Set catalog browsing options

You can use catalog browsing options to set preferences for working with the Catalog pane, catalog views, and browse dialog boxes.

Open the catalog browsing options

The catalog browsing options are available on the Options dialog box on the ArcGIS AllSource settings page.

1. Go to the ArcGIS AllSource settings page in either of the following ways:
   • On the ArcGIS AllSource start page, click the Settings tab .
   • In an open project, click the Project tab on the ribbon.
2. On the settings page, in the list of side tabs, click Options.
3. On the Options dialog box, under Application, click Catalog Browsing.
4. Choose the options you want, as described in the following sections.
5. Click OK.

Browse project items

Set options for browsing project items.

Default display name for folder connections

The following video demonstrates how to display full paths of folder connections.

• Video length: 0:44
• This video was created with ArcGIS Pro 3.2.

Choose whether to display folder connections as folder names or as complete paths.

• Folder name only, e.g. ProjectData—Displays only the name of the folder to which you connect. This is the default.
• Complete path, e.g. C:\Data\ProjectData—Displays the complete path of the folder connection.

The complete path option uses a drive letter if you connect to a folder on your computer—for example, C:\Data\ProjectData. It uses a device name if you connect to a folder on a network computer—for example, \\whidbey\Data\ProjectData.

In catalog views, when information is displayed in columns , folder names appear in the Name column and paths appear in the Path column, regardless of which option is selected.

Note:

You must restart ArcGIS AllSource for changes to take effect.

Database connections

When you are connected to a database or enterprise geodatabase, use the List only objects owned by the connecting user check box to choose whether to show all items in the database or only items owned by the connecting user.

• Checked—Only database items owned by the connecting user are visible in the catalog.
• Unchecked—All database items are visible in the catalog. This is the default.

Note:

You may need to refresh the database connection after you change the setting.

Catalog view

Set catalog view options.

Default behavior on opening

When you open a project that was saved with one or more open catalog views, use the Starts from the last saved location check box to choose whether catalog views open to their last visited locations.

• Checked—Catalog views open to their last visited locations. This is the default.
• Unchecked—Catalog views open to the Project level of the catalog.

Note:

You must save your current project for changes to take effect.

Location bar

When you browse to a folder or paste the path to a folder in the location bar of a catalog view, use the Add a folder connection for locations not in the project check box to choose whether folder connections are added.

• Checked—A folder connection to the location is automatically added to the project (unless the folder connection already exists). This is the default.
• Unchecked—The catalog view opens to the specified location but a folder connection is not added to the project.

Contents pane

When you browse to an item in a catalog view window, or paste its path in the location bar, use the Expand to current location check box to choose whether the catalog view's Contents pane expands to the item's location.

• Checked—The Contents pane expands to the item's location.
• Unchecked—The Contents pane does not expand to the item's location. This is the default.

Browse dialog box locations

Set options for browse dialog boxes.

Default browse dialog box behavior

Use the Accept default behavior for each browse dialog box check box to set the behavior of browse dialog boxes.

• Checked—Browse dialog boxes observe their predefined behavior. This is the default.
• Unchecked—Browse dialog boxes always open to their first-use locations.

Browse dialog boxes have predefined behavior that specifies the location to which they open on first use in a project, and whether they subsequently open to their last visited location. For example, on first use, the Add Data browse dialog box opens to the Project level of the catalog. After you browse to a location, such as C:\MyData, the dialog box opens to that location on next use. This predefined behavior is not the same for all browse dialog boxes. Different starting locations are used, and some browse dialog boxes do not support returning to their last visited location.

Browse dialog box behavior for visited locations

Use the Clear the last visited location check box to reset browse dialog box behavior with respect to visited locations.

• Checked—Last visited locations are cleared from browse dialog boxes.
• Unchecked—Browse dialog boxes open to their last visited locations if this behavior is supported. This is the default.

Clearing last visited locations is a one-time operation, like clearing a cache. When you click OK on the Options dialog box, the operation takes effect (and the check box is unchecked). The next time you open a browse dialog box, it opens to its predefined first-use location. Thereafter, it observes the Accept default behavior for each browse dialog box setting.

Advanced column settings

Use the Display item size and modification date for file geodatabases check box to show additional columns of information in catalog views.

• Checked—Last modification date and file size are displayed for most file geodatabase items. This is the default.
• Unchecked—These properties are not displayed.

In large file geodatabases, displaying the last modification date and file size may affect browse performance.

Note:

After changing the setting, you need to restart ArcGIS AllSource.