This is the template that I am currently using, which creates vmx and vmdk files.
{
"builders": [
{
"type": "vmware-iso",
"format": "ovf",
"iso_url": "{{user `url`}}",
"iso_checksum": "{{user `checksum`}}",
"iso_checksum_type": "sha256",
"ssh_username": "ubuntu",
"ssh_password": "xxxxxxxxxx",
"ssh_wait_timeout": "30m",
"disk_size": "20480",
"headless": false,
"shutdown_command": "echo 'xxxxxxxx'|sudo -S /sbin/halt -h -p",
"http_directory": "http",
"http_port_min":9001,
"http_port_max":9001,
"vnc_bind_address": "0.0.0.0",
"vnc_disable_password":true,
"vnc_port_min": 5902,
"vnc_port_max": 5902,
"vm_name": "example",
"network":"hostonly",
"remote_type": "esx5",
"remote_host": "x.x.x.x",
"remote_username": "abc",
"remote_password": "yyyyyyyyyy",
"remote_datastore": "xxxxxxx",
"remote_cache_datastore": "xxxxxxx",
"remote_cache_directory": "packer_test",
"skip_compaction": true,
"skip_export": true,
"boot_wait": "0s",
"boot_command": [
"<esc><f6><esc><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><bs><wait>",
"/install/vmlinuz noapic<wait>",
" auto<wait>",
" console-setup/ask_detect=false<wait>",
" console-setup/layoutcode=us<wait>",
" console-setup/modelcode=pc105<wait>",
" debconf/frontend=noninteractive<wait>",
" preseed/url=http://{{ .HTTPIP }}:{{ .HTTPPort }}/preseed.cfg<wait>",
" debian-installer=en_US<wait>",
" fb=false<wait>",
" initrd=/install/initrd.gz<wait>",
" kbd-chooser/method=us<wait>",
" keyboard-configuration/layout=USA<wait>",
" keyboard-configuration/variant=USA<wait>",
" locale=en_US<wait>",
" netcfg/get_domain=vm<wait>",
" netcfg/get_hostname=ubuntu<wait>",
" grub-installer/bootdev=/dev/sda<wait>",
" -- <wait>",
"<enter><wait>"
],
"vmx_data": {
"ethernet0.present": true,
"ethernet0.networkName": "VM Network"
},
"vmx_data_post": {
"floppy0.present": false
}
}
],
"provisioners": [
{
"type": "shell",
"script": "scripts/prepenv_ubuntu.sh"
}
]
}
```