Allow custom organization project templates to appear in default template list

[RichardDaniels]

In ArcGIS Pro 2.4.x and prior if you place a map template at C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\Resources\ProjectTemplates it was shown in the list of default templates on ArcGIS Pro startup (project selection screen). This was used by organizations to publish organizational standard base map templates to users with no customization of ArcGIS Pro itself. One only had to copy the template to the correct folder for it to show in the list.

[NaicongLi]

Hello Richard,

Thank you for your comment and suggestion. Your observation is correct that in later versions of ArcGIS Pro, you can no longer place a custom project template under C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\Resources\ProjectTemplates to have it automatically appear among the project templates on the Start Page and Settings page. This was never intended to be an organizational solution for distributing project templates. We stopped using project template (.aptx) files when creating blank projects in Pro because the files contain embedded English strings, which causes problems for international customers. However, the ProjectTemplates folder still remains for the time being to avoid breaking the ArcGIS Pro SDK.

Currently, the appropriate way of providing a set of custom templates for the users in an organization is to upload them to a portal such as ArcGIS Online. After you use a custom template once, it appears in the Recent Templates list. You can then pin this template for it to always appear on top of the Recent Templates. We do also have plans to support a way for administrators to provide a set of custom project templates to users without using a portal, but in the meantime, sharing custom project templates on a portal remains the best way.

We appreciate your input, and hope to see your continuous feedback on ArcGIS Pro Ideas.