I’m currently exploring ArcGIS Pro’s capabilities and the first problem and probably the biggest problem I found about it so far is that it doesn’t support similar capabilities that ArcMap has such as to create map annotation group functionality such as graphics, callouts, layer-linked map annotation groups (e.g. from converting auto-labels to a map annotation group, and then allowing us to move and delete these map annotations where necessary in a position appropriate for that particular map, etc.), labels (by using the Label Tool), and all the other map annotation group Drawing tools that ArcMap has. Note that these drawing tools should be available in both the map as well as the layout because if you pan and/or zoom your map extents afterwards you have a huge problem to deal with. I’ve been using map annotation groups (with graphics, text, etc.) since ArcGIS 8.x (note: although it wasn’t map annotation groups back then, I was also using this functionality with ArcView 3.2), and I assure you that without this capability in ArcGIS Pro I’ll be sticking with ArcMap.
But if map annotations get reintroduced into ArcGIS Pro, I would suggest a few improvements to them while it’s in the development phase. For example the annotation groups should be in layers in the table of contents where its position in the TOC determines its display order. It goes without saying that these map annotation group layers should of course have properties such as reference scale, scale ranges, and the associated layer (if any) that it’s linked to. Also when copying and pasting annotation objects (i.e. graphics, text, etc.) from one map to another, the pasted objects should be exactly the same in every way as in the original location (no offsets like in ArcMap please!). In essence it should behave just like copying and pasting selected features from one feature class to another (there’s no offsets in the pasted result).
P.S. For those of you who want or need this functionality, I would suggest voting on the related ideas already posted on the ESRI Ideas website that refer to this request. Here are the links to the ones that are currently posted:
Graphics and free text in ArcGIS-Pro maps!
https://c.na9.visual.force.com/apex/ideaView?id=087E0000000Cwdu&returnUrl=%2Fapex%2FideaList%3Fc%3D0...
Import and use ArcMap Annotation Groups when importing ArcMap documents into ArcGIS Pro
https://c.na9.visual.force.com/apex/ideaView?id=087E0000000Cwbt&returnUrl=%2Fapex%2FideaList%3Fc%3D0...
Convert Map Annotations to Text in Pro
https://c.na9.visual.force.com/apex/ideaView?id=087E0000000Cwed&returnUrl=%2Fapex%2FideaList%3Fc%3D0...
