Data Driven Pages - cannot export more than once

[OliviaL]

I have a map document setup with data driven pages to export a set of PDFs. After I export the map (File>Export Map), I may notice that I want to make a change, which I do, and then if I try to re-export the map again to PDF, the process just hangs. I have to close ArcMap with the task manager, and reload the map document just so that I can export the map document layouts.

A colleague running on an ArcInfo license did not seem to have this issue. She was able to export using data driven pages multiple times without issue. Similarly, when I load the map document using a different ArcGIS Editor license and export pages, several times, I do not run into any issues. However, another colleagues was experiencing the same problem with data driven pages with a different file, and we both run ArcEditor.

Does anyone know if there is a setting issue or have suggestions to resolve this issue?

[MikePrice]

Hello Olivia,

Is there a chance that you have a recent Map Book series page open in Acrobat Reader, or even recently viewed in a Windows Explorer preview pane?  I have found that these actions can crest a lock that will stall the PDF export.  If so, try closing Acrobat Reader and Windows Explorer before attempting to export.

I also find sometimes that the best fix is to close all desktop tasks, restart ArcMap, and perform the export again.

Good luck!

Mike

[SeanO_Brien]

I've had the exact same problem since I've upgraded to 10.3. Mike alluded to potential locks, but in my experience this is much more than that. This is at the very least .mxd specific because it happens to most, but not all of my .mxds. I unfortunately don't have any potential solutions. All I've been doing is opening up another blank .mxd, closing the main one after I export, and opening up the same .mxd in the blank one.

[KelvinMwakomo]

Hi Olivia

ArcMap’s print and export functionality have been updated to support Data Driven Pages. When Data Driven Pages are enabled, you have the option to print or export the current page, all pages, or a specific range of pages. When exporting to PDF, all the pages can be exported into a single PDF document.

But sometimes it appear that ArcMap does not respond if you are trying to export a lot of pages at once.What i can suggest is just try to set a range of pages in order to avoid the processing issues which cause the program to stuck.Thanks..!

BR,

Kelvin.

[MikePrice]

Hello Everyone,

The lock created when you open a previous PDF (in Acrobat Reader or other)

with the same name as one map in a series is very real. Also, you can lock

a file by just previewing it in Windows Explorer or other file manager. I

often export several hundred maps at once; Yesterday, I exported nearly 500

maps at one time without problems. I do close most other desktop utilities

and I "save before I print" (old DOS rule!).

Good luck!

Mike

Mike Price

Entrada/San Juan, Inc.

7938 West Golf Course Drive

Blaine, WA 98230

435-260-8243 Cell

mike_price@frontiernet.net

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[SeanO_Brien]

I'm not saying the lock isn't real. I've accidentally exported to an open PDF hundreds of times. This specific issue is with DDP and has nothing to do with locks, at least in my case.

Here is the normal DDP Export Progress Bar -

Notice the "3 of 5 Pages"

Here is what happens on the second attempt -

No progress is made, the "1 of 5 pages" will never show up, and it will hang there, for as long as you want to watch it spin.

This is the error that happens if you export DDPs to an open file (locked) -

The DDP export will proceed as normal until the very end, when it shows this error. You'll never get to this on the second attempt, because it actually needs to export all the pages first, which it won't do.

Also, in reply to Kelvin. In my experience with this issue, it doesn't matter which option I choose (all pages, current page, or range), or how many pages are being exported (I've had this issue with 3 total pages, 8.5x11). Whatever you do on that second attempt, it will hang.

[MikePrice]

Hi Sean,

Yep, I've seen the error many times. I just replicated it by previewing

Kent RFA Map Tile 371 in Windows Explorer viewer. It is a rather generic

message, I agree.

I am curious, why does the run that produces the second attempt screen just

stall, and what do you do to restart it?

Mike

Mike Price

Entrada/San Juan, Inc.

7938 West Golf Course Drive

Blaine, WA 98230

435-260-8243 Cell

mike_price@frontiernet.net

<blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:mike_price@frontiernet.net> Email 1

mikeprice1@aol.com <blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:mikeprice1@aol.com>

Email 2

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[SeanO_Brien]

It's tough to say what causes it to hang. I know In my case (and Olivia's, the original poster), this isn't a 100% failure rate (maybe like 50%?), but the cause is very mysterious, and once that .mxd has been shown to be compromised, it's never going to work on attempt 2. The map I was having issues with yesterday only had an ArcGIS basemap, a couple of line features, and a north arrow/scale bar/legend. That's a very simple .mxd that isn't working out. On the flip side, I've had .mxds with tons of data and graphics, transparency, large rasters, etc. that'll work just fine. Once it hangs I have to start my task manager and close the .mxd that way. If it's an .mxd that I know isn't going to work a second time, I just open up a blank .mxd. Once I export my first set of DDPs I'll save and close it, and open it up again.

I've recently been in contact with esri support, so we'll see how they deal with it. It's obviously only affecting a small percentage of users, but I'm glad I'm not crazy.

[MikePrice]

OK, thank you. I'll try to figure it out, too.

Here is my other favorite export error, also caused by a lock. To get

around this one, I add a character to the single output file name and rename

it back outside of ArcGIS.

I'm curious, where are you, and who do you work for?

Mike

Mike Price

Entrada/San Juan, Inc.

7938 West Golf Course Drive

Blaine, WA 98230

435-260-8243 Cell

mike_price@frontiernet.net

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mikeprice1@aol.com <blocked::blocked::blocked::mailto:mikeprice1@aol.com>

Email 2

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[FasilTiru]

Hi Olivia,

Do you by any chance have an ArcGIS Online basemap or any kind of aerial imagery in the table of content? If so, please remove that > save the map document and try to export the data driven pages.

If the exports works, add the basemaps again > save the map document and try exporting again. We tested this workflow in version 10.3.1 and it worked.

Thanks,

Fasil