topic Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

PaulCone2 — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:36:24 GMT

Hi ArcGIS Pro team, cross-posting this from Python Questions. ApplySymbologyFromLayer with mobile geodatabase is not working for me. Have to fall back to ArcMap to do this properly.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with ... - Esri Community

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

sjones_esriau — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:38:12 GMT

Unless you need a mobile geodatabase for compatibility with another product, mobile map packages (.mmpk) are the way to go these days.

Created via Pro or Python, the single file retains data, symbology, book marks etc and can be read directly by any ArcGIS client.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

PaulCone2 — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:05:58 GMT

@sjones_esriau I'm familiar with pretty much all the various formats that end clients that use for GIS. Our 911 dispatch system vendor is still using .geodatabase files for pop-ups in Esri ArcGIS Runtime 200.x. So yes, I need a mobile geodatabase for compatibility with another product. If you are saying that ApplySymbologyFromLayer is not working properly here, then I'll be opening a support ticket with ESRI, unless you can tell me here what else I should try.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

HaydenWelch — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 20:34:20 GMT

Do mobile databases store layer symbology? I thought they only stored feature data and symbology exists in the map that's sourcing that dataset. If you need to use a .geodatabase, you can export a .mapx alongside it that has all layers pointed to that database as a relative path.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

PaulCone2 — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 21:18:57 GMT

A layer in a .geodatabase exported from ArcMap shows symbology in ArcGIS Runtime without a .mapx file.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

ChristineSalvadore — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:32:42 GMT

We likely have the same problem - also need this for a CAD vendor for our 911 system. Have you made any progress on this? I recently learned that if you export your layers into a .mmpk, the .mmpk file can be extracted with 7zip, and a folder will appeared called "commondata" which will have the mobile geodatabases in it with the set symbology intact. They seem to be split into unique mobile geodatabases by database source within the map I packaged. I'm currently trying to figure out a better way to create this or how to do this process programmatically since it's extremely clunky.

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

PaulCone2 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:04:37 GMT

No, have not fixed, but will give your workaround a try, then follow up with a bug report!

(Is it Versaterm?)

Re: Create mobile geodatabase (.geodatabase) with python and ArcGIS Pro document, maintaining layers symbology

ChristineSalvadore — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:23:08 GMT

thats the one!