Manage and use templates for extracting locations

Available with LocateXT license.

The Extract Locations pane uses default settings designed to recognize the most common locations and support extracting recent dates. The default settings are associated with the Default Unstructured Data template, which is selected by default in the Template drop-down list at the top of the pane.

When you change any settings on the Properties tab in the pane, for example, to choose a different symbol for the output map layer, the default template is modified. You can save your changes to a new template that will be added to the list.

If you have collections of documents with different structures, such as travel forms, emails, and daily briefings, use different settings to extract locations and other information from each collection. Create templates that contain the settings for each collection. When you extract locations from a new batch of documents associated with a collection, use the template configured for that collection to extract locations.

The templates for extracting locations are saved as part of your ArcGIS AllSource application settings and, as such, are available to all projects that you create and use on a specific computer.

When a custom template is selected for extracting locations, you can also override the settings and then extract locations using the overrides. Your modifications can be saved to a new template, saved to the selected custom template, or discarded.

Use a custom template

Select a custom template in the Template drop-down list at the top of the Extract Locations pane.

1. Open the Extract Locations pane.

   The Default Unstructured Data template is selected in the Template drop-down list by default.

2. Click the Template drop-down list.
3. Click a custom template in the list to select it.

All properties present on the Properties tab are modified to match the settings specified in the selected template.

Your custom template choice is saved, and will be selected automatically when you restart ArcGIS AllSource. To switch back to the default settings at a later time, select the Default Unstructured Data template in the Template drop-down list.

Create a custom template

You can create a template at any time from the Default Unstructured Data template. All new templates start with the default settings.

1. Click the Template drop-down list at the top of the Extract Locations pane.
2. Click Create New Template.

   A copy of the default template will be saved with the name New Template. The new custom template will be selected automatically.

3. Rename the template.

Save your changes

At any time, you can change a setting associated with the current template and use the updated properties to extract locations from documents and text. For example, you might turn off the custom locations toggle or turn fuzzy matching of custom locations on, overriding the settings defined by the template. You can then extract locations using the overrides.

After making a change, the template name is displayed with italic text and an asterisk (*) in front of its name, indicating it has unsaved changes.

Update a custom template

If you want to keep your changes, you can save them to the current template.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Update Template Settings at the top of the list.

Your changes are saved to the custom template. Its name is no longer displayed in italics in the Template list.

Note:

You cannot update the default template.

Save template overrides to a new custom template

If you started with a template and made changes to it that you want to keep, you can save a copy of your changes to a new template. This is particularly relevant when you start with the default template, since you cannot save changes to the default template.

1. Select the Template that has been modified in the drop-down list, for example, Default Unstructured Data template.

   Templates with unsaved changes appear with italic text in the Template drop-down list.

2. Right-click the template, and click Duplicate.

   A copy of the template, including the changes you made, is saved to a new template. For example, if you started with the Default Unstructured Data template, it will be named Default Unstructured Data (2).

Clear changes to the current template

If you do not want to keep changes that you made to the current template, you can clear your changes and restore its original settings.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Reset Template Settings.

   All settings on the Properties tab on the Extract Locations pane are updated to match the saved settings for the current template. You cannot undo this change; that is, the changes you previously made will be lost.

Reorder the templates

You can change the order in which templates appear in the Template drop-down list.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Organize Templates at the bottom of the list.

   The Organize Templates dialog box appears.

3. Click the template you want to move.
4. Click the Move Up arrow to move the template up in the list.
5. Click the Move Down arrow to move the template down in the list.
6. Click OK.

Rename a template

You can rename any custom template.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Right-click a custom template and click Rename.
3. Type a new name for the template, and press Enter.

   The template is selected. Its name is displayed with italic text and an asterisk (*) appears in front of the name, indicating the template has unsaved changes.

4. Click the Template drop-down list.
5. Click Update Template Settings.

   The name change is saved to the custom template. Its name is no longer displayed in italics in the Template list.

