I'm curious what others think would be the best way for my organization to create and store new Projects on our server.
New projects for us require novel maps and layouts, but for consistency we really only change a few of the layers in the map, and the details on layouts. So, about 3 years ago I just built the maps and layouts how I wanted, and since then whenever we get a new project, I've been using the Save As function to essentially just rename the new project and edit the details.
You could consider keeping the one Project and copying the layouts/maps themselves within the project. Or exporting out the layout/maps as layout/map packages to import into new projects.
https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/layouts/layout-files.htm
Recently this method has been creating issues on our servers because whenever I open newer projects to work on them, ArcPro creates a bunch of empty folders in random locations on the server, which I'm assuming is because the program dislikes that I'm referencing a geodatabase (and toolbox) that are saved in a different location than the new project (.aprx) file.
When you create the project, ensure you create a folder, and accept that there will be content within it.
Is there a better way to go about creating new projects than just using the Save As function, while still maintaining the faster work flow offered by using the same map and layout templates? If not, how can I avoid inadvertently creating random empty folders throughout the server?
You can create a project template that contains your layouts and even the data connections to the other data. When you create a project, select the template, then the folder (create a new folder for your project)
https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/projects/create-your-own-project-template.htm
There are also other things you can do like add connections or items as favorites:
https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/projects/project-favorites.htm
