What's new in ArcGIS Pro 2.6

See what's new and improved in ArcGIS Pro 2.6.

Video overview

This video compilation was created by ArcGIS Pro development teams to highlight new functionality specific to this release.

Highlights

The highlights section includes featured functionality updates at this release.

Voxel layers

Voxel layers are a new layer type that create 3D volumetric visualizations from netCDF data. Use them to understand complex, multidimensional data such as atmospheric data, oceanic data, and underground geology models.

You can visualize voxel layers as surfaces or volumes. You can use slices to define an area of interest, and create horizontal or vertical sections to reveal valuable information such as aquifers across a subsurface profile, or methane distribution within a riverine water column. You can also visualize the distribution of a continuous variable—for example, a threshold value of a pollutant—as an isosurface.

You can add a voxel layer to a local scene using this example dataset. To make your own volumetric data, use the GA Layer 3D To NetCDF tool or the Create Space Time Cube tool.

Trace networks

You can now manage, analyze, and work with simple connectivity models such as rail or hydro in ArcGIS Pro using the new trace network.

The trace network uses a set of connected edges, junctions, or both along with network attributes to model the flow of resources through the network. Trace networks can be created using existing feature classes in a feature dataset as source junctions and edges or through direct migration from a geometric network.

Connectivity within the trace network is based on the geometric coincidence (x,y,z) of the source feature classes and is established when the network topology is enabled. The network topology provides the capability to perform advanced analytic functions such as tracing and creation of network diagrams, as well as validation, to discover and address errors in your data.

Interactive suitability analysis

Identify the best site locations or areas to preserve using the new Suitability Modeler, which is available with a Spatial Analyst extension license. This dynamic, exploratory environment of interacting panes, plots, and maps allows you to create refined suitability models. Suitability models can determine the best location to build a shopping center, housing development, or ski resort. They can also find the best areas to set aside for parks, endangered wildlife habitat, or flood control.

There are four main steps to creating a suitability model:

1. Determine and prepare the criteria data.
2. Transform the values of each criterion to a common suitability scale.
3. Weight criteria relative to one another and combine them to create a suitability map.
4. Locate the areas for siting or to preserve.

Constructing a suitability model is a nonlinear, iterative process, and historically it has been a manual one. The Suitability Modeler guides you through the steps and provides immediate feedback, so what you learn in one step may influence your decisions in another. For example, seeing the interactions of a transformation you applied in step 2 with the weights you applied in step 3 and the patch size specified in step 4 helps you adjust the model to reach an optimal solution.

Graphics layers

You can now add graphics layers to maps (and map frames in layouts) to expand the flexibility and usability of maps. Graphics layers are composed of graphic elements, such as points, lines, text, and pictures. You can manually create graphic elements, modify existing graphic elements, or convert feature labels into a graphics layer to adjust the placement of text.

Graphics layers work in all scale ranges, have a spatial reference, and can use reference scales such as other layers to maintain their position across shared maps and layers.

Maps can include multiple graphics layers interspersed with other layers in the drawing order. They can be saved as layer files or shared in web maps as feature collections. They are available in scenes, but only as 2D draped layers.

Parcel adjustment

The parcel fabric now supports least-squares adjustments of parcel data. Run a least-squares adjustment on your parcels when you want to do the following:

• Check dimensions for mistakes when entering parcels from new records.
• Evaluate how the addition of new parcels affects the spatial accuracy in the parcel fabric.
• Update parcel fabric point coordinates to be more spatially accurate.

Two new geoprocessing tools have been added to analyze and apply least-squares adjustments to parcel points and lines. The Analyze Parcels By Least Squares Adjustment tool checks parcel dimensions for mistakes and provides updated, more spatially accurate coordinates for parcel fabric points. Adjustment results are stored in new adjustment feature classes for display and analysis purposes. If results are acceptable, the Apply Parcel Least Squares Adjustment tool can be run to update parcel fabric point coordinates and lines.

Results stored in an adjustment feature class can be symbolized for analysis purposes.

Learn how to run a parcel adjustment

Link analysis

Link analysis is a new interactive capability in ArcGIS Pro that is used to discover and evaluate relationships between entities. Link charts allow transformation from feature layers to entities and relationships without complicated scripts or schemas. The link analysis capability in ArcGIS Pro allows you to visualize and find clusters of connected entities, find their neighborhoods, and identify paths between key entities. Integrating spatial, temporal, and link analysis creates understanding for informed decisions, enabling the influence of location and events to be considered when analyzing a network.

Common applications of link analysis include criminal investigations, intelligence, defense and security analysis, market research, and contact tracing in support of epidemiological response. For example, link analysis can be used in contact tracing to explore the relationships between known cases and places in impacted communities to identify high-risk areas and allocate resources.

Project recovery

ArcGIS Pro now automatically backs up your project by default. In the case of a power outage or other unexpected application shutdown, your unsaved work can be recovered.

Top: The Project Recovery prompt appears when unsaved changes can be recovered. Bottom: You can specify whether backups are created and at what intervals.

By default, your open project is backed up every five minutes. You can change this interval on the Options dialog box of the ArcGIS Pro Settings page. Backups do not interfere with your work or slow it down.

When you recover your work, unsaved changes to items stored in the project file (.aprx)—such as maps, scenes, layouts, reports, tasks, and locators—are recovered up to the time of the most recent backup. The backup project seamlessly replaces the original, and a new backup project is created. The backup project is stored in your project home folder in a folder named .backups.

Get started

General

• When you customize the ribbon or Quick Access Toolbar, you can choose commands from lists of Popular Commands and Popular Geoprocessing Tools. You can also add contextual tabs to the ribbon.
• All ArcGIS Pro keyboard shortcuts are now listed in ArcGIS Pro keyboard shortcuts. Specific keyboard shortcut topics continue to appear in their own help sections. A printable PDF document of keyboard shortcuts is still available, but is updated less frequently than the help.

Set up

• When you install ArcGIS Pro, you have the option to install ArcGIS Pro Intelligence, an ArcGIS Pro solution for intelligence analysis. ArcGIS Pro Intelligence can be installed in addition to, or instead of, ArcGIS Pro.
• If you participate in the Esri User Experience Improvement (EUEI) program, your EUEI data is now stored in the cloud. You can choose your preferred cloud storage region.

Mapping and visualization

General

• You can now establish manual display filters on a layer. Unlike scale-dependent display filters, manual display filters are not determined by the current scale of a map. Display filters filter features from view but retain them in the layer for query and analysis.
• You can now update the data source for multiple layers and stand-alone tables in a project at once.
• When you add an ArcGIS tiled (cached) map service as a layer to a map using its source path, its sublayers and legends appear in the map's Contents pane. You can identify features in these layers in pop-ups.
• Three additional measure tools have been added for measuring in maps. Measure Direction Distance , Measure Offset , and Measure Angle allow you to compare or measure values between two or more points, or a combination of lines for offsets and angles. Ground to grid correction is available for offset and direction distance measurements.

3D scenes and scene layers

The following updates have been made to improve the appearance and performance of scene layers:

• Building scene layers with associated feature layers are supported when sharing to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1.
• Labels are now supported on 3D Object scene layers for use across the ArcGIS platform.
• Clip, replace, and mask modifications are supported on integrated mesh scene layers.
• Integrated mesh scene layers support draping of 2D and 3D feature layers for use across the ArcGIS platform.

See Package toolset in the Data Management toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

Animation

• Animation now allows interactive keyframe and path editing in the view for more intuitive feedback as you modify your animation. You can drag a keyframe to move it; in 3D, you can rotate and tilt the keyframe.
• Animation keyframes now support the adjustable transition type. You can update the path using control points to define a custom path.
• In 3D scene animation, you can update where the camera looks by interactively adjusting its heading and pitch or by assigning a specific look-at location to face.

Annotation and labeling

• Label placement on large map extents has been improved.
• The Map and Scene tab on the Options dialog box has been expanded to allow you to choose the default label engine. The default setting is Maplex Label Engine.
• The new Text and Graphics tab on the Options dialog box allows you to set a default font name and style.
• Text formatting tags now support the following properties:
  • Spot colors when printing
  • Alignment and line leading type
  • Vertical Morse code
• The new composite callout has been added to the list of callouts. It is an advanced callout that has the addition of individually controlled parts. These callouts are commonly used on aeronautical charts.

  

  

• You can now rank the center zone when setting user-defined zones for point label placement.
• In addition to a list of characters to remove from a label, truncation now allows you to specify characters to never remove.
• You can add graphic text to a map by adding a graphics layer.
• Graphics layers are now included when setting weights for labels.

See Cartography toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

Drawing and performance

The following improvements have been made to drawing:

• Large polygons in 3D are tessellated (subdivided into smaller conformal triangles) to reduce z-fighting and increase precision when drawn in a global scene.
• ArcGIS Pro now renders group layer transparency in the same way as ArcMap. Layers in the group are drawn with their own opacity, and then transparency is applied to the whole group.

