Issues/Dislikes of ArcGIS Pro

[TimHennig]

I can see where ArcGIS Pro is going but the more I’m using it, the more I do not like it.

1.  The identifying relationships don’t work.  I’ve call technical support regarding this and have not heard anything from them.
2. You cannot open more than one ArcGIS Pro session on the same computer.  In real life you are working on multiple projects and sometimes at the same time.  Not one at a time.  In ArcGIS I can open the software as many times.  ArcGIS Pro does not allow this.
3.  Working in CAD files is not the same as ArcGIS.  It’s annoying.
4. The ribbons are nice.  However, I find that I need to use a specific tool on a different ribbon and this becomes more inefficient when working in the ArcGIS Pro environment.  Too many clicks.
5. The project folder is nice, however I don’t see the relationship.  So now are we to have multiple geodatabases in each project or temporary GDB.  Connection parameters, etc.
6. Speaking of DB connection you have to reenter each DB connection for a new project?  Who thought of that?  The software can’t remember a DB connection when setting up a new project?
7. I like the separate ArcCatalog when working with a geodatabase.  I find developing a GDB is a little more challenging regarding working in a small window.  I like the catalog.  Why not load another GUI.
8. Lack of symbology/styles and if you want an old style you have to import them one at a time from ArcGIS.

After taking training in ArcGIS I was impressed.  However, now that I am working in ArcGIS; I can see a lot of issues and dislikes about the software. 
I like the software, but there needs to be more thought into this.  Obviously, this will be the replacement to ArcGIS X.X. 

[JochenWetzel]

ArcGIS Pro cannot be the future of ArcGIS, at least from my point of view. And I don't think this will happen.

[ClarkLangridge]

The only good parts of Pro I've found so far are:

1. It is a full 64-bit installation, so it runs faster than ArcGIS; and
2. you can have multiple layouts within one project.  Something that ESRI use to have in ArcView 3.x but for some reason they took it out.

Otherwise I find that Pro is a vastly inferior product to ArcGIS.  The ribbon is maddening because it usually doesn't show the tool I want, so what is the point?  The fact that I have to remap all SDE and services for each new project makes me want to bang my head on the desk.  Until they offered the option to turn off the web basemaps, its performance was terrible, and I never use them because they usually don't add anything to my project.  The lack of an ArcCatalog leaves me wondering if the designers have even tried administering a database.  It is like ESRI took all the things they've learned over the years, threw it out the window and decided to start again with all the newest, shiny toys.  K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).  Pro is definitely NOT simple.

[TomGeo]

Clark, I found the solution for the missing database and folder connections last week for me. Create a 'Project Template' where you have all your wanted connections set up once and reuse it as long as needed.

Once you have a project as you want it (for me that means no data in the TOC, and all connections set) you go to the 'Share' ribbon and select the 'Project Template' button from the 'Save As' area. Fill in the requirements and save the stuff to 'C:\Users\You\Documents\ArcGIS\ProjectTemplates'. The directory is scanned at start and you get your predefined project with all connections.

[TomGeo]

Apart from many of the points initially listed... the search function within the toolboxes is at the moment (ArcGIS Pro 1.4.1) useless. Normally I do not use toolboxes. Instead I write my stuff in Python, and have it reusable. However, when I search e.g. for 'Add Rasters To MosaicDataset' then the search comes back empty. Also, I would never search after this phrase, rather than after 'AddRasterToMosaicDataset'... simply because I am used to. The latter option comes back as empty as the first attempt.

The Python pane, when undocked has refresh issues. Sometimes, it keeps the last command in the input line, and I'm writing on top of the old command the new. The pane is sometimes just a white frame and all style elements, such as borders, titlebar, and close-, maximise button disapear. It only refreshs when I click in the titlebar area and move it a bit...

The input line for the Python pane is not resizable... good luck to keep the overview when writing a simple with-statement and a cursor in it. Latest when working with different fields from your row you don't see their definitions anymore...

[SeanHlousek]

You've got a lot of good points. I can help you with two of them:

I have no problem opening and running two ArcGIS PRO projects and frequently work with more than one open.  That said, I have a powerhouse computer and ArcGIS PRO hammers my machine. It takes ALL of the duel GPU's, (I have duel NVIDA Quadro P1000's).  I have a Intel Xeon Bronze 3104 CPU @ 1.70 GHz and 32 GB of Ram. I frequently use over 1/2 when ArcGIS Pro is "thinking".  I could not run two instances of ArcGIS PRO on my old machine.  You might open your Task manager is see what it's doing to your performance....

As for the Ribbons, I can help you there for sure:  Check out the Quick Access Toolbar.  You can add buttons you normally use in your workflows and then dock it below the ribbons.  I work in Layouts a LOT and when I want to make edits I have to activate my map for a particular layout. I've found adding the Activate Map and Zoom to Layout extents buttons to be invaluable time savers.  It feels goofy at first but once you get the hang of it you can work edits pretty quickly.  If you work in Layouts like I do make sure to use Bookmarks too.  One improvement they've added is a preview of the bookmark after you create it. Its a small change but it really does help me with my workflows.  

