ArcGIS Pro: Most Cumbersome

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07-10-2018 07:18 AM
KelseyKatro
New Contributor II

Who designed ArcGIS Pro? 

It is absolutely the most cumbersome piece of software I have ever used!

It is so poorly designed compared to ArcMap, which is awesome. QGIS is not as difficult as ArcGIS Pro.

I have a strong feeling, if something is not done to correct this piece of shist, it will go the way of the dodo!!!!

It has such a huge learning curve and poor functionality I am sure most will reject it and you will need to keep making ArcMap. 

The whole Microsoft toolbar approach is absurd. It may work on small programs such as Word or Excel, but using it on software as complex as ArcGIS Pro........not a chance for success. My work takes twice as long to do with Pro and I am sure this feeling is not mutually exclusive.

Give me ArcMap or Give me Death!!!!

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87 Replies
ChrisChappell1
New Contributor II

It's such a valuable tool when editing. Well it's not really a tool as much as a shortcut to display vertices. Even though it (ie snapping to vertices) can be controlled through the snapping settings, it's sometimes very useful to see where the vertices are in other features when you are sketching or modifying features.  

And to correct a previous comment. In ArcMap, it is simply the V key. Ctrl+V is paste by default.

SteveCole
Frequent Contributor

Good catch. My bad. 

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JohnJones
Esri Contributor

Note that 'V' is taken in Pro and we will need to find a new hotkey for activating this behavior, of course it will be customize-able, as all hot keys are.  Also the option of using the XOR pen as we did in ArcMap to guarantee visibility is not possible in Pro so instead we will probably need to expose a marker symbol configuration so users can pick what marker symbol they use to symbolize the vertices with (whether that is a full symbol in the symbol model or a restricted symbol that can be drawn entirely on the video card is an open question).  Currently we don't have a setting to override sketch vertex symbology (green & red boxes) but that is also desired.  Trying to get a better idea about user expectations would it be sufficient to show vertices only of visible/snappable layers or do we need to include all visible layers (including non-snapable) layers? 

Also we need to decide how far to show vertices.  ArcMap would show all vertices for features that are close to the cursor (several pixels) but not all vertices of all features on the map.  I'd like to only show those vertices close to the mouse (maybe 3x or 5x snapping tolerance, if we used just the snapping tolerance we could use the snapping cache to fulfill requests and it would be much faster but probably that isn't far enough ).  I find it confusing that ArcMap will show some vertices clear across the map from the cursor because they are part of a feature that is also close to the mouse but won't show other vertices relatively close to the mouse (much closer than the ones that are being shown).

Personally I just haven't see much benefit in the V key as the snap tips indicating that I'm over a vertex are good enough, its rather obvious where corners are so its mainly about discovering vertices that are close to 180 degrees and it isn't clear why finding a vertex is important (I tend to think of edge snapping as just as good).. In cases where it can matter (Utility Network and Network datasets) we follow the rules of those datasets to insert vertices at edge intersections where appropriate. I have always found the ability of the renderer to place markers at vertices in a more permanent fashion more useful and controllable (I wouldn't turn it on and off often, I would just author the layer for how I expect to see the data while editing (in a dedicated map that is symbolized for the purpose of digitizing).  

AndrewQuee
Occasional Contributor III

We find the vertex key indispensable in our workflows, generally split into two cases:

1. 'Eyeballing' the stroking of a contour/hydrographic line: To the experienced editor they can see for what scale vertices need to be added or removed, it's also important in stereographic capture.  Seeing all vertices on a feature in a view extent (and comparing to similar nearby features) is important to judge whether the vertex interval should be increased or decreased a for given purpose.

2. When dealing with exact cadastral features, this alerts users that a surveyed point is either missing or need to be put in.  Also where a node has been inserted that should not be there, i.e. two COGO lines with same bearing which would appear to be one straight line otherwise. With experience a glance of the vertices compared to the survey plan can show compliance to a fairly high confidence level.  Extra vertices stand out like the proverbial.

In both these cases snap-level vertex display is not much use, as we look at all the vertices on the feature, and it is the overall context between them and the extent that is important.  Snapping-level display is akin to exploring a cave using a lighter to see - you can only see one tiny part of it at a time, and can't compare one section to another.

Also in these cases, ornamenting the vertices or endpoints is impractical.  For cadastre, it's not that bad but ugly especially once you start layering topological themes, but when it comes to contours you're talking millions and millions of points.  Eeech.

SteveCole
Frequent Contributor

I use the Trace tool to help save time when creating features in Arcmap but Trace isn't available if you're cutting a polygon. In that situation, I use the V shortcut to display vertices while defining my cut line. Sure- I vertex snapping will get me to snap at the valid locations but I feel like a blind person with a white stick. Using V allows me to know specifically where vertices I might want to snap to are located rather than running the cursor along a line waiting for the feedback to tell me when I've found a vertex. Often what I need to snap to might change layers & feature types so my drawing might follow a stream for a while, then cross over to a parcel boundary, then follow a CAD design feature. Holding down the V key shows all the vertices. It can't get any simpler than that.

MichaelVolz
Esteemed Contributor

Excellent use case Steve.  Have you ever tried the Align tool that performs a similar operation where vertices are maintained?  I have no idea if this tool has already been ported over to Pro or if it is not intended to ever be ported over to Pro.

JohnJones
Esri Contributor

Align has been ported to Pro as well as the ability to trace while Splitting polygons.

SteveCole
Frequent Contributor

No- I'll have to look into that. Thanks!

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ChrisChappell1
New Contributor II

Just an FYI. You can cut a polygon with the trace tool. (In ArcMap and Pro)

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CharlesBailey3
Occasional Contributor II

How? I've tried a hundred times just tonight and almost missed my deadline - it won't complete the sketch to cut (or split I should say) a polygon when tracing even if I switch to line before closing the cut poly. What am I missing?