Using the interface

It is time to start working with the ArcGIS Pro interface now that you know where several of the key components are located and the terms associated with the interface. You will start by using some of the tools in the core tabs on the ribbon. Then, you will work with different views and the contextual tabs associated with them. Lastly, you will investigate some of the panes.

Navigating the ribbon

Ribbon style interfaces are not new. They have become common for the majority of applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with AutoCAD and Photoshop, as we have mentioned before. As a result, users have grown comfortable with the look of these ribbon interfaces and how they perform. However, Esri has been slow to adopt this type of interface in its desktop GIS applications until ArcGIS Pro.

ArcGIS Pro is Esri's first desktop application designed to fully embrace the ribbon interface. This new interface is much more user-friendly than the older toolbar-style interface found in their older ArcMap and ArcCatalog applications. As you will see, it is smart. It will make tools available based on what you have selected, and it will keep them active within the application. This means that you do not need to search to find the functionality you are looking for.

Now you will begin to investigate this interface more fully. We will start specifically with the ribbon, which is the rectangular area located at the top of ArcGIS Pro. It includes tabs, groups, and tools, as shown in the following screenshot:

When you first open a new project, you will typically see the Project, Map, Insert, Analysis, View, Edit, and Share tabs on the ribbon. Each tab contains tools associated with the name of the tab. For example, the Map tab includes tools for navigating within the map, adding layers, selecting features, and accessing information about the features in the map.

Let's now begin taking a closer look at a couple of the most frequently used tabs and some of the key tools located within that tab. You will look at others as you move through this book. You will start with the Project tab.

Project tab

The Project tab provides tools needed to manage the project and configure options. This tab allows you to create new projects, open existing projects, save your current project, and make a copy of your current project. You can also connect to different ArcGIS Online accounts or portals from this tab. You can see many of these settings, as shown in the following screenshot:

Let us look at the function of these tabs in more detail:

• New: This will create a new project using a selected template. The template controls what is automatically included in the newly created project. ArcGIS Pro includes several project templates out of the box. These are Catalog, Map, Global Scene, and Local Scene.
• Save: This saves the current project you have open. This will include any changes you have made to maps, layer properties, and layouts. This does not save edits you have made to features in the map or their attributes.
• Save As: This creates a copy of the current project file with a new name in the location you select. It does not create copies of referenced databases, folders, files, tables, or other project items found in the original project. The newly saved project will reference the same locations as the original.
• Portal: This allows you to manage which portals you are connected to. This can include a connection to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise Portal. The Primary Portal is used by ArcGIS Pro to determine whether you have a valid license and what level as well as what extensions you have the ability to use. Other portals can be used to access data, services, and base maps, which can be used to create maps and perform analysis within ArcGIS Pro, thereby supplementing your own standard datasets.
• Licensing: This allows you to see what ArcGIS Pro license level and extensions you have been granted. Once you know what license level and extensions are available, you can then determine what functions you will be able to perform in ArcGIS Pro.

After your initial login to use ArcGIS Pro, you do have the option to use your license offline, if your organization's administrator allows it. This checks out the license to the computer you are currently using and no longer requires you to be logged in to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise Portal to use ArcGIS Pro. Be careful when using this option. If the computer is lost or fails while the license is checked out for offline use, there is no easy way to get it back. You will need to contact Esri Support and have them resolve the issue.

• Options: This allows you to set various ArcGIS Pro user options, giving you the ability to customize it. You can set different options for the specific project you are working in, such as the units or for the application in general, such as a default base map for all new maps or scenes added to a project. As you explore each option, you can click on Learn more about the link, located at the bottom of the window for more information about the settings associated with that option.
• Python: This allows you to add additional Python modules for use in scripts to expand or automate ArcGIS Pro capabilities.
• Add-in Manager: This allows you to add custom extensions you or others may have created to enhance ArcGIS Pro's functionality. These add-ins must be created using .NET.

Map tab

The Map tab on the ribbon provides access to tools used to work with both 2D and 3D maps. From this tab, you can add new layers to your map, select features, change your base map, and more. For those who have used the older ArcMap application in the past, this tab combines functionality that was found on the Standard and Tools toolbars:

As you can see in the preceding screenshot, the Map tab contains seven groups:

• Clipboard
• Navigate
• Layer
• Selection
• Inquiry
• Labeling
• Offline

Each group then contains tools associated with the name of the group. For example, the Selection group tab includes several tools that allow you to select features in the map using various methods. You can select features directly from the map or based on specific attribute values or based on the spatial relationships between features in one or more layers. We will now take a closer look at a few of the most commonly used tools.

