Build your first configuration

This tutorial demonstrates how to create and run a basic ArcGIS Pro solution configuration.

With the ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET, you can extend ArcGIS Pro with your own unique tools and workflows. Using Microsoft Visual Studio and the Pro SDK, developers can build Pro add-ins and solution configurations that provide users with custom functionality specific to their organization or industry.

Like add-ins, solution configurations also provide developers the ability to customize the startup UI for ArcGIS Pro, with configurations such as a custom splash screen, start page, about page, and conditional logic and user roles that tailor the overall end user experience.

In this tutorial, you will use C# to create a new configuration with the project template, customize the splash screen and start page, and start ArcGIS Pro using a new configuration shortcut.

Prerequisites

Microsoft Visual Studio is required. See the ArcGIS Pro system requirements for latest version and compatibility.
Install ArcGIS Pro version 3.3 or higher.
Install the ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET. See the Installation ProGuide for more information.

Steps

Create a new ArcGIS Pro Add-In Visual Studio Project

Start Visual Studio.
Choose File > New > Project and then from the ArcGIS templates group, select ArcGIS Pro Managed Configuration. Give your project a name, such as MyManagedConfiguration.

By default, the Config.daml file opens in Visual Studio. Within the Solution Explorer hierarchical display there are several items provided by the configuration template: three folders containing images and UI files and ConfigurationManager and Module class files.
The ArcGIS templates group is located in Templates > Visual C# > ArcGIS. Confirm that the latest .NET Framework is selected.
Compile and build the project without starting ArcGIS Pro by selecting Build > Build Solution.

If you have errors in your output window, confirm that you have correctly installed ArcGIS Pro and the ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET. As long as you have not changed the syntax in any of the generated configuration files (from the Project template), there should be no compilation errors.
From Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Users\<UserName>\Documents\ArcGIS\AddIns\ArcGISPro\Configurations. You should see your newly compiled configuration file reflecting the name of your project with the .proConfigX extension.

Your configuration filename corresponds to your Visual Studio project's name. For example, a default project name “ProConfiguration1” will result in the filename ProConfiguration1.proConfigX.
Confirm that the start action and command line arguments for the project have been correctly set.
- In the Solution Explorer, right-click the project and choose Properties at the bottom of the list.
- Select Debug from the tab listing on the left side.
- Confirm that the path to the ArcGIS Pro .exe has been set and that the command line arguments have been set.
ArcGIS Pro solution configuration files are called at startup using command line arguments. The format is “/config:” and then the name of the configuration file, without the extension. The configuration file is normally found in the standard installation folder from step 4. These command line arguments are used later in this tutorial to create a new desktop shortcut to start the configuration.

Edit the Pro splash screen and start page

In the Solution Explorer > your project list > UI folder, double-click SplashScreen.xaml to open the splash screen file. Notice in Design view that it contains the name of your project. Click the text and then change it, for example, to “My New Config”.

The default splash screen is a simple example of how to build a view. For a more complex example created by the ArcGIS Pro user community, see configuring a splash screen: ConfigWithMap.
From the same UI folder, double-click StartPage.xaml. In Design view you should see a background image of some 3D buildings with a project selection box in the center.

Tip
Re-build your solution if these aren't visible in Design view.
Customize the start page by adding a new TextBlock control from the Visual Studio Toolbox of Common WPF Controls, and include some text and basic formatting. You could alternatively add any other basic WPF control.

The start page provided by the configuration template is intended to show a very basic example which can be replaced with another view. For a more complex example created by the ArcGIS Pro user community, see customizing the start page: ConfigWithStartWizard.
Compile and build the project.

Run the project and create a shortcut

Press Start to run the project in the Visual Studio debugger. Notice that your custom splash screen and start page open.
Select an ArcGIS Pro project from the list or browse to one.
After the project opens, notice that the standard ArcGIS Pro icon, located at the top-left corner of the application, has been replaced by a green, custom icon. Click Project > About. On the About pane, notice that the name of the configuration’s project is displayed below the title "About ArcGIS Pro".

As with the splash screen and start page, the ArcGIS Pro icon and About pane text are customizable for your own logo or branding within your configuration.
Close ArcGIS Pro.
Right-click anywhere on your desktop and select New > Shortcut. In the space below “Type the location of the item:”, copy the path to the Pro .exe file path, as well as the command line arguments string from the Debug pane referenced in Step 5.

Your path should look something like:
Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
```
1
"C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin\ArcGISPro.exe" /config:MyManagedConfiguration
```
Click Next. Enter a name for the shortcut, and click Finish.
Double-click your new desktop shortcut to start ArcGIS Pro and your configuration. You should see your custom splash screen and start page appear. You have now seen how a configuration file is normally started. Close ArcGIS Pro.

What's Next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET features in these tutorials: