Legend is replicating layers

[ChristineParkerILSR]

I'm using ArcGIS Pro 3.3.0 (updated) on Windows 11. I'm working on some layouts and thought I was going crazy, but for some reason the legend is adding random copies of layers displayed in the map frame. These extra copies don't exist in the map...so it feels like a bug. I've already tried deleting the legend and creating a new one and it's happening again. I've restarted computer/Arc. I have layer visibility turned off in the legend settings. Some of the layers can be toggled off, but some I have to right-click > remove, and then several items will disappear from the legend. 

I've included screenshots of the legend panel, the map frame panel, and what the legend looks like. This is driving me nuts and I feel like this started after the recent update...

[HollyTorpey_LSA]

Thanks for sharing this good news, Tom!

[EPCGIS]

This has been happening to me as well for the past few months or so.  I just want to state it is not on just shapefiles but for GDB Feature Classes as well.  Sounds like there is a fix coming but wanted to make sure it was known that this legend replication bug seems to be related to any type of layer added to the Legend for a Layout map which happens to be in an ArcGIS Pro Project with additional Layout maps accessing the same layers. 

[-_-]

This problem also occurs when there are layers with the same name.
In that case, the legend for the topmost layer with the same name will be added, not the legend for the layer you copied.
If you try to move the legend added to the bottom up, it will multiply even more.

[TomBole]

Thanks for the information. 

[CodaRain23]

How's it looking for a bug fix on this?  It's  time-consuming because every time I remove and replace a layer I have to redo any customization in the properties pane.

[JuanitaBorden]

Is there a fix for this bug yet? This really affects workflows where there's multiple layouts in a pro file and you copy a layer from one map to others. Multiple layouts are affected as the legends of all the maps where an item was copied are duplicated, actually even more than duplicated. If I have a layer that I copied to say 10 different maps, then I have legends showing the item 10 times, in 10 different maps.

[TomBole]

@JuanitaBorden @CodaRain23 

We hope to have a fix included in the next 3.3 service pack/patch. I'll reply to this thread once this has been confirmed and the service pack/patch becomes available.

[KevinN_CSJ]

@TomBole Just to keep this going with new info, I just had this bug occur in a different way. With a map using several features from a network gdb I have a layout that I have exported to .png several times, then in the catalog I duplicated it to make a second layout with a different map. When I went back to the first layout one layer was duplicated about 10 times in the legend with the same symptoms described here. I was able to delete the layer from the legend and re-add from the map frame which fixed it, and I tried the workaround suggested before by @HollyTorpey_LSA , I'll report back if it happens again.

Currently using Pro 3.3.1

[TomBole]

@KevinN_CSJ - I cannot reproduce the issue with the steps you provided.  

Here are the steps I took:

1. Opened a project with a layout, Layout A and 2 maps where one map (Map A) has layer A and another map (Map B) has layers A and B.
2. Opened Layout A (with a map frame pointing to Map A).
3. Exported Layout A 3 times to .png output type.
4. From the Catalog pane, right-clicked Layout A and duplicated it using the Duplicate command from the context menu.
5. Opened the new duplicate layout, Layout A1.
6. Selected the map frame, opened its properties and changed the source map from Map A to Map B.
7. Activated layout A.

I did not see any unexpected legend items in Layout A. Without more information I cannot reproduce your scenario and cannot verify that the fix we made for 3.4 and for 3.3.2 works in your scenario.

Please contact Esri support. They are better equipped to handle troubleshooting steps and gather bug data. They can be contacted at https://support.esri.com/en/contact-tech-support.

Thanks,

Tom

[BrianMcAuslan1]

Hi, I have been having experiencing this issue for many years.  I traced my emails back Mid September 2021(it was happening prior to that!) where my email was called "copy paste layout and ever expanding legend " .  This has been incredibly frustrating.  I have had multiple calls/interaction with our local support. provided examples and workflows to repeat and every release it seems to reoccur in a slightly different form.