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...

[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

[BrianMcAuslan1]

Tom, in order for me to get a bug request thru our intermediate support vendors to ESRI they say that ESRI  require them to be able to reproduce the event.  Which basically means I need to reproduce it

This is a great way of NOT collecting data\information on bugs!

Appreciate your efforts on this thread but in general seems difficult to get access to this quality of support 

cheers

[AnneRuthstrom]

I dunno what to tell you, but it's still happening in 3.4.  Just upgraded & restarted.  I feel like contacting support at this point after so many versions having this issue is not really going to be productive (I also have to go through my administrators to submit anything to support).  And it's really unhelpful to have to resort to removing my layers/geodatabase selections & adding them back every time this happens.  Any insight into additional patches?

[TomBole]

@AnneRuthstrom 

I'm not aware of any additional issues (use cases) other than the ones I previously mentioned. 

Seems that your situation is different than the issues we've been able to debug and fix. We'll need to know more about your project/data/workflow in order to troubleshoot. Please contact support. Thanks.

Tom

[Brooks_Wilson]

Hi Tom, We are using Pro 3.3.1 and experiencing this problem with items being added to a legend, except we are seeing it when adding data from the Catalog Pane or using Insert Data button. Specifically, our issue occurs when a feature class already exists in a map frame and has an associated layout with a legend and the same feature class is added to a different map frame in the project. Then the original legend has a duplicate item and as FourCornersMapping describes, removing the duplicate item from the legend, removes both items from the legend. 

Can you confirm that the bug fix also corrects this issue with adding data from the Catalog pane. Let me know if you would like more detail on the steps to recreate this issue.

[TomBole]

Hi @Brooks_Wilson 

I tested the basic scenario adding the same feature class to a map that is different than the source map of the legend. With 3.3.1 I can reproduce the duplicating legend item bug.  The fix for this issue should be available with 3.3.2 (along with 3.4). I can confirm the fix also applies to using the Catalog pane to add layers. 

Tom

[FourCornersMapping]

In case anyone working on this case needs a visual of what is happening, I made this screen recording.  It shows not being able to toggle off the duplicate layers for two different features in the Legend ("Proposed Project Extent" and "Surface Management Agency").