Accessing Home directory of ArcMap using ArcPy?

Question

I want to access to a directory and set that as a arcpy.env.workspace in my Python Script Tool. However, this workspace depends on users so I cannot just use my own folders.

Is there a way to access Home directory (where .mxd file is saved) in arcpy?

I tried retrieving the directory from os.getcwd but that refers to "c:\windows\system32" where ArcMap is accessing.

• Michael Stimson: Try os.environ.get('USERPROFILE') to get to C:\Users\<username> folder then append 'my documents' to get to the users' documents folder. Caveat: this only works on Microsoft Windows OS.
• Tim: Thanks, but I think this won't work if the project file is saved on other disk drive. Or perhaps I can force the user to use it on C drive. I will also check what os module can do. I am thinking that if ArcMap can make that access there would be a way to do so in arcpy as well.
• Michael Stimson: Are you trying to get to the path that the open MXD is saved in? That is arcpy.mapping.MapDocument('CURRENT').filePath for the MXD file and os.path.dirname(arcpy.mapping.MapDocument('CURRENT').filePath) for the folder the MXD is in (returns '' if the MXD isn't saved).There is only one home which should be in the path os.path.join(os.environ.get('USERPROFILE'),r'Documents\ArcGIS')
• Tim: Thank you very much! That is what I am expected.

Answer 1

To get the folder that the currently open MXD is in you can use arcpy.mapping.MapDocument('CURRENT').filePath, this returns '' (an empty string) if the MXD isn't saved and the full path to the current MXD if it is saved.

Using the os.path module you can find the folder the document is in with os.path.dirname, thus os.path.dirname( arcpy.mapping.MapDocument('CURRENT').filePath ) is the folder that the current MXD is saved in. Be sure to import os before attempting to use it.

In ArcGIS Pro the object for the current document is arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject, from the examples, the syntax would be os.path.dirname( arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT").filePath ).