Navigate group

The Navigate group contains tools that allow you to navigate to locations within the map:

It includes tools that allow you to zoom in to areas, so you can see more detail, or to zoom out, so you can see a greater area. It also has tools that allow you to return to specific areas within the map. These are called bookmarks. Let's look at these tools in more detail:

• Explore: The Explore tool is a multifunction tool that allows you to zoom and pan within the map. It also allows you to click on features within the map and retrieve attributes linked to the feature. This tool combines the functions of the Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pan, and Identify tools into a single tool that is very similar to how your mouse works when using Google Maps.

You use this tool to navigate within your map using your mouse. The following list describes the function of the various mouse buttons for navigating the ArcGIS Pro interface:

• Left-click on a feature: Opens the Identify pop-up window, showing attributes linked to the feature.
• Left or Right Drag: Clicking and holding your left mouse button down and then dragging your pointer to the left and right pans your map view in that direction.
• Moving Scroll Wheel: Zooms in and out on the map. Scrolling the wheel away from you causes the map to zoom in. Scrolling the wheel toward you causes the map to zoom out.
• Right-Click and Drag: Continuously zooms the map in or out depending on the movement of the mouse.
• Single Right-Click: Opens a menu. The menu that appears will vary depending on where you right-click.
• Hold Down Scroll Wheel and Drag (3D Map/Scene Only): Rotates and tilts the map view along the 3D axis.

This tool works best with a mouse that has a scroll wheel in between the right and left buttons. Other types of pointing devices can be used, but the functionality may be different depending on your hardware. Some of the buttons associated with this tool can be altered under the Options tool located on the Project tab. For example, you can change the zoom direction of the scroll wheel.

• Bookmarks: The Bookmarks tool allows you to zoom to saved spatial locations within your active map. This allows you to quickly return to important locations such as project areas, special event locations, key parcels, and more. Each map or scene within your project will have its own set of unique bookmarks.

The drop-down arrow below the primary tool will allow you to access the bookmarks that have been saved with the active map or scene. It also provides access to tools for creating new bookmarks and managing existing ones. There is no limit to the number of bookmarks each map or scene can have.

We will now move on to the Layer group.

Layer group

The Layer group contains tools for adding new layers or data to your map:

Some tools work with both 2D and 3D data. Others work best with one or the other. There are also tools for adding non-spatial data to your map. These tools use either coordinate values or addresses to show the location of points. Again, let's explore these tools:

• Add Data: This tool allows you to add new 2D or 3D layers to your maps. Added layers can reference various types of data and can come from different locations. It also allows you to add tabular data.

If you look, you will notice a small arrow located below the icon for this tool. Clicking on the arrow or the text will display a list of methods for adding data to a map or scene. The methods you can select from include the following:

As you can see, there are many ways to add data to a map or scene in ArcGIS Pro. The method you should use will depend on the type of data you wish to add. As you work through this book, you will get the opportunity to use several of the aforementioned methods.

• Add Preset: This tool is used to add new 3D layers to a scene with a predefined set of symbology settings. Predefined properties are determined from a gallery of defined symbology. ArcGIS Pro comes with galleries for Realistic Trees, Thematic Trees, Realistic Buildings, Ground (Terrain), Icon Points, and Thematic Shapes. Using this tool to add layers makes visualizing data in a 3D environment easier, especially for those who may be new to working with 3D data.
• Add Graphics Layer: This is a new tool which was added with ArcGIS Pro 2.6. It allows you to add graphics to a map such as a text box or an arrow or other shape. These graphics are not connected to any layer or feature within a map.

We will examine the Selection group next.

Selection group

The Selection group contains various tools used to select data, including Select, Select By Attributes, Select By Location, and Clear:

The selection tool you should use will depend on what you are trying to accomplish and how you need to select your data to complete your task. Let's look into these:

• Select: The Select tool allows you to select features from within a map or scene by clicking on a feature or drawing an area. The drop-down arrow located at the bottom of the tool lets you select what type of area you want to draw. You have options to draw a rectangle, polygon, freehand lasso, circle, or line, or to trace existing features in the map.
• Select By Attributes: The Select By Attributes tool allows you to select features based on specified attribute values. For example, you might want to select all parcels owned by Tripp Corbin or all sewer pipes made of ductile iron. This tool will allow you to do that.

