topic Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service in Python Questions

Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

JoeHershman — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:11:19 GMT

Hi,

I have a script that automates generating feature services. It all works great except I cannot figure out how to set one property. The feature service has a setting for the preferred time zone for display

Which also shows up in the layer definition if it is set

"preferredTimeReference": { "timeZone": "Eastern Standard Time", "respectsDaylightSaving": true },

I cannot figure out what the name of this setting should be in the sddraft properties. I have tried many variations and it always comes in null. I assume it is setting of another property set along with everything else, but not matter what I try, for example:

<PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimezoneID</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">UTC</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimezoneIDDaylightSavingTime</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty>

It comes in null in my feature layer definition.

Does anyone know what the correct setting names are?

We are stuck at Pro 3.3 for now, so I cannot use the new features added in 3.4 that would allow me to set via properties.

As a suggestion, it will be really nice if pro allowed you to save out an sddraft, like you could in ArcMap

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

Clubdebambos — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:04:37 GMT

Hi @JoeHershman,

Here is what I extracted from the .sddraft file

<PropertySetProperty xsi:type='typens:PropertySetProperty'> <Key>preferredTimeZoneRespectsDayLightSavingTime</Key> <Value xsi:type='xs:string'>true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type='typens:PropertySetProperty'> <Key>preferredTimeZoneID</Key> <Value xsi:type='xs:string'>GMT Standard Time</Value> </PropertySetProperty>

Hope that helps.

All the best,

Glen

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

JoeHershman — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:43:48 GMT

@Clubdebambos thanks for the reply. Unfortunately those are still not working. I am wondering if they changed something past 3.3 when they modified arcpy.

My sddraft looks like this

<PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimeZoneRespectsDayLightSavingTime</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimeZoneID</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">UTC</Value> </PropertySetProperty>

But still

"datesInUnknownTimezone": false, "dateFieldsTimeReference": { "timeZone": "UTC", "respectsDaylightSaving": false }, "preferredTimeReference": null, "types": [

Just to confirm these properties are part of the property set that goes with the FeatureServer as below

<SVCExtension xsi:type="typens:SVCExtension"> <Enabled>true</Enabled> <Info xsi:type="typens:PropertySet"> <PropertyArray xsi:type="typens:ArrayOfPropertySetProperty"> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>WebEnabled</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>WebCapabilities</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">Create,Sync,Query,Update,Delete,Uploads</Value> </PropertySetProperty> </PropertyArray> </Info> <Props xsi:type="typens:PropertySet"> <PropertyArray xsi:type="typens:ArrayOfPropertySetProperty"> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>maxRecordCount</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">2000</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>enableZDefaults</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>zDefaultValue</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">0</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>editorTrackingTimeZoneID</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">UTC</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>editorTrackingRespectsDayLightSavingTime</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>editorTrackingTimeInUTC</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty>  <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimeZoneRespectsDayLightSavingTime</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">true</Value> </PropertySetProperty> <PropertySetProperty xsi:type="typens:PropertySetProperty"> <Key>preferredTimeZoneID</Key> <Value xsi:type="xs:string">UTC</Value> </PropertySetProperty> </PropertyArray> </Props> <TypeName>FeatureServer</TypeName> </SVCExtension>

I have successfully added and modified other properties, so it makes me feel like I am not getting an exact match on this property name

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

Clubdebambos — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:53:30 GMT

Ah that's a shame. Another option is to use the ArcGIS API for Python after the Feature Service is published and update necessary properties.

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

JoeHershman — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 17:03:09 GMT

That is a thought, I am already using arcgis to get the item ids of the newly created portal items, might as well throw in some json manipulation to make it worth my while 😀

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

JoeHershman — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:42:28 GMT

This seemed easy enough. But from what I can see I cannot modify the feature service json with python when the service is on a federated server. This only seems possible on a hosted service. Really annoying, this seems like it should be a simple thing to do

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

JoeHershman — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:16:59 GMT

@Clubdebambos decided to just update a machine to 3.4. Much easier now

Re: Trying to set preferredTimeReference in sddraft file when creating a feature service

Clubdebambos — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:22:15 GMT

@JoeHershman,

Sometimes the easiest fix is an updated version. Hopefully you're on Easy Street now!