There is a genuine business need for a Package Layout geoprocessing tool, because there should be a way to share a layout without resorting to packaging an entire project. A project may have multiple layouts, and users may not want to share all layouts in the project. On more than one occasion, I have used a four-step workaround to share a single layout from within a project with many layouts, of which only one was to be shared. It's a shame that ArcGIS Pro requires four steps when ArcMap required only one step (i.e., Package Map creates an *.mpk file that includes the data frame view(s) and the page layout view).
- Export the layout file by opening the layout to be shared and selecting Save As Layout file on the Share ribbon (this saves the layout as a *.pagx file).
- Create a new blank project (*.aprx) to import the *.pagx file into. Delete the map if one is present when ArcGIS Pro creates the project.
- Then, from within the new blank project, click the Insert Tab. In the Project group, click Import Layout, choose Import Layout file, and browse to the layout file created at Step 1. Then save the aprx. At this point, you'll have a project containing only the map(s) and the page layout to be shared.
- As a last step, package this aprx containing only the layout being shared by running the Package Project tool (it creates a *.ppkx file from the *.aprx file).
