match the way the same drive is presented in File Explorer, and people can also add aliases for those folder connections if they so desire.

2) This is associated with this separate user idea:  https://community.esri.com/ideas/13897.  Please upvote that idea, and help us keep each idea focused on a specific feature, and distinct from other ideas.

3) Beginning with Pro 3.1, all browse dialog boxes (including the Add Data browse dialog box) have 4 main nodes: Project, Portal, Computer, and Favorite.  The Computer node was added because of high user demand. The Favorites node was also added as you suggested, where people can keep their favorite set of connections that they can access from ANY project.  We hope this has addressed  @KieranSmith2's concern as well. 

4) @kory7554 has already answered the Query Layer question in his comment above.  Also, here is the Help topic that discusses how to create WMS and WFS connections in a project: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/projects/connect-to-a-gis-server.htm#ESRI_SECTION1_EC0... .

Thank you very much for your feedback!