When creating a new ArcPro project, there should be an option to save the APRX in a different location than in the project folder

[NoahWasserman]

Neither 1) hiding each APRX in a project folder or 2) filling a directory with different project geodatabases, tool boxes, etc are great options when creating a new ArcPro project.  We were able to sort and find ArcGIS MXDs by date or at least see all of the different MXDs in one place, and these option could be possible if in the Create a New Project dialog box there was the option to save the APRX in a different location than the default project folder.   The work around is to create a new project, saveas the APRX someplace else, and delete the original in the newly created folder, but this is cumbersome and not necessary.  Quickly searching through all the project APRXs in one place would be ideal for many workflows.

[NaicongLi]

Hello @NoahWasserman,

If I understand you correctly, you want to create a project in a folder of your choosing, with the project .aprx file directly under your selected folder, instead of in a project home folder under your selected folder. ArcGIS Pro already offers this capability.  In the following example, in the Create a New Project dialog, you can select the project location (C:\Testing),  uncheck "Create a new folder for this project", and the new project .aprx file will be created directly under C:\Testing.

If you prefer to create all your projects in the same location without creating a project home folder for each .aprx file created, you can specify this preference in ArcGIS Pro's backstage, Options dialog, General tab, under Create projects, by specifying the location, and unchecking "Create a folder for the project":

When you want to select an existing project to open, in the Open Project browse dialog box, you can go to the location where you have created a number of your projects, and sort the projects .aprx files by Name, Date Modified, etc.:

Does this help?  If not, could you please clarify your desired workflow?

Thank you for your feedback!

[NoahWasserman]

We have dozens of client folders, each containing gis data for multiple projects for that client. In the past we could save the .mxd files in each client folder, search by date, etc. But now with Pro multiple files are necessary for each .aprx. I can’t designate one folder in Options because we have multiple client folders, and I can’t keep filling client folders with ArcPro .aprx and everything else. Seems like “save aprx in project folder” check box and/or a new .aprx location dialog box would be a solution. 

[NaicongLi]

@NoahWasserman ,

It seems that I misunderstood what you wanted last time.  If you want to put different project .aprx files in different client folders, you can do so by setting the project location in the Create a New Project dialog when you create a new project: 

You can select a location that you think the project file should be - you can enter the path directly in the Location textbox or use the browse button to select the location.  Again, you can check or uncheck "Create a new folder for this project" to control whether the project file will be create under a new folder or not in that location.

[NoahWasserman]

@NaicongLi,

Thank you for your thoughts.  I think my suggestion boils down to this: the only option (now) when creating a new ArcGIS Pro project is to save all ArcGIS Pro project files (*.gdb, *.aprx, \ImportLog, etc) into one folder (either one directory as shown below, or each project into its own folder if "Create a new folder..." option is checked).

I want an options where the *.APRX can be saved into a different location than (*.gdb, \ImportLog, etc).  It's totally possible to SaveAS the *.aprx into another directory than where it was originally create, I just want this option at the start.  Why should I have to litter my folders with all of the (*.gdb,  \ImportLog, etc) for every project, or have all of my *.aprx buried in a million project folders (if "Create a new..." is checked) when the *.aprx is all I need to open ArcGIS Pro?

[LaineyLe_Blanc1]

I agree with @NoahWasserman, I have to create and save several arpx files and every time I do it's creates 7 new folders. Is there a guide to which of these ancillary folders can be deleted without breaking your project? I understand that you can save maps within projects as map files (.mapx), but that usually doesn't preserve pathnames to data sources or metadata records, plus forget about your layouts. 

[LaineyLe_Blanc1]

Appears this idea is under consideration here -https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/quot-save-it-later-quot-without-creating-a-new/idi-p/.... But, the post is 6 years old so not sure when it would be implemented. 

[Alison_Mynsberge]

Also hating the automatic creation of new "home" geodatabases, toolboxes, and folders for a project: When using Save As for an .aprx, I expect that upon opening that .aprx, it won't magically create new geodatabases, toolboxes, and folders because it can't find the paths to the ones created for the original project!!!  We have been battling a few "ghost" folders and only just today realized that they're created upon opening an .aprx that has been saved-as to a different directory. We had been deleting them and they were reappearing.

Today I manually went through and changed the default .tbx, .gdb, and project folder and now it's not creating the "ghost" directory that (if you dig down enough) contained those items. It would be nice if there was an option that lets you just change all the project "home" folders and sets to not create folders.

[KoryKramer]

@Alison_Mynsberge please be sure to look at https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases/idi-p/1010302 and add your kudos if that is what you're looking for... Thank you.

[AvramPrimack1]

simple solution:

Save as to a new name in the original project folder. Or copy the folder and change the aprx name. 

If you save as to a new folder the aprx is still pointing at the old folder for whatever was in the old project. This means that the old folder has to remain where it is in relation to the new folder or the data in it is lost.

I try to make my student put the new aprx in the old folder. Some of them insist on making a new folder. As long as they are using the same drive this works. If they are using a new drive it doesn't because they start on a different machine or drive than where they are trying to finish.

If the save as tool gave you the option to copy the whole project folder this also would work for them. An earlier version of this software did copy the whole project into a new folder using save as. The change is not well thought out and irritating since I have to figure out why this years version does not work like last years. and so on. 

Simplest solution: copy the whole project folder so that aprx works in the new folder. Do not use save as unless you are saving into the existing project folder. Find the create folder and copy directory tools in model builder if that is what you are doing.