Custom Weight Autoupdater
You always have two alternatives if your database design does not meet the prerequisites of the native weight autoupdater: you can modify the data until it does meet the prerequisites or develop a custom weight autoupdater. The questions below might help you decide.
Do I Need a Custom Weight Autoupdater?
- Does every conductor feature class in your database have a field that indicates the nominal operating voltage? If so, skip to 3 below.
- If you answered no to 1, then do you have a separate conductor feature class for each nominal operating voltage in your electric distribution system? If not, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
- Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both transformer-like features (i.e. junctions that may have more than two conductors attached, and more than one operating voltage among the attached conductors) and switch-like features (i.e. anything whose switching state affects electrical continuity of phase conductors in the attached line features)? If so, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
- Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both conductor line segments and lines that function as substation busbars? If so, is it possible to add an integer-valued field to each such feature class, that could be used to distinguish the busbar lines from the conductor lines within the class? If not, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
- Does each feature class that contains switchable devices (i.e. switches, fuses, reclosers, sectionalizers, open points, circuit breakers, etc.) have a separate integer-valued field to indicate the switching status for each electrical phase (A, B and C)? And does that field have the interpretation of open = 0, closed = 1, and not applicable = 2? If no is the answer to either of these questions, then you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
- If your database passes the above tests then all Feeder Manager functions will work without a custom weight autoupdater. If you are interested in compatibility with possible future applications of the weight field, then keep reading.
- Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both protective switching devices (e.g. fuses, reclosers, etc.) and manual switching devices (e.g. disconnects, loadbreaks, etc.)? If so, you need a custom weight autoupdater.