Initialize Water Trace Weight

The Initialize Water Trace Weights function prepares a new database for water tracing. It populates the trace weight field (the field assigned the field model name WATERTRACEWEIGHT) with a trace weight value for all features in the WaterDataset. The trace weight values store important information about each feature in an efficient bitgate format, ready for use by ArcFM traces. 

See the help topic How Water Tracing Works.

TIP: If the Initialize Water Trace Weights button doesn't appear on your ArcFM Solution toolbar, you may add it.

Before You Begin

There are several prerequisites before running this tool:

  • This tool is part of the configuration to set up water tracing. Thus, ensure you have performed the previous six configuration steps before running this tool.

  • Ensure your MaxLocksPerFile Registry settings are high values (200,000 for example). A low setting causes errors during initialization. You can set this value two ways:

    • You can change this setting using the Advanced ArcMap Settings, which by default is located in C:\Program Files (x86)\ArcGIS\Desktop10.6\Utilities.

    • You can directly change the values in the Registry. Depending on your system version, there are three MaxLocksPerFile entries in the Registry at the following locations:

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Jet\3.5\Engines\Jet 3.5\

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Jet\4.0\Engines\Jet 3.x\

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Jet\4.0\Engines\Jet 4.0\

  • If possible, initialize trace weights before the dataset has been registered as versioned. If you choose to initialize trace weights on a dataset with versions, you could potentially encounter thousands of conflicts. If the dataset is already registered as versioned, consult with your database administrator and delete any versions and unregister the dataset as versioned. Refer to Esri documentation Unregistering Data as Versioned for more information.

  • The Initialize Water Trace Weights function makes some assumptions about the database design; if that design deviates from the ArcFM standard database design in some key ways then it may be necessary to develop a customized version of the function.


How Geometric Networks Affect Initializing Water Trace Weights

You can use the Initialize Water Trace Weights function before or after creating a geometric network. However, it is recommended that you run Initialize Water Trace Weights before creating the geometric network because the initialization process will go quicker. Running this function after creating a geometric network can be very slow.

TIP:
  • A geometric network icon will appear in the water dataset if the network has already been created.

  • File Geodatabases: If you are using a file geodatabase, the Initialize Water Trace Weight function requires a geometric network. You will need to ensure a geometric network exists in the file geodatabase before initializing the trace weights


Initializing Trace Weights in SDE Geodatabases

If you are using the initialize Water Trace Weights function on a dataset in an SDE geodatabase, it is highly recommended that you use it before registering the dataset as versioned and before you create a geometric network.

IMPORTANT: If the dataset is versioned, it may require a significant amount of time to initialize trace weights. For example, the process could take several days for a dataset with more than 100,000 edges because of the overhead involved in updating weight-associated fields in a versioned database.

You can initialize trace weights in an SDE geodatabase when:

  • The dataset is not registered as versioned and does not have a geometric network.

  • The dataset is registered as versioned and has a geometric network.

You cannot initialize trace weights in an SDE geodatabase when:

  • The dataset is registered as versioned but does not have a geometric network.

  • The dataset is not registered as versioned but has a geometric network


Function Availability

Below is a table that describes when the Initialize Water Trace Weights function is available in each type of geodatabase.

Geodatabase Type

Geometric Network

Registered as Versioned

Initializing Trace Weights Available

personal

no

n/a

yes

personal

yes

n/a

yes

file

no

n/a

no

file

yes

n/a

yes

SDE

no

no

yes

SDE

no

yes

no

SDE

yes

no

no

SDE

yes

yes

yes


Initialize Without a Geometric Network or Versions

This procedure applies to personal and SDE geodatabases and cannot be performed on file geodatabases. Initializing trace weights before creating the geometric network is much faster than initializing with the network already created. To initialize trace weight values before the network is created:

IMPORTANT: Dropping geometric networks and deleting versions may have dire consequences. Before doing either of these, consult with your Database Administrator and refer to Esri documentation.

  1. If necessary, add the Initialize Water Trace Weights tool to the ArcFM toolbar.

  2. Ensure a geometric network does not exist.

    If a geometric network does exist but you want to initialize the dataset without the geometric network; drop the geometric network and compress the geodatabase.

  3. If initializing an SDE geodatabase, check whether the dataset is registered as versioned.

    If the dataset is registered as versioned, delete any versions and unregister the dataset as versioned.

  4. Select the dataset.

  5. Click the Initialize Water Trace Weights button.

  6. ArcFM creates the following .txt files:

    • WaterTraceWeightInitSQL.txt is a log file of all SQL statements that were used to update the tables.

    • WaterTraceWeightInitLastStatement.txt stores only the last SQL statement that executed successfully. If this statement matches the last statement in the WaterTraceWeightInitSQL.txt file, then Initialize Water Trace Weights executed successfully.

      These files are stored in the following directory: Users\[User]\AppData\Roaming\Miner and Miner\ArcFM.

  7. After initialization is complete, build or rebuild the geometric network and register or re-register the dataset as versioned.  


Initialize With Geometric Network

This procedure applies to file and personal geodatabases and cannot be performed on SDE geodatabases. Initializing trace weights when the network already exists will take more time than without the network. To initialize trace weight values after the network is created:

  1. Select the water geometric network feature class.

  2. Right-click and select Water Tracing | Initialize Water Trace Weights.

    IMPORTANT: While running, there is not a progress bar and ArcCatalog becomes inactive. Allow the process to finish and do not hard close the application.

  3. Check the event log. If it shows no errors, trace weights were successfully initialized. 


Initialize a Dataset Registered as Versioned and With a Geometric Network

This procedure applies to only SDE geodatabases. Before using this procedure, be aware that initializing trace weights when the network already exists and the dataset is registered as versioned could take a significant amount of time and generate several conflicts.

TIP: If you must use this procedure, consider deleting all versions before starting.
  1. Ensure that the dataset is registered as versioned. 

  2. Select the water geometric network.

  3. Right-click and select Water Tracing > Initialize Water Trace Weights.

    IMPORTANT: While running, there is not a progress bar and ArcCatalog becomes inactive. Allow the process to finish and do not hard close the application.

  4. Check the event log. If it shows no errors, trace weights were successfully initialized. 

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