Field Maps - apply form template to new layers

[TanithLives]

Hi all
I've seen this issue skirted around, but not found an exact answer to what I think is a simple question.

Is there a workable template function for layers in Field Maps?

In Field Maps (FM) my workflow is currently to create a new FM based upon a new set of Feature Layers which I have uploaded to AGOL and styled in the Web Map. The Feature Layer dataset is always the same, representing points, lines and polygons with specific fields that we need recorded in the field. 

Ideally, I just want to be able to open a FM that has been duplicated off a template FM, add my new Feature Layers to it and, for each newly imported layer, replicate the form setup that exists for the example layers that exist within the FM template. Once this is done I just remove the layers acting as templates, leaving the new layers in place ready for the job.

At the moment I have to go through each of the three layers and create the forms - and attendant Calculated Expressions - from scratch. This seems pretty silly when I have the 'template' layers right there with the attendant expressions and naming which I require.

To add:

- I cannot keep using the same Field Map and refer to the same Feature Layer. We need to create a new Feature Layer for each new job

- I can see that there is a 'Templates' tab for each layer, which one would think would allow you to apply a form setup from one layer to another. It's a baffling process that I have found no explanation for - have I just missed the obvious?

- the Feature Layers always have the exact same field names, so Calculated Expressions etc always work with the same code

Cheers

Richard

[TanithLives]

Hi @MarkBockenhauer . I've just spent a frustrating arvo trying to get the above-discussed functionality to work. Despite it working perfectly fine previously - including yesterday - the workflow of creating new Feature Layers based upon existing layers (therefore transferring established symbology, expressions etc) and using those as the basis for Field Maps has just refused to work today. No matter how many times I try it, new layers are being generated without retaining any of the properties - which means I have to rebuild forms and symbology from scratch every time. I have discounted the usual suspects, such as only saving changes to the Web Map and not the actual Feature Layers.

Is there any way to trace this to the ESRI system being somewhat unstable? I've faced similar issues with things like offline areas in Field Maps, where sometimes it would work and sometimes it would not...

[MarkBockenhauer]

Unfortunately, the change to maintain the layer definition exposed other issues with portal item information that were not realized during testing.  Since, it breaks some workflows for view layers, in particular, the team decided to roll back the changes and work on a complete fix for a future release.

[TanithLives]

G'day @MarkBockenhauer . Thanks for letting me know. It's good to know I wasn't going insane - which was my first reaction. On the other hand, it's annoying to have lost those two hours of my life...