ArcGIS Pro Project Template - Extraneous data

[GlennMcDiarmid]

I am trying to create an ArcIS Pro project template as a basic starting point for all projects.  I have created the project and included the folder connections, standard layouts, standard style libraries and a toolbox.  There are no maps, scenes or any data in the project.  When I go to create the template, the packaging process tries to include over 16 GB of data from various locations, including LAS files, ECW files, DWG files, geodatabases, shapefiles, other toolboxes and even log files from custom add-ins used in ArcMap (I can see all these things going into the \p20 folder as the package is attempted to be created).

How do I prevent all these things from going in?

I have tried all the different options in the Create Project Template dialog, but with no difference in the result.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

As a test, I created a template from one of my projects for individual use.  I got none of what you describe.  You are probably trying to create one to share.  Are your data sources isolated in one location? is it including folders or locations that have a number of other things that you really don't want (ie las files?)  

Could you report on the structure of the folders and locations that were used to create your template

http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/projects/create-your-own-project-template.htm

[GlennMcDiarmid]

I have tried doing it to share as well as for individual use.  I have tried to save on-line, locally and to a network location.

I have now determined that it has something to do with the toolboxes I am trying to include, as I just removed them and everything is as expected.  It appears to be including all data files that have been used by tools in those toolboxes over the past 6 months, or perhaps longer.  The toolboxes have been created and added to over the years in ArcMap and contain a mix of Python scripts and Modelbuilder models.  So I need to somehow remove the memory of these data files.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Yes.. there is some strong hint to that in the package project help topic. Organizing your data relative to the aprx is suggested.  As well clearing out project history before you begin.  I have toggled off any checkboxes that refer to keeping a log or history etc at the Project level.  

[GlennMcDiarmid]

OK, so I turned off the history.  Can't delete the history out of the project as the tools have never been run within the project and there is no geoprocessing history there to delete.

Added the toolboxes back in again and tried again - same result.  So now it looks like I need to find where the actual tool histories are kept from any runs in ArcMap/ArcCatalog and delete them as well.  Some sort of artefact / legacy.

Thanks for helping so far - certainly giving me clues.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Glenn... history is indeed stored somewhere ... you will have to check the help, since I have never kept history, I would have to troll for said information.

Try copying the toolbox (within arc*) to a new location... I am wondering if the history gets truncated during the copy or it is kept... again, I can't test since I have no history to store

[GlennMcDiarmid]

So I have now deleted every history log file I can find for Pro, 10.4 and 10.3 and I still get the same result.  There must be something else I am not finding that is also storing all the historical references to geoprocessing runs.

So I have bitten the bullet and created a brand new toolbox with nothing in it.  I have created the template successfully, and will now start to add the standard tools into the toolbox.

[MervynLotter]

Within your project, I suspect you may have a layer loaded or folder connection to a geodatabase that is at least 16 Gb in size (probably more if uncompressed)? Regardless of what feature is actually loaded and being used in a project, Pro will package up the entire geodatabase into a map package. Not great at all and I certainly wish they would only package up the actual features being used. I usually dont want to share my entire geodatabase with other users, just certain feature classes. 

Not sure if this is your particular problem but it was mine some time back.