Losing focus in ArcGIS Pro Layout

[curtvprice]

When I am doing anything in a layout, for example when I change symbology, I am losing focus, the toolbar clears out and all windows either go away or go blank.To get back to where I was I need to select the item I was working on before. This is seriously slowing down my workflow.

This does not happen when I have a map open, only in layout view.

Is this a bug or or is this a feature? Is there a way to keep my focus in Layout view, or get it back without having to locate and click on the thing I was modifying?

[curtvprice]

My advice to my students to avoid this problem is to work in map view when editing the map, when the map view is open and focused (not the layout), the ribbon stays put.

This is Pro 2.4.3.

[TomBole]

Hi Curtis, 

Sorry that you are running into issues.  I'm a bit confused on your workflow and are hoping you can help me out.  When you say "When I'm doing anything in the layout... all windows either go away or go blank." --- This is a very serious issue. 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.

In your follow up comment you state that you are editing the map. I'm assuming that you are activating the map frame on the layout page to do this. The ribbon changes by design since it is context based and when you activate a map frame it is like activating a map view. 

For example, below is a screenshot of a project with a map "North America Map" and a layout "N. A. Layout". The layout has a Map Frame along with the a text element and scale bar. The layout view is active. Therefore, the Contents pane (left) and the Ribbon (top) show items and tools pertinent to the layout. For example, in the Contents pane you see the Scale Bar item and in the Ribbon you have access to insert map surround item such as North Arrows and Legends.

Once I activate the map view the Contents pane and Ribbon change. The items displayed in the Contents pane and the tools available on the Ribbon now pertain to the map. Notice that the Contents pane no longer lists the scale bar item. Why? Because you are now working with the map and not the layout.

The tools available from the Insert tab are now tools that you can use with a map and not the ones you can use with a layout. For example, you can use Locate within the context of a map (active Map View, or an active Map Frame). Locate does not work in the layout context. Compare the Inset tab between the 2 screenshots above to see the difference. Also note that the right-click menus are also context driven.

Here it is for the active layout. I right-clicked on top of the Map Frame.

Here is is when the Map Frame is active.

There are 4 places that you can deactivate the Map Frame. I've circled them in the screenshot below.

Hope this helps, 

Tom