Replacing templates and instructions

Blank map documents get created for each class, series, and product created in the product library. These documents provide a starting point for production; they can be checked out and modified, allowing the product library components in the respective class or series to use a copy of the template when first starting production. However, there are workflows where the template is not modified before the series and/or its products are created, and thus, those components inherit a blank map document. Other times, the template is updated, and those changes need to be applied to existing series and/or products. Template map documents and template instructions can be updated for the series and products using the Replace Templates command.

There are two ways to update the templates: replacing the existing files with the ones from the class or series or replacing the existing files with files that are linked to the class or the series. Replacing the files will allow each file at the class, series, or product level to be modified independently, allowing maximum control. Linking the files allows changes and updates to the templates to be applied to the series and products directly as they are the same files being used in different locations of the product library. However, changes to one of these linked files will affect all series and/or products that are linked to it. Links to files can also be removed and re-created. If you want to remove an existing link, you can use the Series Template or Product Template command. If you want to re-create a link, you can use the Series Template with Link to Class Template or the Product Instructions with Link to Series Template command. However, if a link did not exist and a new one is created, any custom changes defined in the map documents or template instructions will be lost when linked to the series or the class files.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. If necessary, open the Product Library window by clicking Customize > Production > Product Library on the main menu.

   A tree view of the product library appears.
3. Right-click an existing class, series, or product component from the product library tree, click Replace Template, then choose an option:
   • Series Template with Link to Class Template—If chosen from the class, applies the template document and instructions to each series and links all the files to the ones at the class level. If chosen from the series, it only applies the template document and instructions to that specified series and links all the files to the ones at the class level.
   • Series Template—If chosen from the class, applies the template document and instructions to each series but does not link the files. If chosen from the series, it only applies the template document and instructions to that specified series but does not link the files.
   • Product Instructions with Link to Series Template—If chosen from the series, applies the template document and instructions to each product and links all the files to the ones at the series level. If chosen from the product, it only applies the template document and instructions to that specified product and links all the files to the ones at the series level.
   • Product Instructions—If chosen from the series, applies the template document and instructions to each product but does not link the files. If chosen from the product, it only applies the template document and instructions to that specified product but does not link the files.

   A warning message appears asking if you are sure to want to replace the specified documents.

4. Click Yes to replace the documents and any customizations in those files.
   Tip:

   Click No to cancel, and the files will not be replaced.

Once the map document(s) and template instruction files are replaced, the file modifications can be viewed in the file manager and are reflected by a new name and/or link status. However, a history of the original files that were replaced are not kept.