Have Project Templates not create copies of data

[TrippCorbin]

I have been playing with project templates and noticed a behavior that seems dangerous to me. If I create a template that has a map with layers in it and I use that template to create a new project, instead of just referencing the original data ArcGIS Pro creates a copy of that data in a new geodatabase with the same name as the original. There is no warning it has created this copy. If you are paying close attention, you will not realize you are working on a copy of the data.

It would make more sense for the template to reference the new project and maps back to the original data source unless otherwise indicated via an option or something. I should point out I am working entirely with file geodatabases and have not tested this on an SDE database.  

[SteveDumond]

It still works this way in v 3.4.2, but I don't think it is going to change, as it is documented to work this way.

By default, when you add a connection to a project, the connection references the letter the drive is mapped to, such as C:\MyData or X:\Boundaries.gdb. This means that when you create a project from the template on a different computer, the connection will be broken if the referenced location is mapped with a different letter. For this reason, if you plan to save a project as a template, it's recommended that you add network folder connections as UNC paths: \\<computer name>\<folder>.

Datasets that are sources for map layers are copied to the template if they are stored on local drives. Datasets that are stored on network drives or enterprise geodatabases are referenced, not copied. This has implications for data editing. When data is copied to the template, every project created from the template has a new local copy of the data, and edits are performed on the local copy. When data is referenced, every project created from the template references the same dataset, and edits made in any project are performed on that dataset.

But it should be made clear in the Create Project Template pane when the database is copied into the template. In sure there has been a few unsuspecting users that made days worth of modifications only to find out they did it to a local copy and not the copy on the server.

Also, a check box to to override the copying of data to the template if drive letters are used instead of UNC paths.

To avoid copying the data, always use the UNC paths for geodatabases and Folder Connections in the project that is used to create the template. If the template file is over 1MB, chances are it copied the geodatabase to the template when the template was created.

For network file shares, instead of using a mapped network drive, use the UNC path:
\\fileserver\sharename\arcGISfoldername

If your data is on your PC, you can try using Windows Administrative shares. For Example:
\\localhost\f$\Users\UserName\Documents\ArcGIS

is the same as:
F:\Users\UserName\Documents\ArcGIS

I have my drives partitioned, ArcGIS stuff is stored on the F partition. When I changed the connections to geodatabases and Folder Connections from using drive letters to using the localhost UNC path, everything worked in the Project and the geodatabases and Folder Connections were not copied to the template.

If Administrative shares are not working on your PC, google enable Windows Administrative Shares. I know you have to modify the registry for Windows Home, But Windows Pro & Enterprise may have it enabled by default.

You may also need to set a registry switch to allow non-Admin users to access the Administrative shares. On my Home Network, I can access the administrative shares on the local and remote PCs from a non-Admin user account, but I cannot access any files on either the local or remote PCs that require admin rights.

These shares are no different than file shares you create, except they point to the root of the drive, not a folder on the drive. You must have a userid and password on the PC to access the and file system permissions to access any directories or files. They are commonly used by system administrators to access files on remote PCs and Windows Servers in corporate environments.