What is your take on ArcGIS Pro

ChadKopplin · ‎03-09-2018

I have started using ArcGIS Pro for a project looking at Groundwater Vulnerability to Nitrate contamination. I decided that this would be a good project to use to really become acquainted with Pro. I am glad that I am using Pro, I am finding that it is truly much more responsive than using the desktop. Actions that would take upwards of of half hour or more are only taking seconds. I am been able to clip every statewide layer down to the county that I am modeling first. I took me a little bit to get used to the interface, and Esri has been very accommodating to help me get off and running.

There are some quirks with the interface that I would like to see changed or added in time, but all in all I am very impressed. I am wondering what everyone else who is using Pro, what is your opinion of the product? Please give me your true thoughts.

Good job with this products usability.

Chad

KoryKramer · ‎04-16-2018

Thanks for the input, James. https://community.esri.com/ideas/9992‌ is Under Consideration. It sounds like you're not using it a lot, but if you have other things off the top of your head that make your work in Pro less than ideal, what are they?

Cheers

JamesBurn__LET__C_E_T___GISP__ · ‎04-18-2018

Hi Kory, thanks for responding. The following are, as you say, a few features / adjustments off the top of my head that would I feel enhance my overall use of Pro. I can send more or more detail if you want in an email or something.

In addition to the aforementioned "save project" discussion, in no particular order:

Have the geoprocessing panel remember what I last selected. Currently it always defaults to favorites.
The "Export table" command feels overly complicated. I feel that you should be able to click, select a location and "save as" an excel or csv etc.
When exporting a table, it would be nice to have the option to include the geometry in WKT format.
Add the "Show Attribute Table" button to the main tab as well as the data tab.
Labeling feels like it has lost some functionality, although that may just be my perception at this point. I'm exploring more.
Add editing capabilities for SQL Server (using ArcGIS Pro Basic level license). Currently ESRI is the only application I use that can not edit SQL Server so I don't feel this should be restricted to standard/advanced users.
Similar to labeling, the new symbology dialogue feels very un-intuitive and confusing compared to other applications I use. There are a lot of dialogues and it is easy to get lost in them.
The insertion of new data connections does not feel like it was completely fleshed out. I have had a few users comment that it is very confusing to create, find and use a data connection once you make it etc.This is compared against other applications and ESRI's desktop ArcCatalog.
Users can create may maps and many layouts per map, however there does not appear to be a method to lock what you see in the layout. This makes having multiple layouts for a map less useful. As an example - it would be nice to have two layouts for a map, but locked so that one shows all of the map layers and the other shows only a few. I realize this could be done using separate maps, but again that requires extra steps that other applications don't require. Being able to show symbology differently in each would also be nice.
Include a preview mode for black and white prints, red/green deficiency etc.Personally I have a green deficiency so for others to be able to see things how I might would be beneficial.
Provide full SQL and spatial SQL editor for data selections and analyses.
Provide the ability to have a "scratch" layer where results can go. This layer would not be saved unless the user decided to (would therefore be deleted when the application was closed). This would allow users to A) create a layer that they could draw on without committing anything and B) a layer for the results of geoprocessing tools to go when the user is unsure of whether or not they want to keep them.
I LOVE that we are now in a 64bit world and Pro appears to have the power to process some pretty large data sets now. However it still sluggish on my machine (which has respectable specifications) when compared to other applications in terms of the overall UI.
Ability to export to spatialite and geopackage for data interoperability.

I hope that provides some ideas for discussion. If there are any questions or if you would like clarification, please let me know.

Cheers.

BruceHarold · ‎04-18-2018

James, re. spatialite and geopackage, can you email me at bharold@esri.com - thanks.

ThomasColson · ‎04-19-2018

If you upload you data to Carto(DB) one of the native download options is spatialite

JamesBurn__LET__C_E_T___GISP__ · ‎04-19-2018

Agreed ... but then we have extra steps . Perhaps I would add that an upload to Carto db function should also be included in Pro similar to uploading to AGOL.

BruceHarold · ‎04-19-2018

Reading from and writing to CARTO (sic) is supported with the Data Interoperability extension in Pro, ArcMap and ArcCatalog.

JamesBurn__LET__C_E_T___GISP__ · ‎04-19-2018

Thanks for that Bruce - this is a good solution, or even FME in general. However due to the additional cost to acquire the extension many of my colleagues and clients are looking for a more native solution. So if this or even some of the other main OGC formats could be included natively, I think that would be great and would allow overall collaboration to be accomplished more easily.

SeanGrant · ‎05-01-2018

Hi James,

I am curious on what other OGC formats would you like to see natively supported in ArcGIS Pro as opposed to using DI

Thanks,

Sean

ThomasColson · ‎05-02-2018

Direct support of GeoJSON is discussed many times throughout GN.

JamesBurn__LET__C_E_T___GISP__ · ‎05-02-2018

Hi Sean. That's a great question. As a general comment - any that are part of OGC and in popular use around the industry would be good. Some examples of files that I regularly use (in no particular order):

direct read/write to/from MS Excel
direct read/write to/from MS SQL Server spatial (right now I believe it is limited to standard and advanced licenses)
direct read/write to/from PostGIS (right now I believe it is limited to standard and advanced licenses)
MapInfo mid/mif and TAB
Idrisi raster and vector
SAGA grid and vector
Microstation
Collada for 3D
AutoCAD SDF original and new
GeoJSON (haven't fully explored support for this in Pro yet)
import / reading / generation / export of WKT
import / export Surfer Grids
read from HTML table
direct read/write to/from SpatiaLite
GeoPackage support (haven't fully explorer support for this in Pro yet)

I understand that its not always easy, but at the same time I don't feel that I should need to purchase additional software just to read some of what appear to be pretty common formats.

Thank you.