A package is a compressed file containing GIS data. You share a package in the same way as any other file—via email, FTP, the cloud, thumb drives, and so on. You share it between colleagues in a workgroup, between departments in an organization, or with other users via ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise. The recipient of your package unpacks it and can immediately begin using its contents. You can also use packages to archive your work.
You can open most packages in any version of ArcGIS Pro. By default, the contents of a package are stored in the <User Documents>\ArcGIS\Packages folder. You can change this location in the Share and download options. Functionality in the package that is not supported at the version of ArcGIS Pro being used to consume the package is not available.
Before sharing a package, analyze your GIS resource to identify potential performance delays and errors. For more information, see Analyze your GIS resource.
During the sharing process, the package data is consolidated and prepared in a staging folder on a local drive. You can use the default staging folder or choose a different folder in the Share and download options.
You can continue to work with ArcGIS Pro while your sharing job is processing. You can even close ArcGIS Pro. You can monitor the status of your sharing job in the Job Status pane.
You can create the following packages with ArcGIS Pro:
- A project package (.ppkx) saves and shares a project along with its maps, data, styles, toolboxes, tasks, attachments, geoprocessing history, and connections.
- A map package (.mpkx) contains a map document (.mapx) and all the data referenced by the layers in it. Essentially, it's a collection of layer packages along with the map document.
- A layer package (.lpkx) includes both the layer properties and the dataset referenced by the layer. With a layer package, you can save and share everything about the layer—its symbolization, labeling, table properties, and data.
- A tile package (.tpk) contains a set of tiles (images) from a map or raster dataset that can be published as a web tile or web elevation layer. Alternatively, you can use the tile package as a basemap in ArcGIS applications.
- A vector tile package (.vtpk) contains a collection of vector tiles and style resources that contain vector representations of data across a range of scales.
- A scene layer package (.slpk) contains a cache of a building, a multipatch, an integrated mesh, a point, or a point cloud dataset.
- A geoprocessing package (.gpkx) contains both the data and the tools that comprise a geoprocessing workflow. You can package system tools along with custom models and scripts.
- A deep learning model package (.dlpk) contains the files required to run deep learning inference tools for object detection or image classification in ArcGIS Pro or in the cloud.
- A mobile map package (.mmpk) contains both maps and basemaps and all the data referenced by the layers. Mobile map packages can be used in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Navigator and by developers building applications with ArcGIS Runtime. For ArcGIS Runtime, .mmpk files were introduced at version 100.0.0.
- A mobile scene package (.mspk) contains scenes and all the data referenced by the layers. Mobile scene packages can be used in ArcGIS Pro and by developers building applications with ArcGIS Runtime. For ArcGIS Runtime, .mspk files were introduced at version 100.5.
- A locator package (.gcpk) contains either one locator or a composite locator with its participating locators.
Caution:
Project, map, layer, and geoprocessing packages created with ArcGIS Pro can only be used in ArcGIS Pro.