ArcGIS Pro - Creating Project Templates without Default File Geodatabase

[RichardLittlefield]

With Pro, it doesn't want to remember SDE connections or folder connections, I have template MXDs that I always start with ArcMap projects, so I'd like to the same thing with Pro. Or even start a blank Pro Project, however have all those folder/SDE connections and maybe a layout set with page sizes. The solution it to create Project Templates.

I've created Templates. Now want to update that templates with some new changes. I've even tried creating a brand new templates. However when creating a new Project, you have to select the default folder location, which sets the default file geodatabase, and toolbox. So I get everything set in my Pro Project, then Share > Export Project Template. It creates the template and I can share it how I please. However those default file geodatabase come with the template. Therefore another user at my organization that would use this template would have the same default FGDB as me. Which is something I don't want.

I know there is an option to pick the same FGDB for every Project, for example a network location, however I don't really want my users to be using the same one for all projects.

I'd like to be able to create a template without the default file geodatabase that was used in that original template Project (aspx file). Because the user creates the default FGDB when they open the template and create a new Project.

[ThomasColson]

Using a template actually creates two FGDB's: The default one that was in your project when you made the template, then another one when you create a new project using the template. So instead of 40 files (typical # in a new blank FGDB) fire-hosing your nightly back up, there are now 80, when you wanted zero because you're using things like Portal, Server, and AGOL. Tech support is telling me that this is the designed behavior, which I don't buy. How could filling up a project folder with that much clutter be "designed"? . Pro doesn't allow you the option of not creating a default GDB (why?), just use the same one over and over, or create a new one for each project. Setting the default one to an SDE simply isn't possible in our security model.

[RichardLittlefield]

You are correct that the templates have actually two file geodatabases. For my templates I've created 'Junk' FGDB's and toolboxes that are there just for the purpose of template creation. My Users know not to use those and that they are just junk areas that we can't get around. So when a User uses the template and creates a new project their default items get created with the new Project, however they also have the 'junk' areas that have to be there when creating a template. If this is by design, as your tech support person said, then what is the purpose of that? What use case requires that? It doesn't make sense that you have to have default items for template creation, because all of the default items get created when a new project is created, which is what happens when you use a template to start a project.

[StephenLeibenguth]

When creating a project template there are options to include toolboxes and include history items, how about an option to include the geodatabase which, when unchecked, would exclude the geodatabase and create a new one when the template is opened?

[DalindaDamm]

Along similar lines, we have proposed not allowing for a geodatabase to persist in projects created from a template that was created from a project with an empty home/default geodatabase. This would mitigate for extraneous geodatabases in the file structure that is set up in a new project generated from a project template. Please check out this Idea Post: https://community.esri.com/ideas/16475-do-not-maintain-an-empty-default-geodatabase-from-a-project-t...

[RodNielson1]

Many of my projects have geodatabases already set up with pre-set feature datasets and directories. I would like to not have any of the automatically created stuff ... at all ... ever. It is just extra unwanted stuff that takes up space. 

[RichardLittlefield]

Hey All - great to see this is now 'Under Consideration'. I created this idea five years ago and there have been a lot of improvements with Pro. One of them being the ability to have "Favorites" where you can save all of your folders, databases, etc. Even with that, I still think the ability to only include certain geodatabases of your choosing (i.e. not the default one) when creating a template is needed. When a user uses a template they'll create their own folder and geodatabase when they are opening the template.

[LaurenCardona]

Can we make the default geodatabase and toolbox in Pro optional? It makes it difficult when we want to share a project across an organization (for a specific project or a template) and we don't want people accidentally writing to the wrong places.

[KoryKramer]

@LaurenCardona thank you for submitting this idea. Can you please review https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/arcgis-pro-creating-project-templates-without/idi-p/9... ? Based on your description and comparing to the existing idea, it sounds like the use case is the same. Could you review and let us know, and if needed we'll merge your idea.

Thank you

[LaurenCardona]

@ekort  Hi Kory, it sounds like the original post is referring to disabling default geodatabases in project templates, I was referring to disabling them in a project. Both would be helpful though and I think these can probably be merged.