topic Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

Anonymous User — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 22:52:27 GMT

Every output in ArcGIS Pro 2.8.2 modelbuilder that is marked to "Add to display" gets put into a group called "Modelbuilder". How do I disable the addition of the Modelbuilder group to my map? I've deleted 3 of these groups today. I just want the layer added directly to the map, not inside of an extra group.

Also, the name of the layer gets repeated twice (see attached screenshot). Odd, clunky, and very confusing.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DanPatterson — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 23:59:12 GMT

The help suggests that the results to add to the display are collected then added, perhaps that is why they are added to a group. There is no indication if they can be added one at a time or whether this is the design plan

Use ModelBuilder—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DanLee — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 03:03:59 GMT

As far as I know, this is by design. Normally a layer group can be ungrouped by right-click the group title and click Ungroup. Does that work on the MB output group?

In the meantime, you can post your ideas at the link below for people to vote.

https://community.esri.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/arcgis-ideas

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DuncanHornby — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:31:53 GMT

Totally agree with this idea, this is functionality that has been introduced at 2.8 (?) and breaks all sorts of model builder logic. Its awful and we need a way to turn it off!

It breaks my models and introduces unwanted and unintuitive naming logic that breaks downstream logic.

As way of example I have a model that reads featureclasses in a file geodatabase and applies a symbology from a layer file, with the final step feeding that output into a script tool I have created that updates the Range property of the layer using the CIM property. This all used to work fine without any issue until this new functionality was introduced.

Here is a screen shot of the model to give you context:

Now the problem is with the output of the Apply Symbology From Layer tool which is set to Add to Display.

It adds it into this annoying group and inserts the output name in front of the layer name, as shown below

BUT it passes out just the layer name, for example fcTrack_27_07_2021_Layer1 within the green bubble. So the tool is now passing out erroneous information as what has been added to the map is a layer in a GroupLayer with now a completely different name because it has tagged the layer name with the word TRACK:.

Sooooo.... my Set Range on layer script that is expecting just a layer name fails to find the layer because what is now in the map is layer in a GroupLayer with now a completely different name.

This functionality breaks continuity within the model as now you have no idea what is being passed around the model.

This new functionality needs to be disabled/removed/or turned off as a matter of priority.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

ShitijMehta — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 23:01:56 GMT

I hear you and see the issue DuncanHornby.
Adding it to our product issues to address this and give a way to get back to the original behavior.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Currently can you try adding full paths to your script?
or add your script at the end of the model after apply symbology such that the output of apply symbology is the input to the script tool?

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DuncanHornby — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 01:03:45 GMT

@ShitijMehta currently I have had to do a not so elegant hard wired hack to my script to get the model completing. Thinking about it last night I realised that if this (in my opinion unwanted behaviour is to persist) then all tools that Add their output to display need to be supplying the actual name of the green bubble (in my example above it would be TRACK) as well as it's contents (the actual layer name). This would be seismic shift in tool behaviour as any scripting tool would need to take in as one parameter the bubble name as well as the traditional contents, in my example above the layer name. It just makes no sense to introduce this behaviour. The whole thing about developing scripting tools is that they are atomic and can run independently as tool from a toolbox but can also be added to a model. So you would have to create a scripting tool interface that would take as input a "bubble" name as well as the layer. This would be very odd behaviour if you just wanted to run the tool independently.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

Anonymous User — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:16:17 GMT

Thanks Dan. I was afraid this is the way the designers intended it to work. It's really annoying compared to the way ArcGIS Desktop modelbuilder worked (I think Arc Pro modelbuilder is still generally clunky and annoying compared to Desktop, but that's a different post!).

Should be a way to turn it off......

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

Anonymous User — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:17:27 GMT

That does work, although requires about the same number of time and mouse clicks as moving the layer and deleting the modelbuilder group.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

Anonymous User — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 17:20:10 GMT

Agreed!!

Why the clunky naming system? My layer ended up as 'WaterShortage:WaterShortage' instead of just 'WaterShortage'.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DanLee — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:10:59 GMT

Thanks for your confirmation and feedback. I agree with you and feel your pain. I talked to our MB team after I saw your and Duncan's posts; they are considering to "give a way to get back to the original behavior" (quote from Shitij's response).

I hope you can live with the workaround for the time being. Sorry about the inconvenience.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DuncanHornby — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 13:42:57 GMT

@Anonymous User you should get yourself and any other model builder users voting on this idea to push this up the line of command, this unwanted behaviour is driving me nuts!

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/disable-the-quot-modelbuilder-quot-map-group-when/idi-p/1098986

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

ShitijMehta — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 23:12:27 GMT

We have added a way to go back to the old behavior in the next release. (not 2.9).

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DuncanHornby — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:05:41 GMT

I really can't wait for this functionality to be removed, its driving me bonkers! 😉

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

DuncanHornby — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:43:17 GMT

@ShitijMehta \ @KoryKramer will this functionality be removed or at least allow me to turn it off in the new and up-coming ArcPro 3?

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

KoryKramer — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 12:17:13 GMT

Hi Duncan. Here is the option in ArcGIS Pro 3.0 scheduled to be released June 23rd.

Re: Disable the "Modelbuilder" map group when adding output to display

Anonymous User — Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:49:02 GMT

OMG! Great news!!!