ArcGIS Pro – Renaming ArcGIS Pro Project, APRX, File Geodatabase, and Toolbox

Question

Using ArcGIS Pro 1.3.1 I created a project called TestProject in its own folder.

As expected an examination of the TestProject folder in Windows Explorer showed that it contained TestProject.aprx, TestProject.gdb and TestProject.tbx (as well as Index and ImportLog subfolders).

I proceeded to do considerable work in this project before deciding to rename my project from TestProject to ProperProject.

Renaming the project folder from TestProject to ProperProject using Windows Explorer worked as expected but left the old names of TestProject.aprx, TestProject.gdb and TestProject.tbx within it, as expected.

I was hoping to rename these as ProperProject.aprx, ProperProject.gdb and ProperProject.tbx so I tried to do this two ways:

1. Using Windows Explorer to rename the three items but when I then opened ProperProject.aprx it resulted in a project with TestProject.gdb (empty), TestProject.tbx (empty), ProperProject.gdb and ProperProject.tbx

2. Using Windows Explorer to rename TestProject.aprx to ProperProject.aprx and then opening ProperProject.aprx to use the Project pane to try and perform the remaining two renames:

   a. Renaming TestProject.gdb to ProperProject.gdb seemed to work as would be expected from the help that covers that in Rename project items

   b. No option to rename TestProject.tbx to ProperProject.tbx was available. I cannot find this mentioned in the help.

   c. When I closed (without saving) and re-opened ProperProject.aprx it once again created a new TestProject.gdb (empty)

Is it possible to rename an ArcGIS Pro project in a way that also renames the project's *.aprx, *.gdb and *.tbx to the new project name?

Answer 1

The ArcGIS Pro Documentation has a page Change project settings which outlines what you can and can't do with your project once it's created.

That said, I did some testing, originally based on the steps you mention in your question. I managed to fully rename my project:

• Project Folder
• .aprx
• Default Geodatabase
• Default Toolbox
• Additional File Geodatabase
• Enterprise GDB connection left as-is

There was a number of steps involved, but it could probably be scripted using arcpy without too much effort. Here's what I did.

1. Made a new test project called ExampleProject (ie your TestProject) which contained three maps, one layout (with map frames from the three maps), Default GDB, extra FGDB, Enterprise GDB connection, Default Toolbox including two models. The maps used data from all three databases.

   

   Note these are named according to the original project - ExampleProject.tbx, ExampleProject.gdb etc.

   

2. Closed my four tabs (three maps and one layout) to remove locks

3. Saved and closed ArcGIS Pro

4. In Explorer I renamed the folder and the .aprx to my new Project name: ProperProject

   

5. Double-clicked on ProperProject.aprx to open the newly renamed project in ArcGIS Pro

6. In the ArcGIS Pro project pane, Right-click > Rename the two Geodatabases

7. Right-click > Rename the Folder connection, which was still aliased to ExampleProject even though it referenced the correct renamed folder.

   

8. Right-click on ExampleProject.tbx and select Properties. Renamed Toolbox in the properties dialog

   

9. Reopened my Map tabs and corrected any broken layer links, due to the renamed Geodatabases. (I thought the first time I tested that I only had to fix broken links to the extra FGDB but on my second run, for screenshots, I had to do the Default GDB as well, so maybe I was mistaken first time through)

   

10. Save my ArcGIS Pro project.

My project has now been completely renamed. I could not find any reference to my original project. The Layout showed the map frames from the three maps as per how they were originally set up.

As I say, it could possibly be scripted fairly easily, which could be useful for future project renames as required.