Shapefile saving in project home instead of last used folder in QGIS

Question

Here's something me and my colleagues run into all the time: We're working in different QGIS files making maps visualizing our data. Every specific tool or action wants to save the output by default in the last used folder. Since we use a lot of tools once or twice during a single project, often this default folder is the folder of a different project, i.e. the last one in which we used the tool.

For instance:

• I want to merge to vector layers using [Merge vector layer]
• Instead of creating a temporary layer, I choose [save to file]
• Qgis opens a browsing window, in the project folder where I last used this tool
• I have to browse to my project home, and save
• Next, I want to use [join attributes by nearest]
• Again, QGIS opens the last used folder, and I have to browse to project home.
• Repeat ad infinitum

Is there any way to set the default location to save the output of any tool to [Project Home], enabling my to browse from there?

Answer 1

Yes, I find this frustrating too. There is a code way to try and fix it which can be run at the python window or added as a macro - see instructions at this answer:

import os
from qgis.core import QgsProject
from PyQt5.QtCore import QSettings
prjhomepath = QgsProject.instance().homePath()
if os.path.exists(prjhomepath):
    QSettings().setValue('/UI/lastFileNameWidgetDir',prjhomepath)
    QSettings().setValue('/UI/lastRasterFileDir',prjhomepath)
    QSettings().setValue('/UI/lastVectorFileFilterDir',prjhomepath)
    QSettings().setValue('/Processing/LastInputPath',prjhomepath)
    QSettings().setValue('/Processing/LastOutputPath',prjhomepath)```

The code changes various folder locations stored in your QGIS.ini file to your projects home folder. There may be other folders to change - take a look at QGIS3.ini in a txt editor.