ArcGIS Tool Script Validation...browser window default location for multivalue option box

Question

I am trying to do some Tool Validation for a script I'm writing in ArcGIS 10.2. I have a Multivalue File field which the user can browse to a directory to select the files they require to run. When opening the browser I would like it to automatically browse to a specific folder where the files reside so it's quicker/easier for the use to select the files required. I've looked though the http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/arcpy/geoprocessing_and_python/programming-a-toolvalidator-class.htm documentation but can't see anything related to achiving this.

Any Thoughts on if this is possible?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, you won't be able to specify the default folder when browsing for the files.

I had a similar problem some years ago and was forced to work around this using two parameters. The first one - of Folder type; user can browse to (you can set its default value either in the script tool parameters Default property or in the ToolValidator class). The second one - of String type (multi value); user can select multiple files located within this folder.

This is how it looks in a tool. The logic for getting the files from a folder user has browsed to:

  def updateParameters(self):
    """Modify the values and properties of parameters before internal
    validation is performed.  This method is called whenever a parameter
    has been changed."""
    self.params[1].filter.list = [f for f in os.listdir(self.params[0].value.value) if
                                  os.path.isfile(os.path.join(self.params[0].value.value, f)
                                                 )]
    return