Export maps and layouts

The following improvements have been made to exporting a map or a layout to a PDF file:

• The new Simulate Overprint option simulates overprinting on the output, showing how overlapping areas of ink will appear when printed on a page.

  

  This image compares the default knockout settings on the left to an overprint simulation on the right.

• The new Convert character marker symbols to polygon option controls whether marker symbol layers based on font characters are exported as glyphs referenced from the font or as polygon shapes disassociated from the font. Check this option to view the output on a machine that does not have the appropriate fonts installed, or when you cannot embed the fonts due to licensing or file format restrictions.
• The Export As Image option now supports spot color channels, such as CMYK and N spot channels.

Graphics layers

You can now add graphics layers to maps (and map frames in layouts) to expand the flexibility and usability of maps. See Graphics layers in the Highlights section.

Layouts

• A new type of map series, called a bookmark map series, generates a set of pages built from a single layout in which each page shows the map extent of a bookmark. A bookmark map series can be based on a scene and supports time and range properties.
• New tools are available for working with graphic elements, including tools to merge shapes, rotate or flip graphics, and make elements the same size.
• Show printer margins on your layout to make sure that every layout element fits on the page when printed.
• Create custom grids that use polygon or line features within the map to define the grid.

Map projections

The perspective cylindrical map projection has been added. It is a cylindrical map projection, which can be constructed geometrically by projecting the globe onto a tangent (or secant) cylinder from the point on the equatorial plane opposite a given meridian.

The central cylindrical projection is a special case of the perspective cylindrical projection.

There are two new variants to the Lambert conformal conic projection:

• The Lambert conformal conic 1SP variant only supports definitions with one standard parallel and scale factor but uses the same algorithm as the Lambert conformal conic variant.
• The Lambert conformal conic 2SP variant only supports definitions with two standard parallels but uses the same algorithm as the Lambert conformal conic variant.

Navigation

• The Bookmarks pane for managing bookmarks has added new context menu options for greater control over the bookmark list appearance and exporting. You can now import or export bookmarks for each map in the project, remove all bookmarks, control sort order, and choose whether to show or hide bookmark descriptions.
• You can view or edit the camera's field of view angle from the Camera Properties on-screen window. This is also supported for animation properties to allow field of view camera angle changes between keyframes.
• Scenes now support First-person navigation mode with the Explore tool or the on-screen navigator to navigate a scene from the perspective of a person walking.

Pop-ups

• Tiled service layers (such as imagery basemaps) that contain source and level-of-detail information now support pop-ups.
• Related records can now be sorted in ascending order, descending order, or default (geodatabase) order in the tree portion of a pop-up.
• New options are available when you configure pop-ups:
  • Split and arrange elements to support side-by-side content.
  • Configure the horizontal distribution by selecting preset proportion options.
  • Insert as many of each element type as you want.
  • Interactive drag and drop is available to swap one element type for another.
  • View pop-up content for images and charts inside a multimedia carousel element.
  • Define an optional border color and thickness around elements.
• You can now open the full-resolution view of a feature image attachment or raster field in a pop-up.
• You can use HTML formatting to customize a text element using supported tags. (Some changes may be lost when you return to non-HTML mode.)

Reports

• Chart frames associated with the data source of a report can now be added to the report header, report footer, group header, and group footer sections.
• You can insert images into a report using a file path or expression based on fields.
• Related data can now be included in a report by adding a related report element. Related reports are inserted beneath the details section of a report. They include their own report header and footer as well as any defined group header and footers.

Styles

• New color schemes have been added to the ArcGIS Colors system style to support bivariate colors symbology. They are shown here in their 4x4 grid form, but each combination of colors is also available in generalized 3x3 and 2x2 grid formats.

  

• You can now browse to and open web styles in ArcGIS Pro.

Symbology

• Two new symbol effects, Localizer Feather and Offset Hatch, have been added to support aviation mapping.

  

  

• Bivariate colors symbology can be used to show quantitative differences between two fields using a two-color bivariate color scheme. Colors in the color scheme are applied to features to indicate a mixture of values from both fields. Edit bivariate color schemes with the color scheme editor.
• Hexagons and squares have been added to the list of polygon patch shapes you can specify for symbol classes.

  

• Dictionary symbology now supports custom web styles in addition to local ArcGIS Pro style files.

Tables

• The Select By Attributes button has been added to the table view.
• You can now move to the start or end of a table by clicking the navigation buttons at the bottom of the table view.
• You can now filter the table by the Find results. When checked, the table view only shows the rows that match the search results.
• Multiple-column resizing is now supported.

Time

• You can now store time-step interval properties, such as hourly stream gauge readings, with your time-aware layers, and use them to configure the time slider.
• You can now step through irregularly spaced temporal data. You can load up to 1,000 irregular time steps (read directly from the data) for temporal content captured at uneven intervals, such as aerial imagery or earthquake points.

Vector tiles

Vector tiles now support the Block Progression property used for vertical placement of Asian text. This property is converted to the text-writing-mode style property with vertical as its value in vector tile creation. Only labels containing at least one character from a range that supports vertical writing (for example, CJK characters) can be placed vertically. Learn more about labeling in vector tiles.

Voxel layers

Voxel layers are a new layer type at ArcGIS Pro 2.6. Voxel layers create 3D volumetric visualizations from NetCDF data. See Voxel layers in the Highlights section.

See the Geostatistical Analyst toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

Analysis and geoprocessing

General

• The workflow to schedule geoprocessing tools has an updated UI design, warnings, and documentation to help you configure your scheduled tools and follow best practices.
• A number of geoprocessing tools opened from ribbon buttons and various layer and table context commands now open in a streamlined floating geoprocessing tool window. Tools opened in this window can run at the same time as other tools that are run from the Geoprocessing pane. Updated commands include the following:
  • The Select By Attribute and Select By Location commands on the Map ribbon tab and the attribute table toolbar
  • The Add Join command in a layer's context menu or the Data contextual ribbon tab
  • The Calculate Field command in the attribute table column context menu and toolbar
  • The Display XY Data command in a stand-alone table's context menu
• The Add Join tool has a new button, Validate Join, to validate a number of characteristics about the join prior to running it, such as how many records will match when performing the join.
• A new geoprocessing option is available to display a tool's disabled parameters as a read-only control.
• The Analysis ribbon tab buttons and groups have a new order and grouping made to improve access to and consistency across analysis capabilities. Notable changes include the following:
  • A split button that allows you to open a New Notebook or the Python Window
  • An Analysis tool gallery with new groups and additional tools
  • A Workflows group containing a number of interactive analysis workflow commands and wizards
• You can use the %t% timestamp variable in geoprocessing tool output parameters to insert a numeric time stamp into the dataset name.

Charts

• Bar charts and box plots now have a Custom sort option on the Data tab in the Chart Properties pane. Custom sorting allows you to manually reorder the series in your chart. For example, you may want to organize weekdays in their natural order.
• New Select by polygon and Select by lasso tools, in addition to the traditional Select by rectangle tool, give you more control over selections when you interact with a chart.

  

• Manual symbol color control is now available for every chart, even when the chart matches the layer symbology colors by default.
• An interactive histogram classification control has been added to data clocks and calendar heat charts, allowing you to visualize the distribution of values while dynamically adjusting your class breaks.
• The ArcPy Chart object has a new dataSource property and an exportToSVG function, which can be used to configure and display charts inside notebooks.

• Bar charts now support thematic raster data with attribute tables.

  

Link analysis

Link analysis is a new capability in ArcGIS Pro that helps you discover patterns, trends, and hidden relationships through a network of interconnected spatial and nonspatial objects. See Link analysis in the Highlights section.

ModelBuilder

• A new iterator, Iterate Fields, has been added to enable you to iterate over the attribute fields in a dataset.
• You now have the option to delete or preserve the intermediate outputs from the context menu of an output variable. You can interactively delete all intermediate datasets in ModelBuilder using the Delete Intermediate Data button .
• ModelBuilder search results can be filtered to find only intermediate data variables marked for deletion using the Delete Intermediate Data filter.

Share analysis

You can overwrite a web tool in your ArcGIS Enterprise portal. This allows you to replace an existing web tool with an updated tool with different parameters, properties, or service settings.

Visibility analysis

Visibility analysis considers what can be seen by an observer from a given location. The Visibility Analysis tools on the Analysis ribbon tab use elevation data paired with observer information to produce linear line of sight (LLOS) and radial line of sight (RLOS) information.

3D Analyst extension

A new LAS dataset pyramid can be used to improve 3D display performance of points.

Two new TIN interactive editing tools have been added: Add Polygon and Change Node Z .

See 3D Analyst toolbox for new and enhanced geoprocessing tools.

3D Analyst toolbox

New tools and enhancements have been added to the 3D Analyst toolbox, and the 3D Analyst toolsets have been rearranged.

3D Intersections toolset

• The new Intersect 3D Lines tool computes the intersecting and overlapping segments of lines in 3D space.

