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1. Interface & Project Setup

Goal: Get oriented in ArcGIS Pro. Create a clean project file, navigate the ribbon, and master the Catalog Pane.

Open Pro and create a project

  1. Launch ArcGIS Pro.
  2. Choose Map template.
  3. Pick a project name and location outside C:\Users\Default\Documents — somewhere clean like C:\GIS\projects\my_project.
  4. Check Create a new folder for this project ✅.
  5. Click OK.

You now have:

my_project/
├── my_project.aprx           ← the project file
├── my_project.gdb/           ← default file geodatabase
├── my_project.tbx            ← default toolbox
├── ImportLog/
└── Index/

Name your projects with no spaces

food_desert_atl_2026 is fine. Food Desert (Atlanta) 2026!.aprx will hurt later.

The interface

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Ribbon (Office-style: Map, Insert, Analysis, View, Edit…)    │
├──────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────┤
│          │                                     │              │
│ Contents │           Map View                  │   Catalog    │
│ pane     │  (your data, drawn here)            │   pane       │
│          │                                     │              │
│ (layers) │                                     │ (project     │
│          │                                     │  resources)  │
└──────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────┘
Pane What it does
Contents Layers in the active map. Toggle visibility, reorder, set symbology.
Catalog All project resources — maps, toolboxes, databases, folders.
Map View The actual map.
Geoprocessing Search and run tools. Press Ctrl+F or Analysis → Tools.

You can dock, float, or auto-hide every pane (right-click the title bar).

The ribbon — the tabs you'll use

Tab What's there
Project Save, share, options
Map Add data, basemap, navigation
Insert New map, layout, report, layer file
Analysis Tools, ModelBuilder, Python window
View Pane controls, link views
Edit Editing toolbar
Imagery Raster tools
Share Publish to AGOL

The Catalog Pane (essential)

Open it: View → Catalog Pane.

Project
├── Maps               ← your 2D maps
├── Toolboxes          ← Esri tools, Python scripts, models
├── Databases          ← connected geodatabases
├── Folders            ← connected file system paths
├── Locators           ← geocoding services
├── Portal             ← AGOL items
└── Styles             ← symbol libraries

Right-click → Add Folder Connection to point Pro at your data folder. Now you can drag files from the Catalog directly into your map.

Data sources you'll add

Source How to add
Shapefile (.shp) Drag from Catalog or Map → Add Data
File geodatabase (.gdb) Drag any feature class from inside
GeoTIFF (.tif) Drag from Catalog
CSV (with x/y) Map → Add Data → XY Data or Map → Add Data → To Current Map
AGOL feature service Catalog Pane → Portal → All Portal → search
OpenStreetMap Map → Basemap → OpenStreetMap
Action Mouse
Pan Click + drag
Zoom in/out Scroll wheel
Zoom to layer Right-click layer → Zoom To Layer
Bookmarks Map → Bookmarks → New Bookmark

Save discipline

Save often, save right

  • Save the project (Project → Save) regularly. Pro doesn't autosave reliably.
  • Don't store data inside the .aprx. Data lives in the .gdb. The .aprx is just configuration.
  • Backup your .gdb before destructive operations.

Practice

5-minute exercise

  1. Create a new project: learn_pro.
  2. Add a folder connection to a data folder.
  3. Add the OpenStreetMap basemap.
  4. Search for "Atlanta, GA" using the Locate widget (Map tab).
  5. Bookmark the view.
  6. Save the project.

You're set. → On to Map Layers.