Improve Change Data Source and Select Data Source Dialog Windows

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03-27-2024 10:45 AM
Status: Open
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NathanHeickLACSD
Occasional Contributor III

I have a repetitive workflow where I need to create a new project, add a hosted feature service to the map, download the hosted feature service as a file geodatabase, and repoint the layers to the file geodatabase.  I am using either the Update Data Sources tool from the map or changing the data source on the layer.  In either case, I find the Change Data Source and Set Data Source windows to be very poor.  First of all, the performance is significantly slower than any similar dialog window in Microsoft Office.  Second of all, it tries to open your last folder, but it takes between 1 and 10 seconds to do so.  So, you get impatient, you navigate to  where you want to go and then it finally opens the last folder and undoes the effort you just put in.  Third of all, it seems to remember the last folder differently for different feature class types.  For example, I created a new project, changed the data source for a point layer, then when I went to update the data source for a line layer, it did not go back to the same file geodatabase, it went back to the last file geodatabase where I had selected a line feature class.  It's getting in my way.  Sometimes, I am accidentally picking layers from the wrong geodatabase because I'm assuming it is still in the last folder I was in on the same project.  Fourth, for my workflow, I would like it to start out in a neutral location like Databases.  Maybe other people would have different opinions for different workflows.  So, maybe there should be an option to specify how file dialogs behave in the software.

My idea is simply make the windows perform faster, more intuitively, more predictably, and possibly configurably.  As it stands, I am fighting the software.  This is in ArcGIS Pro 3.2.

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2 Comments
SeaRM
by

What about XTools Pro software? It has the Data Source Manager tool.

https://help.xtools.pro/agp/23.1/en/XTools_Pro_Components/Data_Tools/Change_Datasource.htm

NathanHeickLACSD

I would prefer Esri tried to get ArcGIS Pro to work on par with other Windows products.