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...

[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.  

[TomBole]

@BrianMcAuslan1, 

I understand your frustration. You're in good company!

Thanks for reporting this to your local support group.

The "duplicating legend item" issue that has been resolved for Pro 3.4 (and hopefully available with 3.3.2) was introduced at 3.3 (released this past spring). That you've been seeing an issue as far back as 9/21 leads me to believe that your bug is not the same as BUG-000167906 A legend item element gets duplicated when copying a layer from a map frame on one layout to another map frame on another layout. 

We might get lucky and the fix for the scenarios outlined in BUG-000167906 also addresses similar scenarios we did not know about and specifically test against.

Do you know if your local support reported this to Esri Support? If so, is there a bug number or incident number for reference you pass along to me? It would be good to get your scenarios and see if the fix for BUG-000167906 will also work for your scenarios. 

Tom 

[TomBole]

Hi @BrianMcAuslan1 

A separate issue - BUG-000170439 Unassigned layers are unexpectedly appearing in the legend of a duplicated layout when reopening an ArcGIS Pro project file (.aprx) -was recently reported the pre-dated 3.3. The key step to reproduce this issue was to remove legend items from the original legend before the copy/duplication of the layout or legend.

Do you recall removing legend items from the legend as part of your workflows when you ran into issues with the legend? If not, we may have another scenario-specific issue. 

We've made a pretty low level change in the code that handles source map/map frame pathing when duplicating layouts, layout elements and resourcing map frame and other layout elements for Pro 3.4. We believe this should resolve outstanding legend issues. 

Thanks,

Tom

[JuanitaBorden]

Thank you. Looking forward to the patch as this really affects production. Do you know if the fix is available on the 3.3.1 patch? I see that available to download today. 

I wanted to add that as I was trying to get around this issue instead of copying layers from one map to the next I tried exporting the symbology (saving the symbology for a specific layer to my styles) and then when I did this and then went back to the specific map the item had been duplicated! So I guess this also happens when you save symbology? 

So I am back to my only work around to avoid this that is succesful so far has been to share the layer as a layer file and then just add to individual maps. Thank you.

[TomBole]

Hi @JuanitaBorden 

I'm unaware of any fix available in 3.3.1. The fix for the following bug should be available with 3.3.2 - BUG-000167906 A legend item element gets duplicated when copying a layer from a map frame on one layout to another map frame on another layout. 

We are also following up on a bug that the layout team has recently became aware of: BUG-000170439 - Unassigned layers are unexpectedly appearing in the legend of a duplicated layout when reopening an ArcGIS Pro project file (.aprx). We believe this issue is different than BUG-000167906 and has been around for a number of releases (FYI @BrianMcAuslan1). We are currently investigating this issue and I will post when I have more information.

Thanks for the heads up on symbology/styles workflow. I'll take a look to see if I can repro.  Have you contacted support about this? If so, do you have an incident or bug number?

Thanks for the feedback,

Tom

[TomBole]

Hi @JuanitaBorden 

I was unable to reproduce the unexpected duplication of legend items by saving the associated layer's symbology to a style. Applying the style also worked as expected.

Without knowing the exact steps you are taking it is difficult to confirm that there is an issue with this workflow.  Can you 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.

Tom 

[JuanitaBorden]

@TomBole  Actually you are right I checked and I couldn't repeat the symbology issue. But it's because I thought that's what it was and it was actually the opposite. You know how I said I thought creating a layer style was the solution? Well actually it's compounding the problem. I created a layer style for a specific layer. And now everytime I add this style to a map it's duplicating/triplicating legends in other maps. Not sure if it's just the maps where I also added this layer or ALL the maps in my file. But now I went back to the original map that I used to create this layer style and the layout associated with this map now lists this layer the number of times I've added this layer style to other maps. 

As you suggested I will go ahead and report a bug, I haven't done this before but I shall try.

[GabElburn02]

Thanks Tom, I found this string of comments after experiencing the same issue. I am quite certain that there are more users with this problem but it took me almost an hour to find this thread. I am grateful that it will be included in the next update! Until then, I have a blank working map that I remove and add layers back into the map I am exporting to resolve this issue. This is working for now it just takes more time.

[JR_CHN]

This workflow seems to work for me as well.  I keep a blank project open behind my main production project, then i drag the layer that is duplicating in the legend into the blank project and remove it from the production project, all the copies disappear form the legend.  Then I copy the layer in the blank project and paste back into the production project and add it to the legend (I have syncronization to new layer turned off) and it gets added to the legend as a single instance, then I just have to re-set its legend properties.

[TomBole]

All,

A fix for BUG-000167906 A legend item element gets duplicated when copying a layer from a map frame on one layout to another map frame on another layout is available with the 3.3.2 patch for ArcGIS Pro and future releases.

ArcGIS Pro 3.3 patch 2 (3.3.2) is now available for users to download from My Esri.

Unfortunately, we could not address a separate legend item issue, BUG-000170439 Unassigned layers are unexpectedly appearing in the legend of a duplicated layout when reopening an ArcGIS Pro project file (.aprx), in time for the 3.3.2 patch. We have fixed this issue in version 3.4.

There are several key differences between BUG-000170439 and BUG-000167906.

• BUG-000170439 was reproduced in Pro versions before 3.3, while BUG-000167906 was introduced at 3.3.
• In BUG-000170439 legend items are removed from the legend before being copied or duplicated
• In BUG-000170439 the issue is only seen after resaving and reopening the project and is seen with the second layout not the original layout as seen with 000167906

Though I’m currently not aware of any other issues concerning unexpected legend items that does not mean there are no outstanding issues. If you are still experiencing issues with unexpected legend items, please let us know. Commenting on the Community site is always helpful. Even more helpful is contacting esri support (https://support.esri.com/en/contact-tech-support). Getting steps, and data if needed, to reproduce an issue is vital in understanding the issue, fixing the issue, verifying the fix, and incorporating the scenario into out testing and certification framework.

Thanks,

Tom