In the tool window, you will create a SQL where clause, which tells the application which specific values you are searching for. Do not be concerned if you do not know how to write a SQL clause. ArcGIS Pro builds the query based on a series of easy selections and inputs you are prompted to provide.

• Select By Location: This tool allows you to select features in one or more layers based on a spatial relationship. For example, you might select all parcels located within 100 feet of a road you know is going to have work done on it, so you can get a list of all those who live along the road. Or you might select all the roads that intersect or cross a floodplain, so you know not to include those in an emergency evacuation plan.

In earlier versions of ArcGIS Pro, the Select by Attribute and Select by Location tools opened in the Geoprocessing pane. In ArcGIS Pro 2.6, these now open in their own floating window. Next, we will explore the Inquiry group.

Inquiry group

The Inquiry group contains tools that allow you to retrieve some basic information about your map. You can measure lengths and areas in different units, retrieve some basic demographic data, or even find a point of interest using the tools in this group:

The details of these tools are as follows:

• Infographics: This tool allows you to retrieve basic demographic data for the area you select in the map. It will retrieve information and graphs showing average household income or population ethnicity makeup.

• Measure: This tool allows users to measure length and area by simply clicking on locations within a map. If you are working within a 3D scene, you also have the option to measure vertical distances.

• Locate:This tool allows you to locate a place using an address or common name. By default, this tool uses the Esri World Geocoder service from ArcGIS Online. This service requires you to have an active connection to ArcGIS Online to work. However, unlike the Infographics tool, it does not use credits. You can add and use your own address locators to your project and they will then be available for use with this tool.
• Coordinate Conversion: This is another new tool that was added to ArcGIS Pro 2.6. It allows you to convert coordinates from one coordinate system to another. Currently this tool requires the input coordinates to be in the WGS84 geographic coordinate system. The output can be a shapefile, geodatabase feature class, KMZ or CSV file

You have now been introduced to the tools located on the Map tab in the ArcGIS Pro ribbon. These tools are some of the ones you will use most often while working in the application. We will now move on to an exercise concerned with working with the Map tab.

Exercise 2A – Working with the Map tab

You will now get to take some of the tools we have discussed for a test drive. You will see how they work within the ArcGIS Pro ribbon interface and some of the options associated with those tools first hand. We will start by opening an existing project and using the Navigation tools.

Step 1 – Opening a project

In this step, you will open a project that has already been created. This project includes a single 2D map with several layers for the imaginary City of Trippville:

1. Start ArcGIS Pro either by clicking on the Windows Start button and going to the ArcGIS program group, or by clicking on a shortcut located on your taskbar or desktop.

1. In the ArcGIS Pro start page, click on the Open another project option located below Recent Project, as indicated in the following screenshot:

1. Click on Computer in the left panel of the Open Project window.
2. In the right panel, double click on your C: drive.

1. Navigate to C:\Student\IntroArcPro\Chapter2 or to the location in which you installed your exercise data.
2. Select the Ex 2A.aprx file and click OK.

The project you selected should open in ArcGIS Pro and look similar to the following screenshot:

There are several things that might cause your project to look different. The size of the ArcGIS Pro application on your monitor will impact how it displays. The resolution you have your computer set to will also impact how the project looks. In addition to this, the panes, windows, and customizations you have open will also change how the project looks on your screen. So, do not be too concerned if the project you see does not look exactly like the screenshot. It should just be similar.

Step 2 – Navigating the map

With a project open, you will now begin to explore the map you see. You will use navigation tools located on the Map tab in the ribbon to zoom and access data:

1. Activate the Map tab in the ribbon. Then, click on the Bookmarks tool in the Navigate group and select the Washington Park bookmark. This will zoom you to the location of Washington Park automatically.

1. Click on the Explore tool in the Navigate group on the Map tab to make it the active tool.
2. Left-click on the parcel for Washington Park. Continue to hold the mouse button down and drag your mouse toward the lower left-hand corner of the map view until Washington Park is in the lower left-hand corner. Now, release your mouse button.

You have just used the Explore tool to pan the map view. As you learned earlier in this chapter, the Explore tool has many uses. Now you will explore some of the other functions of this tool.