Copy a template

If you receive a new collection of documents similar to a collection of documents you have worked with before, you can copy the existing template and then adjust its settings to work better for the new collection of documents.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Right-click the template you want to copy and click Duplicate.

   The template is copied and saved, and selected in the Template list. If the original template is named Travel forms, the copy is named Travel forms (2).

Delete a template

You can delete a custom template if it is no longer needed.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Right-click the template you want to delete and click Delete.

   The template is removed from the Template list. You cannot undo this change.

Note:

The default template cannot be deleted.

Export a template to an extract locations template file

Extract locations templates are saved as part of your ArcGIS AllSource application settings and, as such, are available to all projects that you create and use on a specific computer. If you want to use your extract locations template on another computer, share it with a colleague, or use it with the Extract Locations From Documents or Extract Locations From Text geoprocessing tools; you must export the template to a file.

Different options are available when exporting an extract locations template file (.lxttmpl).

Export using default settings

All settings on the Properties tab in the Extract Locations pane will be saved to the export locations template file (.lxttmpl). If a custom attribute file is active on the Custom Attributes tab, or a custom location file is active on the Custom Locations tab, the exported template file includes copies of the active files. If the active custom attribute file and the active custom location file are later modified in the Extract Locations pane, any previously exported templates will not include these changes.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Organize Templates.

   The Organize Templates dialog box appears.

3. Click the template you want to export in the Templates list.
4. Click the Export button.

   The Export Template File dialog box appears.

5. Browse to the writable location in which you want to store the exported template file.
6. Type a name for the extract locations template file in the Name text box.
7. Click Save.

Export using custom settings

If a custom attribute file is active on the Custom Attributes tab, or a custom location file is active on the Custom Locations tab, an option will be available that allows you some control over how the active files are handled by the extract locations template file.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Organize Templates.

   The Organize Templates dialog box appears.

3. Click the template you want to export in the Templates list.
4. Click the Export drop-down arrow and click Export File (custom).

   The Export Template File dialog box appears.

5. If a custom attribute file is active on the Custom Attributes tab, you can configure how the custom attribute file is handled.
   • Include a copy of the file—The template file will include a copy of the active custom attribute file.
   • Save a reference to the file—The template file will include only the file path to the active custom attribute file.
   • Do not include information about active files—The template file will not include any information regarding a custom attribute file.
6. If a custom location file is active on the Custom Locations tab, you can configure how the custom location file is handled.
   • Include a copy of the file—The template file will include a copy of the active custom location file.
   • Save a reference to the file—The template file will include only the file path to the active custom location file.
   • Do not include information about active files—The template file will not include any information regarding a custom location file.
7. Browse to the writable location in which you want to store the exported template file.
8. Type a name for the extract locations template file in the Name text box.
9. Click Save.

Import an extract locations template file

If you received an extract locations template file from a colleague, you must import it to ArcGIS AllSource before you can use it in the Extract Locations pane.

1. Click the Template drop-down list.
2. Click Organize Templates.

   The Organize Templates dialog box appears.

3. Select the extract locations template file that you want to import using one of the following methods:
   • Click the Import button. On the Import Template File dialog box, browse to and select the template file you want to import, and click OK.
   • Drag the export locations template file from Windows Explorer onto the Templates list.
4. If the template file includes a copy of a custom attribute file or a custom location file, an Import Template File dialog box appears, providing options that will allow you to access the custom attribute and custom location information stored within the imported template file.
   • Check Save custom attribute file from template file and Save custom location file from template file if you want to save the included custom attribute and custom location information to files on disk. Use the browse buttons to specify the file names and the location in which to store the files.
   • Uncheck Save custom attribute file from template file and Save custom location file from template file to import all properties of the template except the custom attribute and custom location information. The imported template will not have an active custom attribute file or an active custom location file set, even if they are present in the extract locations template.
5. Click OK.

The imported template is added to the Templates list.