Initialize Electric Trace Weights

The Initialize Electric Trace Weights function prepares a new database for electric tracing. It populates the trace weight field (the field assigned the field model name MMELECTRICTRACEWEIGHT) with a trace weight value for all features in the ElectricDataset. The trace weight values store important information about each feature in an efficient bitgate format, ready for use by ArcFM traces. More information about bitgates is provided in the Appendix.

See the help topic Bitgate Fields.

TIP: If the Initialize Electric 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 Feeder Manager. Thus, ensure you have performed the previous 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 Electric 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 Electric Trace Weights

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

TIP:

A geometric network icon will appear in the electric dataset if the network has already been created.
File Geodatabases: If you are using a file geodatabase, the Initialize Electric 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 Electric 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 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 Trace Weights With NO Geometric Network

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 quicker 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.

If necessary, add the Initialize Electric Trace Weights tool to the ArcFM toolbar.
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.
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.
Select the electric dataset.
Click the Initialize Electric Trace Weights button.
A dialog box will display the feature classes that will be updated. Only feature classes containing a field with the MMElectricTraceWeight field model name will be affected. Click Yes to proceed or No to cancel.

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.
When you run Initialize Electric Trace Weights without a geometric network, Feeder Manager creates the following .txt files.
- FdrMgrWeightInitSQL.txt is a log file of all SQL statements that were used to update the tables.
- FdrMgrWeightInitLastStatement.txt stores only the last SQL statement that executed successfully. If this statement matches the last statement in the FdrMgrWeightInitSQL.txt file, then Initialize Electric Trace Weights executed successfully.
These files are stored in the following directory: Users\[User]\AppData\Roaming\Miner and Miner\ArcFM.

Initialize Trace Weights With a Geometric Network

If you do choose to initialize weight values after the geometric network has been built, it is recommended that you disable Feeder Manager's tracing autoupdaters.

To initialize trace weight values after the network is created:

Disable Feeder Manager's tracing autoupdaters.
- Right-click the geometric network and select Feeder Manager > Settings.
- Uncheck the Tracing Autoupdaters Enabled field.
  
  IMPORTANT: Do NOT disable the weight autoupdater while initializing trace weights when a geometric network exists.
- Click Save. The change is effective immediately, without the need to restart ArcCatalog.
Select the electric geometric network feature class.
Right-click and select Feeder Manager > Initialize Electric 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.
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 (even up to a few days depending upon the size of the database) and generate several conflicts.

TIP: If you must use this procedure, consider deleting all versions before starting.

Ensure that the dataset is registered as versioned.
Select the electric geometric network feature class.
Right-click and select Feeder Manager > Initialize Electric 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.
Check the event log. If it shows no errors, trace weights were successfully initialized.