1. With the Explore tool still active, click on any parcel within the map view.

1. Close the pop-up window that has appeared by clicking on the small X in the upper-right corner of the window.
2. Click on the small drop-down arrow located below the Explore tool and select Visible Layers, as shown in the following screenshot:

1. Click on the same parcel as you did in step 4.

1. Look at the bottom of the information pop-up window. You should see 1 of 2 located in the lower left-hand corner. Also in the upper panel of the window, you should see two items listed. If you do not, this part of the window is too small to show all the information at one time:

You can use the scroll bar on the right side to move up and down.

1. Click on the small arrow located to the right of 1 of 2. This will toggle you to information about the other feature you clicked on. Also, watch what happens in the top panel of the window while you click on the small arrow.

1. In the top panel, you should also see two items. They are grouped by the layer they are in. Click on the value below City Limits and see what happens. Then, click on the value below Parcels and watch the information in the lower panel.

As you have now seen, you can click either on the small arrows at the bottom of the pop-up window or on the individual values in the top panel to access information about the features you clicked on while using the Explore tool. This is a quick way to retrieve basic information about the features you see on the map.

The pop-up window can also be resized and moved if needed. You can even move to another monitor or display by clicking on the title area at the top of the window and dragging it where you want it. You can also dock it within the ArcGIS Pro interface so it will always appear in the same location, making it easier to find. Let's see how that works.

1. Click on the title area of the pop-up window and continue to hold down your left mouse button. When you do this, you should see tan and white docking icons appear in the ArcGIS Pro interface, as illustrated in the following screenshot:

1. With your left mouse button still pressed, drag your mouse pointer to one of those docking icons. You can choose anyone you want. Once your pointer is hovering over one of the docking icons, release your mouse button.

Once you release your mouse button, the pop-up window should dock itself in that location within ArcGIS Pro. The window will then continue to appear in that location whenever you use this function of the Explore tool, even if you close the window.

1. Close the pop-up window by clicking on the small X located in the upper-right corner.

You have now explored some of the basic functions associated with the Explore tool. You will continue to use this tool throughout the book, allowing you to learn even more about it. But now it is time to move on to another tool.

Step 3 – Using the Infographics tool (optional)

Now, let's take a quick look at the Infographics tool. As mentioned earlier, this tool allows you to retrieve demographic information using Esri's GeoEnrichment Service from ArcGIS Online. This tool does use ArcGIS Online credits, which are the currency for ArcGIS Online. However, the amount used for this step will be minimal. You should use less than one credit by the time you complete this step.

If you are concerned about using ArcGIS Online credits, or you have been restricted by your administrator, you can skip this step:

1. In the Contents pane typically located on the left side of the ArcGIS Pro interface, right-click on the City Limits layer. Then, select Zoom to Layer from the menu that appears. The map should zoom to an area that displays the entire city limits for Trippville.

1. On the Map tab in the ribbon, click on the Infographics tool in the Inquiry group.
2. Click somewhere in the northern part of the city of Trippville within the city limits boundary and north of the railroad line that runs through the center of the city, as illustrated in the following screenshot:

The Infographicswindow will open, displaying demographic information for the area. The window should look similar to the following screenshot. Esri is constantly updating and improving this tool, so what you see may look a bit different. Do not worry if it does, as long as you see something:

If this is the first time you have used this tool, you start with the KEY FACTS screen. This provides basic demographic information about the area you clicked on.

1. In the Infographics window, click on one of the items you see. This will display more detailed information about the item you clicked on.
2. Continue exploring the Infographics tool. Try changing the Template option located at the top of the window. Explore some of the template options.
3. Once you are done exploring the Infographics tool, close the window.
4. Now, click on the Project tab in the ribbon.
5. Select Save As from the menu choices on the left side.
6. In the Save Project As window, navigate to C:\Student\IntroArcPro\My Projects. Name your project your name_Ex2A (that is, Tripp_Ex2A) and click Save.
7. Once you have saved your project, close ArcGIS Pro.

You have now successfully opened an ArcGIS Pro project, retrieved information about features you saw on the map, and navigated to different locations on the map. These are very common tasks that you will use a lot. Now it is time to move on to the concept of contextual tabs.

Now that you have had a chance to gain some experience of using ArcGIS Pro and the ribbon, you hopefully have begun to understand the concepts of tabs. It is time to move on to a more advanced but related concept, contextual tabs.