Change Layout

[JaimeGiesen]

When using the 'change layout' button, it would helpful if certain items could be carried over to the new map without having to be recreated.  Specifically - the legend.  It is very time consuming to recreate the legend when someone wants a different size of an existing map.

[DavidBarnes]

Unless I'm missing something this is fixed in ArcGIS 10.0 Service Pack 3
see NIM070772

[JeremyL]

Agreed - it is a pain re-creating legends when applying a new template using the "Change Layout" tool. I don't think this has been fixed at 10.1 as suggested by Cartographer on 1/27 - that refers to a different bug. The legend has always changed content when the "Change Layout" tool is used - and if there is no legend in the template, then an existing legend will be deleted.

[DavidBarnes]

Ah, now I see what you're saying. I misinterpreted the idea. What you're asking for here is a fundamental change to the way this tool was designed. It basically takes the data from your existing map and puts it into the layout from the map you select. It's swapping one layout, map surrounds and all, for another. Trying to keep some of the elements from your existing map and fit that into the new layout would likely make a mess of things as the old legend might not fit in nicely on the new layout.
If you just want a different size page you'd probably be better off changing the page size through page setup. Don't check the "Scale Map Elements" option. Instead, after the page size is changed select everything on the layout, group, then resize to fit your page and ungroup.

[AubriKinghorn]

Closing out this old idea for ArcMap specific functionality. The idea related to this work in ArcGIS Pro is here: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/add-a-quot-change-layout-quot-button-for-arcgis/idi-p... if you'd like to comment or kudo.