topic Creating a Project Template in Water Utilities Questions

Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:41:00 GMT

Often, when I start a new project, I use the same base data, which includes vector layers and rasters and commonly used tools. To save me time, I thought I'd try to create a project template. I don't know if this process takes a very long time, or if the system gets stuck in a loop, but I'm trying now for the third time, and after an hour of waiting for it to process, I'm about to kill it and abandon the procedure.

Can anyone help me solve this problem?

Re: Creating a Project Template

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 17:51:30 GMT

I never experienced that problem … but my templates are my use only and I use local data

Create a project template—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop

In any event, where is it getting hung up ? on the Analyze step?

Re: Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:29:45 GMT

Hi Dan, Thanks for your response. No, the analyze step goes through fine. The first time I did it, the "finish creating" button was active and it said something like "processing" but I killed it after about 10 minutes thinking that it had stopped working, then when I tried again, it said "queuing" and I honestly waited for over an hour and it never changed.

Re: Creating a Project Template

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:49:56 GMT

hmmmm, you could try saving the project with a different name, then repeat the process. It could have flotsam kicking around if you stopped it. Good test to run when you leave work

Re: Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:53:03 GMT

Good idea, I'll try putting it in a completely different location. I’m looking at the folder that was created while trying to create the template, and I think that, because I closed it prematurely, there is a file left open and that is why the “queueing” message comes up. I’ve tried to delete the folder, but it won’t let me because it thinks it’s in use … do you where I go to delete the file that is blocking me?

Re: Creating a Project Template

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 18:55:45 GMT

No clue, but you sure can't do it with arcmap or pro open in any event. Check your profile for esri folders in apps or whatever it is called and sort by date modified... the culprits usually appear on a date modified search

Re: Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 19:00:43 GMT

I'll do a search by date and time, and try again .... moving it to another place, with a different name doesn't' seem to work:

Re: Creating a Project Template

DanPatterson_Retired — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 19:03:27 GMT

I will flag Kory Kramer‌

He might know who to contact about template issues... not quite sure it is a bug as yet, if Analyze went ok.

Re: Creating a Project Template

JimCousins — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 19:40:56 GMT

why not bypass a template if your datasets are consistent, and save a copy of a stripped down map, and use that mxd as your template instead?

Regards,

Jim

Re: Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:44:58 GMT

Hi Jim, Yes, that's exactly what I would like to do, and what I always did in ArcMap, can I do that in PRO.

Re: Creating a Project Template

KoryKramer — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 13:33:56 GMT

Hi Ren,

1. Are you trying to create the template a store it online or save it as a file?

By default, the tool will try to upload to an online account.

If you switch that to 'Save template to file' it defaults to C:\Users\<username>\Documents\ArcGIS\ProjectTemplates

2. Where is the vector and raster data stored that you're packaging up and how is it referenced in the map (letter drive, UNC path?)?

3. Are you check the 'Share outside of organization' option? Depending on how the data is referenced and whether you check this option, the size of what is being packaged could vary tremendously.

The Project Package help explains how data is consolidated depending on the above Project package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop

4. If you wanted to, you could create a map package Map package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop though since this is just to start new projects, that probably isn't necessary.

If you have a project with the data that you always use already in a map, you could just open that project, Save As a new one and go from there. Though I'm interested in answers to 1, 2, and 3 to see if we can figure out what the delay is.

Thanks

Re: Creating a Project Template

RenRosin — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:54:44 GMT

Hi Kory,

I'm trying to save it to file. I selected a different directory for it to be stored in, not the default directory. I've got a folder which must have been created automatically called "p20" which I tried to delete, but couldn't because it said it was being used by a different user, so I'm thinking that when I prematurely stopped the process it left something open letting it think the tool was still in process. I have looked for files that were created at that time, but I don't know what a lot of them are, so I won't mess with them. I don't know where ArcGIS stores temporary files, or which files are temporary.

Can you help?

Re: Creating a Project Template

KoryKramer — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 04:48:24 GMT

Hi Ren, sorry for the lag in response here. Were you able to get a project template created or do you still need help?

If you still have questions, technical support is probably a good avenue to take a look at the set up and help determine a good way to set up the template.

We still didn't get answers to my questions 2 and 3 above. Knowing some more about those could also help.

Cheers

Re: Creating a Project Template

SBrandenburg — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 19:15:08 GMT

I am having the same issues now. I saving template to file on a shared network drive, where all the data is hosted, and I am not sharing outside of the organization. It hangs up endlessly (at least 24 hours) on the "packaging in progress" step. There is almost no data to package, the template is purely used as a layout, with just basemaps for data present.

Re: Creating a Project Template

Geobunga — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 22:37:25 GMT

I am also having the same issue, exactly the same as KitBarton1 described above. Has anyone figured out what the issue is? For me it is throwing the classic "General function failure" error message on the packaging step after hanging on that step for around an hour. I have tried uploading to my organization and creating a local file, both failed.

Re: Creating a Project Template

CathyWilson2 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 23:37:10 GMT

Mine says "Packaging successful" and says "Finish Creating" but it isn't done. It's been like this for a few hours. I have not interrupted it and am saving to a local server (down the hall). (Using ARcGIS Pro 3.1.2)

I will likely just use an .aprx as a 'template' map for my people. I just thought I'd try the actual Template. The problem with using an .aprx is that the user has to remember to Save As. I'm hoping the Template will prompt them to Save As, but can't test yet as I have no template to test with!

Re: Creating a Project Template

CathyWilson2 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 23:51:59 GMT

Addendum: It had worked. I closed Pro, then opened it and selected the template file and it worked! The issue was that the Template creation pane looked like it wasn't done, but it was.
It does prompt the user to save, just like if they were creating a New Project.

Re: Creating a Project Template

MatthewLeMaitre — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:36:08 GMT

I am having the same issue, analyse is ok, then it just hangs on compressing package? Is the template file large? This project does have quite a few large rasters in it, would that be an issue? I was hoping it would simply behave like a template mxd? I have the same result whether trying to create it online or local folder. Any help much appreciated.