Why are layers added to Legend in new Layout when shouldn't synch

[ShaunDillon1]

I am trying to avoid having all layers in my map in my legend. For this reason I have not checked the box Synchronize with Map - New Layer

I have made a layout file with the above setting. When I add this layout to my project and set which map the Map Frame should reference - immediately all the layers in that map are added to the Legend. As shown here:

Added layout and legend is empty:

I set the Map frame to reference the Map

And now the legend is full of layers that I DO NOT WANT THERE

[TomBole]

Hi Shaun, 

The "New layer" option under Synchronize with map refers specifically to new layers added to a map. When you set a new source map fro a map frame you are not changing the layers of an existing map. You are pointing the map frame (and all the map surrounds referencing this map frame) t a new map. Therefore the legend will be repopulated with the layers of the new map just as if you added a new legend to the page. The only difference is the existing legend should keep any legend formatting you have made.

Currently, there is no way to create an "empty" legend where you add the layers you want. Instead, the model we chose is one of subtraction. Turn off or remove legend items you don't want. 

I'm assuming that the items (layers) you see in the legend all belong to the map that is now referenced by the map frame. If this is not the case, then there is likely a bug. If so, this is by design.

Hope this helps, 

Tom

[ShaunDillon1]

Hi Tom

Ok. I can see that I have to do things in a correct order to avoid getting too much into my Legend.

But this does lead me to another question you might know the answer to:

Is it possible to have the same 'folder' structure to the layers in the legend as it was in ArcMAp. This is what I mean:

In ArcMap, when you choose which layers to include in the legend the list of layers has the option of opening and closing layers in folder in the same way it is in the TOC:

Whereas "Pro" just shows all layers in one (potentially very) long list:

[TomBole]

Shaun, 

Currently, the Pro legend does not display groups in the legend item tree-view in the Contents page. I'm not aware of any plans to add this in the future.  

Tom

[KjetilSverdrup-Thygeson]

I strongly agree with ShaunDillon1, and regard this as one of the most annoying things in Pro.
I always remove everything from the legend and then add the layers I want. I guess one option for us is to remove the Legend from our templates, and add the legend manually after opening the template.

If this behavior is by design, then I think it is a poor design. Why not add this to Options, so the user can choose?

If this behavior is by design, then it