Making ArcGIS Pro output layer alias default to output dataset name

Question

When using ArcGIS Pro for geoprocessing operations which require a single input dataset, the output layer alias defaults to the alias of the input layer. Take the "project" tool for example. If my input gdb feature class name and alias are "original," and I reproject this and call the output "original_reproj" I would expect when this layer is added to the TOC, it would show as "original_reproj." Instead, what appears in the TOC is an output layer titled "original," right above the input layer also called "original." Both layers are now referencing very differnt feature classes. This is not the behavior when performing these same operations in ArcMap, and that behavior is much preferred, where the output alias matched the output name. Now when performing a series of operations, I collect a series of layers which are all named identically in the TOC, and I have to go in and manually change the alias of each one to match the file name to keep the workflow straight.

Is there any way to set ArcGIS Pro to have a layer alias default to the specified output layer name?

Answer 1

Using your example of projecting data and creating a new output called "original_reproj". Where in the Project tool are you setting the Alias? You are not, the only thing you can set is the output FeatureClass name, it cannot know what the alias is. I think the Create Feature Class tool is about the only tool I'm aware of where you can explicitly set the alias name of a dataset.

So the behaviour of taking on the alias/layer name of the dataset it is being derived from does not seem unreasonable.

But I agree, to load back a new dataset with an identical layer name is problematic and something that could be improved. Your best better is to request it a product improvement idea over on Esri Community (formerly GeoNet).