Printing from an AGOL web app or map adds circles to a specific layer

[ShannonLunderville]

I have two maps in ArcGIS Online that when trying to print, the final result has added a ton of various size circles to the output. At first I thought is was the default print server, but it only does it with my parcel layer. I do have other polygon layers and it does not do it to them. I have tried changing the DPI. I have deleted the data and re-uploaded it. I've cleared the cache. I've made sure when uploading the layer from Pro that the symbology compatibility box is checked - but it is really just a simple symbol with no restrictions on it. It does not matter if I print from the web app or from Map Viewer, it still adds the circles. I've played with the print widget settings even though I'm sure that's not it because it's just the one layer. The direction / distance widget is not being used (I read online that that could be the problem). These are not new maps, I've had them for some time now and usually just overwrite the AGOL layers from Pro. At some point something changed, but not with the data. I'm out of ideas, has anyone else experienced this or have a solution?
Link to see it / try it: https://essexvt.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=6bb926e309b74347a6072f597f53632d

[ToddW_stl]

this seems like a weird one...  have you checked/repaired geometry? are you using parcel fabric or any topology tools?  What version of software are you using?  Are any of these multi-part polygons or multi-ring/donut polygons?  This may be worth opening a case with Esri technical support unless others have ideas.

[ShannonLunderville]

Great suggestions! Just checked the geometry - it reported "no problems".  I do have topology set up so I ran that and fixed the errors. There are no multi-part polys. There are some donut polys but they've been there all along with no printing issues. I was using Pro 3.4.0 but just got the 3.4.1 update this afternoon (didn't help). Re-uploaded (overwrite) the layer to my AGOL - sigh, same output. I was hoping you were right. I appreciate the suggestions, if no one else answers within the next day or so I will check with ESRI tech support.

[ToddW_stl]

Digging into this a little more - do you know how this app was created?  The item details indicate the app may have been created on July 10, 2017.  That is a looooong time as far as software development and versions are concerned.

I'm not a developer (so perhaps take this specific note with a grain of salt), but looking at the dev tools on Chrome when I load the app, I think this app is still using an old, retired version (3.44) of the JavaScript API. 

According to this blog post, version 3.x was retired in July 2024.  The guidance in that blog post says, "Esri highly encourages that apps created using Esri’s configurable apps and builders that are based on 3.x should be migrated to options that are based on the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, if possible. For example, when possible, apps built on ArcGIS Web AppBuilder and ArcGIS Configurable Apps can move to ArcGIS Experience Builder and/or ArcGIS Instant Apps."  At first glance, I don't notice this application is doing anything special that would necessitate staying on a legacy version of an app building, and I would highly suggest rebuilding this application in an ArcGIS Instant App (link to docs) or ArcGIS Experience Builder (likely overkill for this app).

Links to get you started below.  Happy mapping (or apping, in this case)!

ArcGIS Instant Apps tutorials

ArcGIS Experience Builder tutorials

[ShannonLunderville]

Thank you and I'm betting you are correct. I've known that I should modernize the maps because of ESRI's AGOL changes, I've just been hesitant to "break" anything or change the map URLs (although I do see online that I will be able to transfer the URLs so that's a positive). I do appreciate the feedback and I will go that route as it's for the best. I guess the printing error is my kick in the pants to finally do it LOL

[ShannonLunderville]

Unfortunately recreating the map in Experience Builder did not fix the issue of the random circles within / on the data. I created a test web map with just the parcels as a layer, brought it into my new Experience Builder map, and printed a test map before I got too far into a whole new map, only to get the same results. I appreciate the help and I will reach out to ESRI support and see if they have a solution.

[ToddW_stl]

sounds good.  some final thoughts:

• is it possible to republish the parcels web service to Web Mercator and try again?
  • 
• If the above makes no difference, I did NOT see the circles issue printing from an ArcGIS Pro layout after adding your service, so I'm wondering how it would work if you published your own print service and used that in ExperienceBuilder instead of the ArcGIS Online print service...  

[ToddW_stl]

unsure if this is related, but this post mentions "rings" being created from curves... i wonder if that's what is happening here?

[ShannonLunderville]

Interesting, but slightly different because in that instance it seemed to dumb down the curved lines.

I’ve been doing a lot of trial and error for the past week and also working with ESRI, with no solution to the error yet.
The parcels are in a geodatabase with a bunch of other layers – all the other layers from the same geodatabase upload to AGOL and print fine.

These are some of the many steps I’ve tried:

Started a whole new web map in Experience Builder and added the parcels layer and got the same printing results / error.

This issue was confirmed while using an InPrivate window.

Reviewed REST End URL and everything seems perfect.

Attempted to resolve the problem by republishing the layer, but the issue persisted.

Created a new file geodatabase and tried to republish the same layer, yet the issue continued to occur.

Zipped the existing file geodatabase and added it as a new item in AGOL, published as a fgdb, accessed the parcels layer, attempted to print, and it worked that way, but no answer as to why.

ESRI took the zipped fgdb and tested on their end – they can’t replicate the error but are still looking at the data.

Printed (from AGOL where the issue lies) to jpg and pdf – both produce the circles.

Copied the parcels feature layer to a different (older) geodatabase, uploaded to AGOL – still prints circles.

I created a new polygon layer (in ArcGIS Pro) within the Parcels feature class and copied the parcels polygon to that new layer, published to AGOL, attempted to print from there and it created even more overlapping circles and plus now some empty gaps – which do not exist in the original geodatabase layer.

I tested your theory of changing to web Mercator – still draws circles

I exported (from Pro) to a new layer (shapefile), uploaded that to AGOL and it printed fine aka no circles.

I have to wonder if there is some sort of file corruption but then, all the other layers in that gdb do not produce the same issue.

Asked ESRI if the default print server could be making the difference. She said no, it wouldn’t make a difference, but I may next attempt to create my own print services (I don’t have ArcServer).

[ToddW_stl]

looking into that "rings" post I linked above, could you try try the workaround listed for BUG-000160117? I see on your parcels service that HasZ = false.

Since this worked - 

I exported (from Pro) to a new layer (shapefile), uploaded that to AGOL and it printed fine aka no circles.

- could you export the original to file geodatabase (to save a feature class as back-up), export the original to shapefile (since that seemed to work), delete all rows/features in the original feature class, then import from the shapefile?  Maybe some magic happens in the feature class to shp conversion...