I produce 99% paper maps and I can can say without a doubt that ArcGIS PRO was not designed with paper cartography in mind. I understand ESRI's approach in that the future is digital, but in Oil & Gas we'll be using Paper for the foreseeable future and we need development of this product in that direction.  

[DavidForbuss1]

Yeah that's one of the issues I have with ArcGIS Pro as well.  I spoke with an ESRI employee, and he explained that they chose to develop Pro with 3D functionality "baked" in, so the video card requirements are huge.  He also said, in his opinion, they should have split the 3D portion out and made it an addon so that those of us that do not need the 3D functions wouldn't have to meet these crazy video card requirements.  We use Amazon Workspaces quite a bit, and unfortunately their video card capable package is way out of reach for us budget wise, so I'm kind of stuck using ArcMap for the time being.  Really wish there was a way to disable the 3D portion of PRO.  I completely agree with your cartography statement....it takes me WAY too long to get a map looking the way I need it to in PRO.  The tools/options to modify even simple items on the map are buried under sometimes multiple layers of sub-options.

[JillPlescher]

I have been trying to transition to Arcpro for the last 6 months from ArcMap.  Today I decided I will not be transitioning to Arcpro with all my projects. I'll use Arcpro for model building,  creating story maps or other work that is only going online.  But to make useful cartographic maps, I will go back to ArcMap.  Most of my work hours go into making mapping products, page size maps for reports or larger maps for meetings.  It's always been frustrating the time it takes to make these map but the point is to manipulating the graphical representation so that people understand the event and see the locations. Arcpro is backwards in this area to make a useful hard copy map.  Working with the legends, takes much longer, clicking through properties for this and that. It's also takes longer to add text. Who doesn't like a right click to open a property window?  And does there need to be another button click (APPLY) when changing the font size? I'm going back to making layouts in ArcMap, it is still time consuming, but much faster than making layouts in Arcpro.   

[SeanHlousek]

"....And does there need to be another button click (APPLY) when changing the font size?...."

This.  

I've been working with Pro now long enough that I'm producing paper products with it and I do think it's faster but your example of the APPLY button for font changes is one of several small things that you notice when trying to use the product for hard copy cartographic production. 

If anything, let me set a whole bunch of different properties: fonts, colors, symbology and THEN hit an APPLY button to apply ALL changes in one re-draw.  Instead, I'm forced to wait for the redraw on every single change and the salt in the wound is I need to physically confirm I am "ready to wait again".  It's very frustrating. At least they've added the pause redraw function but that doesn't help when changing properties.

Also, as of 2.5 there is still not a way to set a "standard" legend, application (all projects), wide.  I just want to be able to set all of my legend properties to a standard look and when I insert the legend it always starts with those settings. I can customize it from there but let me "set my look".  

At the very least, Pro should behave like Power Point when it comes to graphic elements. As it is now, I build base maps in Arc and then export out .jpg's and "finish" maps in Power Point for many workflows.   Pro should be BETTER than Power Point in these respects, and it's not even equal to it. 

I will say that the ESRI team is making good changes with each update but we haven't seen many improvements to making paper maps. We need a BIG update to bring Pro finishing capabilities to at least Power Point levels.

[KoryKramer]

Most things from this idea's original list have been addressed since the post.

Multiple instances of Pro came at version 2.0 I believe.

Favorites eliminate the need to re-create connections: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-pro/data-management/migrate-folder-database-and-ser... (Note that for favoriting styles, there is a known issue as noted here:https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/arcgis-pro-styles-allow-add-to-favorites-and-add/idi-... )

Command search was recently added which makes it easy to find commands across different tabs.

If there are outstanding issues/dislikes and improvements that you would like to request, please search to see if there is an existing idea to upvote (add kudos) and provide your use case as a comment if needed.  If there is not an existing idea, please add a new idea by following the ArcGIS Ideas Submission Guidelines and Statuses 

Thank you!

[mfjtaylor2]

THINGS I WISH ESRI WOULD CHANGE ABOUT ARCGIS

- Cancelling certain unwanted geoprocessing operations like mosaic and polygon to raster doesnt work. It just ignores you or if it agrees to cancel it sits there forever doing what?? I have to use task manager to kill the program and then restart it.

- The file explorer structure of Catalog is awful. There are project, portal (what even is this?), computer and favourites ways into the file structure. Computer is useless it always goes back to the top level. Project is always opening the wrong folder even when I change Environments. I only use favourites because at least I have an easy way in I can choose. When I say add data I am left isolated in the folder the aprx file is in with no way to just step up to higher folders. Why cant ESRI just use the Windows Explorer structure?

- Forced .gdb use. I never use GDBs! They are a complete pain and project creation forces you to at least have one and all these accessory folders I never use. I just delete them all and change environment to the windows folder I am working in.