The ArcGIS Pro Interface
Credits: L. Meisterlin with Moses Levich (2021)
Included in this tutorial:
The Catalog Pane
The Main Menu Ribbon
Navigating a Map
Software version in examples: ArcGIS Pro 2.8.0
Tutorial Data: The tutorial includes demonstration with sample data available here.
The Catalog Pane
The default mapping interface includes
the Contents Pane which lists layers included in the project,
the View Pane which includes a blank map below,
and the Catalog Pane where assets (such as datasets) can be viewed and accessed.
the project interface: the Catalog pane is on the right.
If you do not see the Catalog pane, you can access it by clicking through View > Catalog Pane in the main menu ribbon.
You can also always reset the default mapping interface pane by clicking through View > Reset Panes > Reset Panes for Mapping (default).
databases and folders
Under Project in the Catalog pane, ArcGIS Pro lists items associated with the current project organized by type. For example, expanding the Databases folder reveals the geodatabase created with the project. Similarly, expanding Folders shows the project's folder, with its contents. (The small "house" icon indicates these as the project's default geodatabase and folder, respectively.)
Until other assets or directories are added to the project, only these defaults are connected.
The Main Menu Ribbon
Tools and features in ArcGIS Pro are organized into different tabs within the main menu ribbon, at the top of the project window. The ribbon is divided into seven tabs by default:
Map: tools for interacting with data within the currently active map
Insert: tools for creating and managing resources within ArcGIS Pro and connecting to external resources
Analysis: geoprocessing tools
View: options for controlling how ArcGIS Pro displays information
Edit: tools for modifying vector data
Imagery: tools for analyzing raster data
Share: tools for bringing maps to other software and formats
the Main Menu Ribbon
Selecting a layer in the Contents pane will also bring up context-specific tabs in the main menu ribbon. Selecting a feature layer, for example, will cause the "Appearance," "Labeling," and "Data" tabs to appear.
the Main Menu Ribbon when a feature layer is selected
Navigating a Map
The default Explore tool is used for basic movements around a map view, such as panning and zooming, with your mouse.
For an overview of the Explore tool's mouse functions, click through Map tab > Explore in the main menu and hover over the Explore tool.
Briefly:
Explore tool overview
Click and drag the map to pan.
Scroll to zoom.
Right-click while draging up or down to zoom continuously.
Click on a feature in a map to display a pop-up with the feature's attributes (from the layer's attribute table).
Panning, zooming (with the scroll wheel and right-click) and pop-ups with the Explore tool