Extraction toolset

• The new Extract Multipatch From Mesh tool creates a multipatch feature from the portion of an integrated mesh that overlaps a polygon.

LAS Dataset toolset

• The new Build LAS Dataset Pyramid tool is used to construct a pyramid scheme for a LAS dataset.

Visibility toolset

• The Intervisibility tool has been enhanced to add support for integrated mesh as input.

Analysis toolbox

The following new tools and enhancements have been added:

Proximity toolset

• Generate Origin-Destination Links—A new tool that generates connecting lines from origin features to destination features. This is often referred to as a spider diagram.
• Near—A new Field Names parameter that allows you to specify the names of the attribute fields that will be added during processing.

Aviation toolbox

Airports toolset

New tools and enhancements have been added to the Obstruction Identification Surfaces toolset:

• Light Signal Clearance Surface—A new tool that creates Light Signal Clearance surfaces based on the FAA Engineering Brief (EB) 95.
• PAPI Obstacle Clearance Surface—A new tool that creates Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) Obstacle Clearance surfaces based on the FAA Engineering Brief (EB) 95.
• The FAA 18B, FAA FAR 77, ICAO Annex 14, and Unified Facilities Criteria tools now support surface creation based on displaced thresholds.

Charting toolset

New tools have been added to the Data Management toolset:

• Generate Aviation Cartographic Features—Creates cartographic copies of features based on the area of interest they fall into.
• Generate Derived Airspace Geometry—Generates airspace geometries for use in charting operations while utilizing data in an aeronautical geodatabase.

Business Analyst extension

General

• The Target Marketing wizard contains several enhancements:
  • Customer layers can now be associated to target profiles.
  • A volumetric field can be added to customer profiles, such as sales per customer.
  • Market Area profile extents can be defined using the map view and any polygon layer.
  • The Four Quadrant Analysis view provides better customization of targets, including reassign, rename, and custom colors.
  • Cartographic improvements are made to all mapping layers.
• Variable lists are now supported to create and save your favorite demographic variables for use in Analysis tools.
• You can now include standard Esri data variables in your Statistical Data Collections using the SDCX Editor Add Variable command.
• You can import custom parameters from external tables into your Statistical Data Collections using the SDCX Editor Import Parameters command.

Territory Design

• A Territory Level Settings dialog box has been added to the Territory Design ribbon. This dialog box allows you to view settings, update parameters, and solve territories in a centralized location.

Business Analyst toolbox

The Target Marketing toolset contains the following new tools:

• Analyze Market Area Gap—Generates a layer that displays the gap between total customers and expected customers.
• Analyze Market Potential—Generates a layer that displays the expected number of customers in each polygon of the selected geography level.
• Create Target Group—Creates a new target group.
• Export Segmentation Profile—Exports a segmentation profile to a table.
• Generate Survey Report For Profile—Displays characteristics from the consumer survey data for your target profile to determine customer lifestyle habits and preferences.
• Generate Survey Report For Targets—Displays the top characteristics, in each of the selected survey categories, of your Core and Developmental target groups, as well as your overall customer profile.
• Import Segmentation Profile—Outputs a segmentation profile from a table.
• Import Survey Profiles—Imports segmentation profiles using existing survey data and adds them to the current project.

The Trade Areas toolset contains the following new tools:

• Assign Customers by Distance—Assigns customers to stores by closest location using Euclidean or network distance.
• Remove Overlap—Defines a border between two or more overlapping trade areas.

New parameters have been added to the following tools:

• Generate Trade Area Rings—A new Dissolve Option allows you to specify whether overlapping or nonoverlapping service areas for a single location will be used when multiple distances are indicated.
• Generate Customer Derived Trade Areas has Threshold Rings and Threshold Drive Times methods that expand outward from input stores until they encompass a specified threshold value for customers.

Territory Design toolbox

The Territory Solution toolset contains a new tool:

• Generate Territory Report—Creates a summary report of a territory solution or a comparison report of two solutions.

New parameters have been added to the following tools:

• Create Territory Solution—Boundary Mask allows you to limit the growth of point-based layers.
• Rebuild Territory Solution—Boundary Mask allows you to limit the growth of point-based layers.
• Set Territory Level Options—Random Number Generator Seed uses an ACM collected algorithm (599) to produce random territories.
• Solve Territories—Quality improves the performance of the solve operation.

Cartography toolbox

Annotation toolset

• The Convert Labels To Graphics tool is a new tool that converts labels in a map to a graphics layer.

Cartographic Refinements toolset

• The Generate Hachures For Defined Slopes tool is a new tool that creates multipart lines or polygons representing the slope between the lines representing the upper and lower parts of a slope.

  

  Two examples of slope hachures are shown. The first shows uniform polygon triangles. The second shows alternating tick lines.

Generalization toolset

• The Simplify Building tool now runs more efficiently on large datasets, allowing larger amounts of data to be run with larger partitions, or run without partitioning. Additional quality improvements ensure that the output retains key characteristics of the buildings along with topological consistency.
• There are improvements to quality and performance for the Smooth Line, Smooth Polygon, and Smooth Shared Edges tools.

Conversion toolbox

GPS toolset

• Features To GPX—A new tool that converts point, multipoint, or polyline features to a GPX format file (.gpx).

Transit Feed (GTFS) toolset

The following new tools have been added:

• Generate Shapes Features From GTFS—Generates an estimate of the paths traveled by the vehicles in a public transit system.
• Features To GTFS Shapes—Creates a shapes.txt file for a GTFS public transit dataset based on route line representations created by the Generate Shapes Features From GTFS tool.

Crime Analysis and Safety toolbox

The new Crime Analysis and Safety toolbox contains tools that support analytical functions to manage data, select crime incidents, conduct tactical and strategic analysis, and investigate crime patterns. The following tools and toolset are included:

• 80-20 Analysis—Conducts an 80/20 analysis of features and determines cluster locations by creating a graduated symbol layer based on the number of incidents occurring at each location. The tool calculates a cumulative percentage field to identify the locations where incidents are disproportionately occurring.
• Add Date Attributes—Adds fields containing date or time properties from an input date field; for example, day full name, day of the month, month, and year.
• Feature To 3D By Time—Creates a 3D feature class using date values from input features.
• Find Space Time Matches—Identifies matches between two feature classes based on proximity, time extent, or both.
• Join Attributes From Polygon—Joins attributes from input polygon features to input point features.
• Select Layer By Date And Time—Selects records based on date and time ranges or date properties; for example, single date, time range, time period, days of the week, month, or year.
• Summarize Incident Count—Creates a feature class with coincident point counts. Coincident point counts for line and point features are determined by a specified maximum distance. Point counts for polygon features are determined by whether point features or portions of features overlap with the polygon feature.
• Summarize Percent Change—Calculates the percent change for features that correspond with point features representing two equal comparison time periods.

Cell Phone Analysis toolset

The Cell Phone Analysis toolset contains a set of tools that can be used to map and analyze cell phone activity using cell phone records, cell site points, and sector polygons.

Data Management toolbox

Archiving toolset

• The new Trim Archive History tool allows you to delete the archive records you no longer need from nonversioned archive-enabled datasets.

Attribute Rules toolset

• The Alter Attribute Rule tool now supports altering the Exclude From Client Evaluation property of an attribute rule.

Distributed Geodatabase toolset

• The new Disable Replica Tracking tool provides a way to disable replica tracking on your data once it has been enabled.
• The new Enable Replica Tracking tool enables replica tracking on your data. Enabling replica tracking on your dataset allows your data to work with offline maps that have branch versioned data, with the option of creating a version for each downloaded map.
• The new Unregister Replica tool allows you to unregister a replica from an enterprise geodatabase by replica name or replica ID.

Feature Class toolset

• The Set Feature Class Split Model tool gives you more control over how new feature geometry is created when you split features during editing.

General toolset

• The Create Database View tool now supports file geodatabases. If the view you create contains an OBJECTID field, you can use the Register with Geodatabase tool.

Geodatabase Administration toolset

• The Register with Geodatabase tool now allows you to register views with file geodatabases.

Joins and Relates toolset

• The new Validate Join tool validates a join between two layers or tables to determine if the layers or tables have valid field names and Object ID fields, if the join produces matching records, if it is a one-to-one or one-to-many join, and other properties of the join.

LAS Dataset toolset

• The Build LAS Dataset Pyramid tool constructs or updates a LAS dataset display cache, which optimizes its rendering performance.

Layers and Table Views toolset

• The performance of the Select Layer By Location tool has been improved with the addition of the Intersect (DBMS) relationship.

Package toolset

• In the Scene Layers toolset, the Validate Scene Layer tool has been enhanced with the I3S validator.
• A new parameter, Reference Online Content, has been added to the Create Mobile Scene Package and Create Mobile Map Package tools.

Photos toolset

• The GeoTagged Photos To Points tool has been improved with enhanced performance and output visualization through photo symbols and a timeline chart.

