There are any number different things that you can do to simplify a process like this. Using a “search path” is probably not better than just keeping the files in one directory, and using them there.

The most basic method of all would be to put your SVG files to plot right in your home directory. Then, open a terminal window and directly use axicli your_file.svg to print that file.

Adding one level of complexity, suppose that your files are in a folder named “axidraw_files”, in your home directory.

Then, open a terminal and move into that directory cd axidraw_files and call axicli your_file.svg to print it.

Alternately, stay in your home directory and use axicli axidraw_files /your_file.svg to print it. (You can hit the “tab” key on your keyboard to autocomplete things as you’re typing them– this is faster than it looks.)

Another method that I’ve used, especially when working on Raspberry Pi, is to make a shell script that I call instead of axicli, which calls axicli on a particular file. You could do the same thing, making a new command that moves to the right directory, and calls axicli on a particular file.

For example, if your files are in ~/axidraw_files, then you could create a script called adplot that changes directory to axidraw_files
and then plots the second argument on the command line.

You can also potentially create a linux alias, that prepends the directory name to the file when you call axicli.