ArcGIS Pro Catalog Pane - Drag and Drop Files Between Folders

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7
06-19-2018 08:18 AM
Status: Implemented
Labels (1)
AndrewStickney1
Occasional Contributor

I really appreciate that ArcGIS Pro is built around the idea of a "project folder", but I find that the Catalog window and pane lack what I consider basic file management functions available in ArcCatalog (ArcGIS Deskop). 

At ArcGIS Pro 2.1, I cannot:

  • create new folders
  • move shapefiles, excel files, or other supported files into, out of, or between folders
  • move folders into different folder structures

In ArcCatalog, I really appreciated the ability to move shapefiles, geodatabases, and other supported formats between folders using drag and drop because it simplified managing and organizing geospatial data formats that consisted of multiple files (i.e. shapefiles) by moving one "file" and ArcGIS taking care of the rest. The same benefit applies to georeferenced imagery datasets: select and move the dataset, and ArcGIS moved the supporting files (i.e. *.tfw, *.ovr, etc.). 

I always emphasized this benefit of ArcCatalog over Windows Explorer when introducing college students to ArcMap/ArcCatalog. I would hate to explain to students using ArcGIS Pro that their choices for easy completion of projects and homework assignments are:

1) Install ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, etc.) alongside their ArcGIS Pro installation and use ArcCatalog for file management. 

2) Use Windows explorer and very carefully move shapefiles between folders. 

7 Comments
KoryKramer

Thanks for submitting the idea, Andrew.  

In ArcGIS Pro 2.2 you will have the ability to create new folders within subfolders.

I haven't gone back to test in 2.1, but I can say that in 2.2 you can drag/drop shapefiles, file gdbs from one folder to another.  

As you've pointed out, it isn't currently possible to do this with other file types such as Excel or for folders themselves.  So we'll keep the idea open as Reviewed.  Thank you.

AndrewStickney1

Kory Kramer‌ - thank you for your reply! I am so glad that some of these functions will be included in version 2.2. I think it will really enhance the user experience and make ArcGIS Pro more usable.

ThomasColson

This appears to have been implemented?

KoryKramer

I think this is close - drag/drop is definitely working for most things in Pro 2.4 (to be released later this month), but it doesn't look like it for folders yet.

  • move folders into different folder structures
NaicongLi
Status changed to: Under Consideration
 
NaicongLi
Status changed to: In Product Plan
 
KoryKramer
Status changed to: Implemented

The remaining piece of this work was to drag/drop entire folders. This functionality has been added in ArcGIS Pro 3.0. See Ideas in ArcGIS Pro 3.0  to see this and all of the other ideas you can look forward to when you upgrade. There are cool screentips, too, that indicate whether the action will be Move to or Copy to...

KoryKramer_0-1656089368307.png

Also be sure to check out the What's New documentation: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/whats-new-in-arcgis-pro.htm