Projections and Transformations toolset

The following tools have been updated to support multidimensional rasters:

• Flip
• Mirror
• Project Raster
• Rescale
• Rotate
• Shift
• Warp
• Warp From File

Raster toolset

The following tools have been updated to support multidimensional rasters:

• Build Raster Attribute Table
• Calculate Statistics
• Clip Raster
• Resample

Relationship Classes toolset

• The Set Relationship Class Split Policy tool allows you to define a split policy for features that participate in relationship classes.

Versions toolset

• The Alter Version tool now supports changing the owner of a branch version.

Defense toolbox

The new Defense toolbox provides a collection of tools that enable the automation of analytical processes and workflows for determining location, distance, range, and visibility. The following toolsets are included:

Conversion toolset

The Conversion toolset contains tools that are used to convert tabular data to features and to convert between coordinate notation formats. These tools create two-point lines, ellipses, lines of bearing, points, polygons, and polylines that can be stored in a feature class.

Distance and Direction toolset

The Distance and Direction toolset contains tools that are used to determine a range from a given point or set of points. These tools create a set of concentric circles around a point or create a fan to represent ranges.

Gridded Reference Graphic toolset

The Gridded Reference Graphic toolset contains tools for creating local area reference grids and numbering features. These tools create a polygon feature class representing a grid based on a defined size or a world reference system grid.

Visibility toolset

The Visibility toolset contains tools that are used to determine line of sight between objects. These tools create outputs to represent linear line of sight or radial line of sight. The toolset also includes tools that identify the best terrain where line of sight analysis should be performed.

Editing toolbox

• The Simplify By Straight Lines And Circular Arcs tool supports both lines and polygons. Overlapping polygon and line features can be simplified while maintaining topological coincidence.

GeoAnalytics Desktop toolbox

Tools have been added or enhanced in the following toolsets:

Find Locations toolset

• The Find Dwell Locations tool can now return the first and last value of a summarized track and supports a time boundary split.

Summarize Data toolset

• The Reconstruct Tracks tool can now return the first and last value of a summarized track.

Utilities toolset

To support the creation and modification of big data connections (BDCs), the following new tools are available in the Big Data Connections toolset:

• The Copy Dataset From Big Data Connection tool copies a dataset from a BDC to a feature class.
• The Create Big Data Connection tool creates a big data connection.
• The Duplicate Dataset From Big Data Connection tool creates a duplicate of a BDC dataset.
• The Preview Dataset From Big Data Connection tool creates a preview of the first ten features in a BDC dataset.
• The Refresh Big Data Connection tool refreshes an existing BDC and registers any new datasets that have been added to the source location.
• The Remove Big Dataset From Big Data Connection tool removes one or more datasets from an existing BDC. This tool only removes the dataset from the BDC file; the source data is not modified.
• The Update Big Data Connection Dataset Properties tool updates the properties of a BDC dataset; the source data is not modified. The tool modifies field, geometry, time, and file settings for a specified BDC dataset.

GeoAnalytics Server toolbox

The Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) tool has been added. GWR is a local form of regression that can be used to model spatially varying relationships in your study area. This tool provides a local model of a variable or process by fitting a regression equation to every feature in the dataset, allowing you to inspect how the model and relationships change across your study area.

The following tools have been enhanced:

• Find Dwell Locations and Reconstruct Tracks can return the first and last value of a summarized track.
• Find Dwell Locations supports a time boundary split.

Geocoding toolbox

The Create Locator tool has been enhanced in the following ways:

• Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are supported countries.
• Dutch and Italian are supported languages.
• An optional Precision Type parameter has been added.
• Suggestions for addresses with subunits or subaddresses are provided.

Geostatistical Analyst toolbox

Working with Geostatistical Layers toolset

• The new GA Layer 3D To NetCDF tool allows you to export the results of the Empirical Bayesian Kriging 3D tool to a netCDF file. This file can then be visualized as a voxel layer in a local scene to explore the results of the 3D interpolation.

Image Analyst extension

Deep Learning

The Train Deep Learning Model tool includes a new parameter, Freeze Model, that allows you to unfreeze the backbone layers in the pretrained model so the weights and biases can be altered to better fit your training samples. There are also new Backbone Model options, including ResNet, DenseNet, and VGG network.

The Label Objects for Deep Learning pane allows you to select the reference system—map space or pixel space—to use to export your training data.

Extraction

The Sample tool is now available in the Extraction toolset of the Image Analyst toolbox. In addition, the Sample tool includes a new parameter for producing an output feature class.

Motion Imagery

The FMV video player has been updated with new tools and capabilities. The video playback bar is graduated with finer granularity, which allows you to pinpoint playback control when working with your video. Additional tools available on the video player toolbar include the following:

• The Record Segments tool stores a segment of a live stream video in memory. This allows you to examine and work with live stream video segments similar to an archived video.
• Use the Metadata Timestamp display on the video player to update the jump-to-timestamp functionality. This allows you to set the desired date and time you want to view in the video range of the active segment.
• The Record Video tool interactively records a segment of video to a file on disk.
• You can use keyboard shortcuts to work with your video data. The keyboard shortcuts perform operations on the active video player.

Multidimensional Analysis

To support continuous change detection over time, the Multidimensional Analysis toolset includes the following new tools:

• The Analyze Changes Using CCDC tool uses the Continuous Change Detection and Classification method to evaluate pixel changes over time and generate model results.
• The Detect Change Using Change Analysis Raster tool generates a raster containing pixel change information using the output from the Analyze Changes Using CCDC tool.

In addition to new change detection functionality, enhancements have been made to the following multidimensional analysis tools:

• The Generate Multidimensional Anomaly tool allows you to calculate anomalies by comparing pixel values to those provided in an external raster dataset.
• New parameters in the Generate Trend Raster tool provide model goodness-of-fit statistics.
• All tools in the Multidimensional Analysis toolset now support the Pyramids environment setting.

Segmentation and Classification

The supervised classification training tools support multidimensional raster data with a new parameter for defining the dimension field.

You can use the Train Maximum Likelihood Classifier, Train Random Trees Classifier, or Train Support Vector Machine Classifier tool in conjunction with the updated Training Samples Manager to train a classification model for a multidimensional raster or mosaic dataset.

The Segment Mean Shift tool has a new parameter for limiting the maximum allowed segment size.

Statistical

The Zonal Statistics as Table tool is now available in the Statistical toolset of the Image Analyst toolbox.

Stereo Mapping

You can now change the size and color of the stereo cursor in the stereo map view. You can also control the Z sensitivity of the cursor.

Raster functions

To support change detection workflows, four new raster functions are available with the Image Analyst extension:

• The CCDC Analysis function uses the Continuous Change Detection and Classification method to evaluate pixel changes over time and generate model results.
• The Detect Change Using Change Analysis function generates a raster containing pixel change information using the output from the Analyze Changes Using CCDC tool.
• The Compute Change function enumerates the pixel changes that occur between two raster datasets. This function computes both absolute pixel value changes and categorical changes for thematic rasters. For categorical changes, it generates a layer depicting all areas that changed from one class to another.

  

• The new Trend to RGB function converts a trend raster from the Generate Trend function or the CCDC Analysis function into an RGB raster layer.

For existing functions, the following were updated:

• The Linear Spectral Unimixing function supports multidimensional raster layers.
• The Segment Mean Shift function has a new parameter for limiting the maximum allowed segment size.
• New parameters were added to the Generate Trend function: Length of Cycle, Cycle Unit, RMSE, R-Squared, and P-Value of Slope Coefficient.

Indoors toolbox

• The Floorplans To Indoors tool was renamed Import Floorplans To Indoors Geodatabase and contains minor parameter updates.
• The Create Facility Entryways tool was renamed Generate Facility Entryways and contains significant parameter and functionality updates.
• The Create Floor Transitions tool was renamed Generate Floor Transitions and contains significant parameter and functionality updates.
• The Generate Pathways tool was renamed Generate Indoor Pathways and contains significant parameter and functionality updates.
• The Classify Pathways tool was renamed Classify Indoor Pathways and contains significant parameter updates.
• The Create People Points tool was renamed Generate Occupant Features and contains minor parameter updates.
• The Thin Pathways tool was renamed Thin Indoor Pathways and contains significant parameter and functionality updates.

Location Referencing toolbox

This release includes the following new intersection tools in the LRS Intersection toolset:

LRS Intersection toolset

• Create LRS Intersection—Creates an intersection feature class for an existing LRS Network.
• Create LRS Intersection From Existing Dataset—Registers an existing intersection feature class as an intersection in an existing LRS Network.
• Modify LRS Intersection—Modifies the properties of an intersection feature class.

Once the configuration tools above have been used to create or modify an LRS intersection feature class, use the following tool to generate and update intersections:

• Generate Intersections—Generates and updates LRS intersection point features.

Learn more about generating and updating intersections in Pipeline Referencing or generating and updating intersections in Roads and Highways.

LRS Network toolset

The LRS Network toolset contains the following new tool:

• Modify Network Calibration Rules—Modifies the gap calibration rules for an LRS Network.

