Connect to a toolbox

Custom toolboxes can be stored on the file system or in geodatabases and can be accessed from folder connections and databases in the project. You can also add a toolbox to the Toolboxes container in the Catalog pane. This does not copy or move files; it creates a connection—essentially a reference or shortcut—that allows you to use the resource without browsing to it. Toolbox connections are included in project packages.

Note:

You may need to refresh the toolbox connection if the contents of the toolbox are changed outside the current ArcGIS AllSource session. You may also need to repair the connection if it becomes invalid.

Note:

Only custom toolboxes can be connected to and viewed in the Catalog pane. System toolboxes can only be viewed and used on the Toolboxes tab of the Geoprocessing pane.

Learn more about accessing system toolboxes

Access a toolbox in a folder

You can access a toolbox in a folder by browsing to it in the catalog. This is useful if the tools in the toolbox use data stored in the same folder location.

1. Connect to the folder containing the toolbox.
2. In the Catalog pane or a catalog view window, browse to the folder that contains the toolbox, and browse to the toolbox to use its tools.

Add an existing toolbox to a project

You can add an existing toolbox to the Toolboxes container in the Catalog pane . This allows you to access the toolbox without browsing to a folder or database.

1. In the Catalog pane on the Project tab, right-click Toolboxes and click Add Toolbox .
2. Browse to and select one or more toolboxes on your local computer, a network computer, or in a file geodatabase.
3. Click OK.

   The toolbox appears in the Toolboxes container in the Catalog pane.

4. Alternatively, add an existing toolbox to a project using any of the following methods:

   In the Catalog pane	Browse to a toolbox, right-click it, and click Add To Project . Browse to a toolbox, select it, and drag it to the Toolboxes container .
   In File Explorer	Browse to a toolbox, select it, and drag it to the Catalog pane. It appears in the Toolboxes container .

Create a toolbox

There are three toolbox formats that you can use to create a toolbox for use in a project:

• ArcGIS toolbox—This toolbox format is stored as an .atbx file on disk. This toolbox format stores tools, scripts, and models. It provides better cross-release compatibility and persistence, improved performance and scalability, and less possibility of file corruption due to binary storage, as the new format is JSON-based with an open specification compared to the legacy toolbox format (.tbx) described below. You can create toolsets, add new model and script tools, change properties, and copy tools from legacy toolboxes into the new toolbox format using the Catalog pane.
• Legacy toolbox—This toolbox format is stored as a .tbx file on disk or in a database.
• Python toolbox—This toolbox format is stored as a .pyt file on disk. All properties of a Python toolbox and its tools are defined using Python code.

Create a toolbox in the current catalog location

When you browse to a folder in the catalog, you can create a toolbox in that location.

1. In the Catalog pane, open a folder connection, browse to a folder and select it.
2. Right-click the folder, point to New , and click Toolbox (.atbx) , Legacy Toolbox (.tbx) , or Python Toolbox .

   A new ArcGIS toolbox, legacy toolbox, or Python toolbox is created with a default name.

3. Optionally, provide a new name for the toolbox and press Enter.

   The toolbox is updated with the new name. It appears in its folder location in the catalog but does not appear in the Toolboxes container until you add it to the project.

Create a toolbox in another location

You can browse to a location to create a toolbox.

1. In the Catalog pane, on the Project tab, right-click Toolboxes and click New Toolbox (.atbx) , New Legacy Toolbox (.tbx) , or New Python Toolbox
2. Browse to a folder on your computer or a network computer.
3. In the Name box, provide a name for the toolbox.
4. Click Save.

   A toolbox is created and added to the project. It appears in its folder location in the catalog and in the Toolboxes container .

Add a toolbox to your project favorites

If you use the same toolbox in many projects, you can make it a favorite. A favorite can be added to a project from the Favorites tab of the Catalog pane. If your user profile supports roaming, your favorite toolboxes are available on every computer you use.

You can create toolboxes that are automatically made favorites. These toolboxes are stored by default in the Favorites folder in your roaming profile.

Tip:

You can make a toolbox a favorite by dragging it from its location in the Catalog pane or File Explorer to the Favorites tab of the Catalog pane.

Copy a toolbox to another project

You can copy a toolbox from one open project to another using the Copy and Paste commands or by dragging the toolbox.

Remove a connection

You can remove an item connection in the Catalog pane or catalog view if you no longer need to work with the item or if its contents become unavailable. When you remove an item connection, the item and its contents are no longer directly accessible from your project. However, they are not deleted from their computer, network, or cloud location.

You cannot remove item connections to items required by the project, such as the home folder, default toolbox, and default geodatabase.

1. In the Catalog pane, browse to the item connection.

   Alternatively, with the catalog view active, browse to the item connection in the Contents pane or the catalog view.

2. Click the item connection to select it.
3. Right-click the item and click Remove From Project .

   When the catalog view is active, you can also use the ribbon to remove an item connection. On the ribbon, click the Catalog tab. In the Organize group, click Remove .