Maritime toolbox

Two new toolsets have been added. The Management toolset contains tools that manage S-57 data. The Validation toolset contains tools that validate S-57 data.

Management toolset

The Management toolset contains the following new tools:

• Create S-57 Exchange Set—Allows a mariner to view the Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) datasets in an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) for shipboard navigation.
• Export Geodatabase to S-57—Exports hydrographic data from a maritime charting geodatabase to an S-57 file.
• Import S-57 To Geodatabase—Imports an S-57 file into a maritime charting geodatabase.

Validation toolset

The Validation toolset contains the following new tools:

• Parse S-58 Log File—Parses log files produced by the Validate S-57 File tool and third-party validation software against S-58.
• Repair Nautical Data—Runs selected data repair processes on a database with the Nautical schema.
• Validate S-57 File—Validates an ENC or Inland Electronic Navigational Charts (IENC) file.

Multidimension toolbox

• The new Manage Multidimensional Raster tool allows you to append or replace slices, append or delete variables, and add or remove dimensions from an existing multidimensional raster.

• The new Dimensionless parameter in the Make Multidimensional Raster Layer tool removes the dimension information from a single-slice multidimensional raster.

Network Analyst extension

• Network Analyst now supports creating the Vehicle Routing Problem analysis layer from the Network Analysis button on the Analysis tab on the ribbon. The controls on the contextual VRP ribbon tab allow you to set analysis layer properties.
• Three new geoprocessing tools that support creating and updating the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) layer have been added to the Network Analyst toolbox in the Analysis toolset:
  • Make Vehicle Routing Problem Analysis Layer—Allows you to create a VRP network analysis layer and sets its analysis properties.
  • Add Vehicle Routing Problem Breaks—Allows you to create breaks in the VRP network analysis layer with specified parameters.
  • Add Vehicle Routing Problem Routes—Allows you to create routes in the VRP network analysis layer with specified parameters.

  Note:

  To support the VRP workflows in ArcGIS Pro 2.6, a few schema changes have been introduced. A Vehicle Routing Problem analysis layer created in ArcGIS Pro 2.6 should not be used in previous versions of ArcGIS Pro, as these versions don't have the supporting schema.

• You can learn about the VRP tools introduced at ArcGIS Pro 2.6 in the Service a set of orders with a fleet of vehicles and Find the best routes to service paired orders tutorials.
• Configure the source of live traffic to be used in your analysis on the Live Traffic tab of the Network Dataset property page.

Network Diagram toolbox

The Export Diagram Content tool has a new parameter, Use domain and subtype descriptions, that allows you to export coded domain and subtype values using their string descriptions instead of raw values.

Layout toolset

The following tools have a new Offset parameter. This parameter allows you to separate overlapping segments when the Edge Display Type is Orthogonal edges.

• Apply Smart Tree Layout
• Apply Mainline Tree Layout
• Apply Main Ring Layout

Configuration toolset

The following tools have a new Offset parameter. This parameter allows you to separate overlapping segments when the Edge Display Type is Orthogonal edges.

• Add Smart Tree Layout
• Add Mainline Tree Layout
• Add Main Ring Layout

Parcels toolbox

The following new tools support least-squares analysis on parcels:

• The Analyze Parcels By Least Squares Adjustment tool analyzes parcel fabric dimensions for mistakes and updates parcel point coordinates to improve spatial accuracy. Results are stored in new adjustment feature classes for analysis purposes.
• The Apply Parcel Least Squares Adjustment tool applies the results stored in adjustment feature classes to the parcel fabric. Parcel point coordinates are updated.

Python

• The version of Python in ArcGIS Pro was upgraded to Python 3.6.10.
• A split button on the Analysis ribbon tab allows you to open a New Notebook or the Python window .
• Rich notebook representations of ArcPy objects including Chart, SpatialReference, and Result are available.
• Color improvements have been made to the ArcGIS Pro dark theme for notebooks.
• Many magic and shell commands are now supported, including %matplotlib inline.

ArcPy

• You can automate geocoding workflows with the new Geocoding module.
• Geometry objects now have a hasCurves method.
• The FeatureSet object's load method has new arguments for SQL expressions, time filtering, and symbology. The RecordSet object's load method has a new argument for SQL expressions.

ArcPy Raster class

New capabilities for the Raster object allow additional data management and multidimensional raster processing.

• Properties—RAT, hasTranspose
• Methods—addDimension, appendSlices, getColormap, setColormap, getHistogram, setHistogram, getStatistics, setStatistics, renameVariable, setVariableAttributes

arcpy.mp

• The new CreateCIMObjectFromClassName method allows Python developers to create Cartographic Information Model (CIM) classes that can be used to expand the capabilities exposed in an object's definition. See Python CIM Access for more information.
• When updating data sources for enterprise geodatabase layers, database connection files (.sde) can now be used in both the current_connection_info and new_connection_info parameters.
• The exportToMAPX method provides the ability to export a Map to a map file (.mapx).
• The exportToPAGX method provides the ability to export a Layout to a layout file (.pagx).
• The spatialReference property provides the ability to get or set the SpatialReference associated with a Map.

Raster Analysis tools from ArcGIS Enterprise

When you are signed in to an ArcGIS Enterprise portal that has an ArcGIS Image Server configured for Raster Analysis, new tools and raster functions are available. Additional capabilities have been added to some existing functions.

Manage Data toolset

• The Convert Raster to Feature tool has two new parameters: Create Multipart Features and Maximum Vertices Per Polygon Feature.

Summarize Data toolset

• A new Zonal Statistics As Table tool has been added to calculate the values of a raster within the zones of another dataset and report the results to a table.
• The Summarize Raster Within tool and the Zonal Statistics raster function can process both multidimensional zone and value rasters. The tools and the function now also have an additional statistics type, Percentile, to compute extreme events.

Use Proximity toolset

This toolset has been reorganized and new tools have been added.

• The Distance Accumulation tool calculates accumulated distance for each cell to sources, allowing for straight-line distance, cost distance, true surface distance, as well as vertical and horizontal cost factors.
• The Distance Allocation tool calculates the distance allocation for each cell to the provided sources based on straight-line distance, cost distance, true surface distance, as well as vertical and horizontal cost factors.
• The Optimal Path As Line tool calculates the optimal path from a source to a destination as a line.
• The Optimal Path As Raster tool calculates the optimal path from a source to a destination as a raster.
• The Optimal Region Connections tool calculates the optimal connection of paths between two or more input regions.

The following tools were moved to the Use Proximity (Legacy) toolset: Calculate Distance, Calculate Travel Cost, Cost Path As Polyline, Determine Optimum Travel Cost Network, Determine Travel Cost Path As Polyline, and Determine Travel Cost Paths To Destinations.

Space Time Pattern Mining toolbox

The new Time Series Forecasting toolset allows you to forecast the future values of time series data stored in a space-time cube using three available forecasting methods. You can also create a hybrid forecast using a combination of methods based on the best fit at each location. Rich pop-ups and charts allow you to explore the results in space and time.

The interactive pop-up chart shows several forecasts from the same space-time cube.

Time Series Forecasting toolset

• The Curve Fit Forecast tool forecasts future values by fitting a linear, parabolic, exponential, or S-shaped (Gompertz) curve to the time series.
• The Exponential Smoothing Forecast tool forecasts future values using the Holt-Winters exponential smoothing method.
• The Forest-based Forecast tool forecasts future values using a variation of Leo Breiman's random forest algorithm.
• The Evaluate Forecasts by Location tool allows you to merge the best forecasts location by location.

Spatial Analyst extension

Raster analysis capabilities have been improved in several key areas.

• The new Suitability Modeler is an interactive way to identify the best location to site things or identify areas to preserve.
• New and improved tools and functions are available across several analysis categories, including density, distance, extraction, generalization, local, multidimensional, segmentation and classification, surface, and zonal.
• Many tools and functions have been updated to directly support multiband raster data.
• Improvements have been made to the ArcPy RasterCellIterator class and the Map Algebra operators.

Suitability Modeler

The new Suitability Modeler is a dynamic, exploratory environment of interacting panes, plots, and maps that you can use to create better suitability models. See Interactive suitability analysis in the Highlights section to learn more.

Density analysis

The Kernel Density tool has a new parameter that allows barrier features to be considered when calculating kernel density for the Planar method. The tool has been enhanced to work with the parallel processing environment, and efficiency has been improved by using a new search algorithm.

Distance analysis

The Optimal Region Connections tool has a new parameter that determines if the paths will continue within the input regions.

The new Optimal Path As Raster raster function has been added to the Distance raster function group.

Extraction analysis

The Sample tool has a new parameter Generate feature class that allows you to create a point feature class output instead of a table.

Generalization analysis

The Region Group tool has been rewritten to improve performance.

Local analysis

For local analysis, the Combine tool has been rewritten to improve performance. There is now no limit on the number of input rasters.

The Equal To Frequency, Greater Than Frequency, Less Than Frequency, Popularity, and Rank tools have a new parameter, Process as multiband, that allows you more control over how multiband input rasters are processed when creating single-band or multiband output.

Multiband raster analysis

Most of the Math tools and Math functions can now perform band-wise aggregation for multiband input. The Con tool in the Conditional toolset as well as the Con raster function can also do this.

Multidimensional raster analysis

In the Multidimensional Analysis toolset, the Aggregate Multidimensional Raster and Generate Multidimensional Anomaly tools support the Pyramids environment setting.

The Generate Multidimensional Anomaly tool has a new parameter that allows you to calculate anomalies by comparing pixel values to those provided in an external raster dataset. The Mean Calculation Interval parameter also includes a new External Raster option.

Segmentation and Classification analysis

The Train Maximum Likelihood Classifier, Train Random Trees Classifier, and Train Support Vector Machine Classifier tools have a new parameter, Dimension Value Field, to contain dimension values in the input training sample feature class.

The Export Training Data For Deep Learning tool has a new default option for the Meta Data Format parameter, changing from KITTI Labels to PASCAL Visual Object Classes.

The Segment Mean Shift tool has a new parameter for setting the maximum size of a segment.

Surface analysis

The Aspect tool has a new parameter, Project geodesic azimuths, to correct the angle distortion caused by the output spatial reference. These angles can be used to accurately locate points along the steepest downhill slope. This parameter is available only when the Method parameter is set to Geodesic.

The Cut Fill tool now calculates cut and fill operations using eight-way connectivity.

Zonal analysis

The Tabulate Area tool now processes overlapping polygon zones and calculates area for each zone separately. You can also represent the input classes as rows or fields using the Classes as rows in output table parameter.

The Zonal Histogram tool can now create histogram graphs. You can also represent the input zones as rows or fields using the Zones as rows in output table parameter.

The Zonal Statistics and Zonal Statistics as Table tools and the Zonal Statistics raster function can now process both multidimensional zone and value rasters. The tools and the function also have a new Percentile statistics type to compute extreme events.

ArcPy enhancements

In the RasterCellIterator class in ArcPy, you can now optionally skip NoData cells to improve performance.

The Map Algebra Operators can now perform band-wise operations for multiband input.

Spatial Statistics toolbox

Modeling Spatial Relationships toolset

• The Generate Network Spatial Weights tool allows you to create a spatial weights matrix file using a network dataset to define the spatial relationships between features. The tool has been updated to take advantage of new properties of the travel modes of network datasets.

Topographic Production toolbox

Cartography toolset

The Layout toolset contains the following new cartographic automation tool:

• Generate Product Layout—Automates the process of producing a layout or map based on a standard specification.

Workflow toolset

The Data Management toolset in the Workflow toolset contains the following new data management automation tool:

• Update Task Group Metrics—Updates and summarizes task group metrics that are part of the standard Topographic Workflow deployment of Workflow Manager (Classic).

Data management

General

• Projects are backed up automatically so you can recover your work if ArcGIS Pro shuts down unexpectedly. See Project recovery in the Highlights section.
• The ArcGIS Pro start page links directly to learning resources, blogs, community support, and product information.
• Items available from My Favorites and My Organization in the active portal can be added to your project from the Catalog pane, catalog view, and the browse dialog box.
• You can search your active portal for content and groups—and sort and filter search results—with the same capabilities of ArcGIS Online.

  

  Content is available from the My Favorites and My Organization portal collections. Search results can be sorted and filtered.

• New project search capabilities have been added, including the ability to restrict your search to a selected location.
• For supported items, you can hover over an item in the Catalog pane, and link to the item's location on disk or in your portal.
• Project favorites now support connections to toolboxes and custom styles.

Big data connections

ArcGIS Pro supports a new data type, big data connection (BDC). BDC datasets are a flexible format that offers the following capabilities:

• Use a collection of datasets as a single dataset.
• Define how geometry and time are represented in your data.
• Use your delimited files in their current format with little to no preprocessing.
• Use ORC or parquet files.

See GeoAnalytics Desktop toolbox for geoprocessing tools that support BDCs.

BIM

Connect to Autodesk BIM 360

You can now make a BIM Cloud Connection to an online BIM Cloud storage repository for Autodesk BIM 360.

After establishing a BIM Cloud Connection, you can access files stored in the cloud storage repository, download them locally, and use the data in an ArcGIS Pro project. The BIM Cloud Connection can be browsed in the same way as any other folder connection to view the files that are available online. You can access any of the supported CAD and building information modeling (BIM) formats that are stored in the BIM 360 cloud (DWG, RVT, and DGN).

Building layers

Several enhancements have been made to the way you work with building layers in ArcGIS Pro:

• Filters can now be added to building layers that can be shared as building scene layers for use across the ArcGIS platform.
• Textures and colors are now read directly from the BIM file workspace (Revit).

  

• Layers from a building layer can be reorganized by adding, removing, and rearranging the layers between the disciplines. This can only be done with data from the same source file.
• A new Floorplan dataset contains four feature classes with 2.5D geometries and one feature class with 3D geometry:
  • Floorplan_Polygon shows the room boundary (if present) and the floor boundary.
  • Floorplan_Polyline shows the layout of walls and other building components.
  • PointOfInterest shows a point representation for the following features: Furniture, FurnitureSystems, SpecialtyEquipment, MechanicalEquipment, FireAlarmDevices, SecurityDevices, NurseCallDevices, CommunicationDevices, and ElectricalEquipment.
  • Footprint shows the extent of all floors.
  • ExteriorShape is a lower-detail 3D representation of the BIM file workspace.

  

CAD

You can now directly read AutoCAD Civil3D objects in your ArcGIS Pro maps and scenes.

• The direct-read support of AutoCAD Civil3D objects follows the same model as standard AutoCAD entities that ArcGIS Pro supports.
• Civil3D objects added to a map or scene are rendered with their unique symbology.
• The properties and attributes of each object are available as defined in the Civil3D file.

Coordinate Conversion

It is common for users to work across various systems that use different coordinate systems to identify locations on the earth. The new Coordinate Conversion tool on the Map ribbon tab allows you to input coordinates using one coordinate system and output them to different coordinate systems in multiple notation formats.

Data Reviewer

The following new and enhanced methods are available to automate validation of your data with Data Reviewer-enabled attribute rules:

• The new Event on Event check finds linear-referenced events that overlay other events based on a user-defined relationship.
• The new Nonlinear Segment check finds polyline or polygon features that contain nonlinear segments such as arcs and curves.
• The Feature on Feature check has been enhanced in the following ways:
  • It now supports the filtering of comparison features in attribute validation rule workflows.
  • It now supports comparison of attribute values in attribute validation rule workflows.

Distance and Direction

You can use the new Distance and Direction tool on the Insert ribbon tab to draw geodetic lines, circles, ellipses, and rings to visualize relevant information. New feature classes are automatically stored in a feature dataset in the project geodatabase and are added as layers to the Contents pane of the active map.

Edit data

• Attribute tables for event layers are editable.
• Flashing for sketched vertex handles has been enhanced for the geometry properties table. Clicking a row or pressing an arrow key flashes a circle around the currently selected vertex handle. The geometry properties table appears with Edit Vertices and with feature templates that create line or polygon features.
• While sketching line or polygon geometry, you can right-click a vertex and click Trim Before to delete all vertices between the first vertex and the right-clicked vertex, or click Trim After to delete all vertices between the right-clicked vertex and the last vertex.
• Scale now supports scaling annotation features.
• In Template Properties, on the Attributes tab, geodatabase default values appear with a blue vertical bar. Hovering over the field name displays the default value and other field properties defined by the source geodatabase.
• The Enforce attribute validation option can be turned off on the Options dialog box for workflows that require the ability to override attribute validation, for example, to leave a field empty that otherwise disallows null values.
• The Validate Extent tool is now available in the Modify Features pane.
• The Snap To Feature context menu contains snap agents that override your current snap settings when you sketch geometry.
• Snapping settings include Z Snap and tolerance settings for working with 3D surfaces and z-aware features.
• The intersection tools now support ground to grid correction.
• In the Template Properties dialog box on the Preview tab for preset templates, you can specify the insertion point using your current snap settings and a preview of the features.
• A reference grid comprising one horizontal and two vertical sketch planes can be used to sketch and snap geometry in a local 3D scene. Use the Grid button on the status bar of the active map or local scene to show and hide the grid.
• In the Create Features pane, you can filter the list of feature templates to show only templates that create features on group layers or composite layers.
• When you sketch polyline geometry and create only one vertex, you can use the 2-Point Line tool to continue sketching the line without losing the vertex.
• When you reshape features with the Reshape tool , you can intersect a line feature only once and trim the feature on the side of the sketch with the shortest length.
• Keyboard shortcuts are available for stepping through vertices and flashing them in a map from the geometry properties table in the Modify Features pane or in the Attributes pane on the Geometry tab.
• The Extend or Trim tool contains two preset tools that exclusively extend or trim a line feature.
• On the Edit tab, in the Manage Edits group, you can turn the current edit session off at the application level and protect against unintentional edits.
• When you edit vertices and associated m-values, you can right-click a segment and edit m-value schema along the entire feature, including scaling, offsetting, and recalculating all m-values with interpolated m-values.
• On the Editor Settings dialog box, you can customize the appearance of vertex handles.
• The Cul-de-sac tool creates cul-de-sac geometry that is aligned with a selected line feature representing the centerline of a road. You specify the street width, a radius value for the cul-de-sac, and a radius value for the two return curves.
• The Split Into COGO Lines tool splits a selected line feature at each vertex into separate two-point lines or circular arcs. COGO attribute values are calculated for COGO-enabled features. To learn more, see Split lines into COGO lines.
• The Divide tool now allows you to divide multiple selected lines into equal parts or by percentage.

Geocoding

• The following improvements have been made to the Locate pane:
  • You can add a search result as a graphic layer to your map.
  • The workflow to add a search result to a point feature class in a map, or to a new feature class, has been redesigned.
• Additional usability improvements include the following:
  • Add a locator to a project by dragging it from the Catalog pane to a map.
  • Change the coordinate system of an individual or composite locator in the Locator Properties dialog box after the locator is created.
  • Change the coordinate system of a geocoding result in the Geocode Table pane.
  • Open the attribute table of geocoding results in the Rematch Addresses pane.
• New context menu options are available in the Catalog pane for the following actions:
  • Share a locator to a portal.
  • Open locator properties.
  • Geocode a table without adding it to a map.
  • Open the Create Locator tool.
• You can automate geocoding workflows with the new Geocoding module.

See Geocoding toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

Geodatabases and databases

• You can use the New OLE DB Connection option on the Insert ribbon tab to make read-only connections to tabular data sources, such as a Microsoft Access database. This type of connection is commonly used to connect ArcGIS Pro to data sources that support OLE DB but cannot be accessed from the Database Connection dialog box.

  

• You can now define the behavior of a split when editing a feature class with the Set Feature Class Split Model geoprocessing tool. A new split model option, Delete/Insert/Insert, results in a deletion of the feature being split, followed by the insertion of two new features.
• Depending on the type of relationship class, simple or composite, there are new relationship class split policy options available, including Duplicate Related Objects, which can be specified when using the Set Relationship Class Split Policy geoprocessing tool.
• Use the new Trim Archive History geoprocessing tool to remove retired archived records from nonversioned, archive-enabled tables and feature classes in your enterprise geodatabase. Geodatabase archiving preserves the edit transactions of archived enabled classes.
• Publish a topology and all of its feature classes in a web feature layer. This allows you to edit features, validate the topology, and correct errors for a branch versioned topology using the web feature layer in ArcGIS Pro. You do not need to upgrade your geodatabase to use this new functionality, but you do need to upgrade your ArcGIS Enterprise deployment to 10.8.1.
• You can define a view on tables and feature classes in a file geodatabase using the Create Database View geoprocessing tool and file geodatabase SQL. If the view contains an object ID field, you can use the Register with Geodatabase tool to allow the view to participate in geodatabase functionality such as relationship classes.
• You can add data from an SQLite database or OGC GeoPackage file to a map and edit the data.
• ArcGIS Pro 2.6 introduces the following changes in database support:
  • PostgreSQL 12.2 and PostGIS 3.0.1 are supported.
  • SQLite 3.31.1 is supported.
  • IBM Db2 11.5 is supported.
  • Dameng 8.1.0.147 is supported.
  • Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) for Oracle is supported when you connect to the database service from clients running in the same Amazon Web Services region as the Amazon RDS instance.

Attribute rules

• You can use the $editcontext Arcade global variable to reference the editing event trigger in the attribute rule script expression.
• Configure the Attribute Rules view to enable the Release columns to view the compatibility of attribute rules and an ArcGIS client release.
• Calculation attribute rules can be created on the shape field of a dataset to modify the feature's geometry.
• Modify the Exclude from application evaluation property of an existing attribute rule through the Attribute Rule view or with the Alter Attribute Rule tool.
• The edit dictionary keyword includes additional values to support new connectivity association types in the utility network:
  • junctionEdgeFrom
  • junctionEdgeTo
  • midspan

Replication

• The Manage Replicas pane can now be accessed from the catalog view using the Manage Replicas button on the contextual Databases tab, or from the Catalog pane using the Distributed Geodatabase context menu.
• When working with replicas or offline maps with the feature service sync capability enabled, a replica activity log keeps track of processes run and operational information. You can change the logging properties for the replica activity log, such as the level of detail and the path to the log file, in two places:
  • Manage Replicas pane—Click the Manage Replicas menu and click Logging Properties.
  • Options dialog box—Click the Geodatabase Replication tab.
• The Manage Replicas pane has been updated to show the total number of replicas. The validation status of the replica schema and the refresh status of the replica are also shown.

  

• The Description tab on the Replica Properties dialog box lists the datasets included in the replica. On this tab, you can now view replica dataset filters, such as a selection set or definition query, that were applied to the data when the replica was created.
• You can now access the replica log error report if a conflict or system error occurs during replica synchronization. The Error Report is accessible from the Replica Log tab on the Replica Properties dialog box.

Versioning

• A new portal privilege is available for versioning administration workflows of branch versioned data. Click Version Management > Manage all to access the general privilege that allows role members to serve as the version administrator for the feature service. To learn more, see Version management under general privileges and Manage branch versions.
• Branch versioning is now supported for datasets that use SDO_Geometry spatial data storage in enterprise geodatabases in Oracle. To learn more, see Register a dataset as branch versioned.
• When reconciling branch versioned data, you now have the option to define conflicts using By attribute (by column). Defining conflicts by attribute allows you to view column-level conflicts and choose how best to replace these values in the version Conflict Manager.

  

• The Add Field Conflict Filter geoprocessing tool is now supported with branch versioned data to exclude any number of fields from conflict detection during reconciliation. To learn more, see Reconcile and post edits to a branch version.
• With branch or traditional versioned data, when you change the data source version using Change Version and edits have not been saved, you are prompted to save or discard edits before changing the version.

Imagery and raster

ArcPy function

The new GetImageEXIFProperties ArcPy function retrieves an image file’s exchangeable image file format (EXIF) metadata, including XMP format.

Environment settings

Three new environment settings are available:

• Cell Alignment—Adjusts the cell alignment of the output to match the cell alignment of the specified processing extent.
• Recycle Interval Of Processing Workers—Specifies when to stop a worker process and start new worker processes when there is random failure processing a particular job.
• Number of Retries On Failures—Defines the number of retries a worker process will attempt when job processing fails.

Georeferencing

Two new features are available for the Control Point Table:

• Quickly find the selected row using the Make Selected Visible button .
• Convert your residuals from degrees to meters using the Show Residuals in Meters button .

Ortho mapping

• Ortho mapping supports multispectral workspace options for RedEdge and Altum sensors, including radiometric calibration using surface reflectance calibration panels.
• Perform adjustments for drone imagery collected with high-accuracy, differential GPS using the Fix Image Location for High Accuracy GPS option.
• Automatically estimate Pixel Size on the Sensor (in mm) for the drone imagery workflow.
• Automatically estimate Omega, Phi, and Kappa orientations for the scanned imagery workflow.
• Build a scanned imagery workspace from georeferenced historical imagery.
• Capture fiducials and manage multiple camera and fiducial types in the Refine Interior Orientation pane.
• Use the enhanced Tie Point Editor pane to display, filter, and edit tie points in preparation for block adjustment.

Raster data types

Several Sentinel-3 processing templates were added:

• Ocean & Atmosphere Products
  • Aerosol Angstrom Exponent
• SLSTR
  • Sea Ice Fraction
  • Wind Speed
  • Aerosol Contamination Indicator
• Land Surface temperature
  • GlobCover Surface Classification
  • Fractional Vegetation Cover
  • NDVI
  • Total Column Water Vapor
• Synergy
  • Aerosol Angstrom Exponent at 550m

Raster functions

The following updates have been made to existing functions:

• New parameter in the Multidimensional Filter function: Dimensionless
• New parameter in the Shaded Relief function: Hillshade Type

Symbology

• The Stretched symbology now allows you to label your legend using Advanced labeling options.

Indoors

The following new functionality has been added:

• The Create Indoors Category wizard guides you through a simplified workflow to configure new categories in Indoors web and mobile apps.
• The category and group configurations can be previewed in the Explore view.

The following functionality has been deprecated:

• The Categories table has been deprecated. You can now configure categories and category groups in the Categories view and the Explore view in the Configure Indoors Categories pane.

See Indoors toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

LocateXT

• You can now extract dates from documents written in Asian languages in which the dates use traditional notations such as era-based dates, as well as dates in which the numbers of the day, month, or year use full-width numerals.

Metadata

• If you have an XML document that is compliant with the ISO 19115-1 and ISO 19115-3 metadata standards, you can import it to an item with ArcGIS Pro. Learn about creating metadata for an item that is compliant with ISO 19115-3.
• If you use multiple Catalog views to manage your data, you can now see metadata in more than one Catalog view at the same time.

Services

OGC Services

• WFS Server connections support two new reserved keywords:
  • Use the PAGESIZE keyword to enable feature paging on your WFS layer. Setting the page size allows the features to load in multiple requests instead of all at once. This can help avoid server timeouts for large datasets.
  • Use the OUTPUTFORMAT keyword to specify a supported format other than the default GML format. For example, ArcGIS Pro now supports reading a WFS layer in GeoJSON format.

Share your work

• You can now save web maps in ArcGIS Pro to update existing web maps in your ArcGIS organization.
• Sharing an Indoors web map now creates an Indoors map configuration for use in ArcGIS Indoors web and mobile apps. Indoors map configurations are supported in ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 and later.
• The Share a web style experience has been enhanced:
  • 2D styles containing point, line, polygon, and text symbols can be shared as web styles.
  • Analyzers have been added to identify issues that may need to be addressed.
• Scene layer packages can now be published as web scene layers when you share a web scene.
• The Replace Web Layer tool has been expanded to include web scene layers published from scene layer packages to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 and later.
• You can now publish a building scene layer with an associated web feature layer, which can be used for editing. This is supported for ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 and later.
• You can now share point, building, and 3D object scene layers with relationship classes.
• Administrators of ArcGIS organizations can now overwrite web feature layers, map image layers, and stand-alone tables.
• To improve offline workflows, the sync options Create a version for each downloaded map, Create a version for each user, and None have been added as new configurable web feature layer properties. Default sync options are provided based on your data's versioning type. These options are available when sharing to ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 portals and later.
• You can now configure web feature layers to include topology layers when sharing branch versioned data that references registered data to ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 portals and later.
• You can configure a web imagery layer before publishing to allow users to view the underlying data, compress the data for visualization, and apply raster functions to render and display analytical results.
• You can overwrite existing web imagery layers to reflect changes to a GIS resource or its source data. Most of the properties of a web imagery layer can be changed when you overwrite it, including properties of the imagery and configuration settings.

Production

ArcGIS Aviation Charting

• Support for Cartographic Features has been added. Cartographic features are chart-specific copies of the master aviation data in the production database. They are the features that are symbolized on a chart and from which annotation is generated.

See Aviation toolbox for geoprocessing tool enhancements.

Defense Mapping

• The Replace Colors tool allows you to replace colors in a map, layout, or style from the catalog view. This tool is used to update color mapping, including specification-driven color changes, or any color mapping in which updates apply to all colors in a product.

Military Symbology Editor

• In support of military operations and planning, the military uses standard map symbols to visualize the battlefield. These symbols represent military units, equipment, and installations, along with tactical graphics to show military operations, boundaries, or other special designations. Using the Military Symbology Editor, you can create, edit, and publish military overlays that are compliant with symbology standards.

Pipeline Referencing

Pipeline Referencing includes the following enhancements to the software and documentation:

• Support for gapped routes has been added:
  • This feature provides the ability to configure a gap calibration method based on your business rules as well as support for the configured method throughout network editing activities such as route creation and realignment.
• Support for intersections has been added:
  • You can now configure intersection feature classes as well as generate and update intersections in ArcGIS Pro. Unlike earlier intersection support in ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro generates only one intersection point at each location.
  • Performance has been improved when generating intersections.
  • You can distinguish intersections at grade (or not at grade) with the option to z-enable your intersection feature class as well as to define z-tolerance.
• Support for viewing the LRS hierarchy has been added:
  • You can view the hierarchy in your LRS dataset using the Catalog pane to determine which types of networks exist in your LRS and which events are associated with each network.
  • You can view the LRS hierarchy from the Contents pane when adding any LRS items (minimum schema, network, event, or intersection) to the map.

Production Mapping

• The Replace Colors tool allows you to replace colors in a map, layout, or style from the catalog view. This tool is used to update color mapping, including specification-driven color changes, or any color mapping in which updates apply to all colors in a product.

Roads and Highways

ArcGIS Roads and Highways includes the following enhancements to the software and documentation:

• Support for gapped routes has been added:
  • This feature provides the ability to configure a gap calibration method based on your business rules as well as support for the configured method throughout network editing activities such as create and realign.
• Support for intersections has been added:
  • You can now configure intersection feature classes as well as generate and update intersections in ArcGIS Pro. Unlike earlier intersection support in ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro generates only one intersection point at each location.
  • Performance has been improved when generating intersections.
  • You can distinguish intersections at grade (or not at grade) with the option to z-enable your intersection feature class as well as to define z-tolerance.
• Support for viewing the LRS hierarchy has been added:
  • You can view the hierarchy in your LRS dataset using the Catalog pane to determine which types of networks exist in your LRS and which events are associated with each network.
  • You can view the LRS hierarchy from the Contents pane when adding any LRS items (minimum schema, network, event, or intersection) to the map.

Parcel fabric

The parcel fabric now supports least-squares adjustment of parcel data. See Parcel adjustment in the Highlights section.

In addition, the following new functionality has been introduced:

• Parcel fabrics can be projected with the Project geoprocessing tool using the parcel fabric feature dataset as input. x,y,z coordinates are modified to the target spatial reference. If the linear units of the parcel fabric and target spatial reference are different, measurements and calculated areas are converted appropriately.
• Civil 3D objects can be loaded into a parcel fabric.
• Parcel boundaries can be edited using the Shrink To Seeds tool .
• When creating a parcel fabric, the topology is automatically enabled.

Trace networks

You can now manage, analyze, and work with simple connectivity models such as hydro or rail in ArcGIS Pro using the new trace network. See Trace networks in the Highlights section.

Utility networks

• Structural attachment associations now support an attachment with multiple structures. This is useful when modeling attachment features such as platforms that attach to multiple poles (structures).
• Feature barriers can now be treated like filter barriers when performing traces. The Trace Locations pane and Add Trace Locations tool provide a new Filter Barrier option to enable this functionality.
• Update Subnetwork Policy—Several options have been added to the subnetwork definition for a tier to control how attribute edits are made during the upgrade subnetwork process. Learn more about these update subnetwork policy options and how to set or modify the subnetwork definition for a tier:
  • New options help control if the supported subnetwork name attribute is updated for structure and container features during the upgrade subnetwork process.
  • New options are available for defining how the Update Subnetwork tool updates attributes in the default and named versions. These options control whether subnetwork attributes are updated with or without geodatabase eventing.

• A new trace parameter, Include up to First Spatial Container allows you to limit the returned containers to only those encountered up to and including the first spatial container for each network element in the trace results.
• Partial feature geometry can be returned as a multipart feature class in the trace results using the new Aggregated Geometry option with the Result Types parameter.

Utility Network version 4 is required to support the following new capabilities:

• Three new connectivity association types support connectivity between a point feature or junction object and an edge object:
  • Junction-edge from connectivity
  • Junction-edge midspan connectivity
  • Junction-edge to connectivity
• Additional features are now supported as containers and content. See Feature restrictions for more information.
• The Utility Network now supports nonspatial junction and edge objects to model and work with a large number of real-world features that share a common geographical space.
• A new field, SUPPORTEDSUBNETWORKNAME, has been added to all domain network datasets (with the exception of the assembly feature class) to track the subnetwork name when features participate in, and support features that are in, different subnetworks. Additionally, the alias for the SUBNETWORKNAME field has been updated to Supported subnetwork name for all structure network datasets.
• The Dirty Areas and Associations tables are now used to store information about errors.

Network diagrams

• Network diagrams now support trace networks.
• The network diagram build process consumes nonspatial objects in utility networks. Network diagrams provide a quick visualization of this new network data.
• Network diagrams display faster because the new All layers mode is turned off at diagram opening by default. This mode can be turned on or off automatically with the Open diagrams with all diagram template sublayers option on the Network Diagrams tab on the Network Options dialog box.
• The Smart Tree, Mainline Tree, and Main Ring layouts have a new Offset option to separate overlapping segments when the Edge Display Type is Orthogonal edges.

Workflow Manager

ArcGIS Workflow Manager introduces a service-based architecture licensed through the ArcGIS Workflow Manager user type extension. This is an emerging implementation pattern that allows organizations to create web-based workflows with the new Workflow Manager web app and capability server. This pattern requires an additional deployment to the preexisting enterprise geodatabase implementation that is primarily used for desktop-based workflows. The two implementations are not compatible, so the preexisting implementation is denoted (Classic) in the documentation for reference purposes.

Extend ArcGIS Pro

• The ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET allows you to extend ArcGIS Pro with your own unique tools and workflows using SDK add-ins and configurations. See What's New for Developers at 2.6.

Arcade

ArcGIS Pro supports Arcade version 1.11. For a summary of new features, see Release Notes for versions later than version 1.9.

What's next?

To learn more about near-term, midterm, and long-term development goals, see the ArcGIS Pro roadmap.