How to Use Targets

To place features using a target, click on the target in the Targets Pane. Then click on the map where you want to place the feature.

The new feature displays on the map and in the Attributes pane. Using the Attribute Viewer, a user can verify containment associations and relationship class records.

Attribute values assigned to the features when the target is created are brought over to the Targets pane. You can update the target attributes in the Attributes section of the Targets pane. Enter the updated attribute for the desired fields, when you click away from a field, the changes you made are automatically saved in the target. Now when you use that target to place features with the updated attributes.

The Editor Maps settings in Solution Center allow you to set fields to be reset to the default value for the field (or a null value) instead of retaining the attribute as it was set in the target feature. See the Configure Send to Targets topic for details how to configure the tool.

Contained non-spatial objects are included when sending a feature to targets. If there are any present, they are listed as Junction or Edge Objects underneath the related spatial feature used to create the target. Click the arrow to tip it downward to show the non-spatial objects.

A target can contain non-spatial objects (NSO) stored in Junction Objects, Edge Objects, Structure Junction Objects, or Structure Edge Objects Tables. NSO are typically used to represent a device or structure contained in the main feature of the template. Attributes of a NSO are edited just as the attributes of the main feature are edited. In addition to editing NSO attributes, new records (device or records) can be added or deleted to existing target. To do so, right-click on the specific non-spatial object layer in the Targets pane under the feature to which you want to add the non-spatial object target.

Click Add - (<the feature listed here varies depending on non-spatial object contained by the spatial feature>).

A new non-spatial object displays in the list under Junction Object.

To remove a non-spatial object from the Targets pane, right-click on the non-spatial object and click Delete.

Targets can contain records from tables related to the features via a relationship class. The attributes of relationship class records are edited, just as the attributes of the main feature are edited. In addition to editing relationship class record attributes, new records can be added or deleted to existing target. To do so, right-click on the specific relationship class table in the Targets pane under the feature to which you want to add the new record, and click Add.

The new relationship class record displays in the list under related table

To remove a record from the related table from the Targets pane, right-click on the record you want to remove and click Delete.

Preset Templates are templates created by the users through the Esri Manage Templates pane. These are a way to use targets with spatial containment by sending the Preset Template to Targets.

When you send an Esri Template to the Targets pane, it behaves a bit differently.

1. It is displayed in italics on the Target pane.

2. Edits made on the Target pane are not saved to the Esri Template and only persist on the Target Pane.

3. You can’t add or delete records to the non-spatial objects table or the relationship class Tables associated to the target.

To create a Preset Template, follow the steps below. In this example, we'll use a Preset Template to create a Switch Bank.

1. Select the features (in this case, the switch bank) on the map

   

2. From Attributes pane go to Create Features pane, then click the Manage Templates button (or navigate to the Manage Templates pane if you already have it open).

3. Select the feature (in this case, the switch bank) on the top half of the Manage Templates pane.

   TIP: Use the Search bar to quickly locate the feature you want to create the Preset Template for.

4. Click New in the bottom half of the pane and select Preset Template from Selected Features. The Template Properties dialog displays.

   

5. In the Template Properties dialog, type a name for the new Preset Template in the Name field. You can include a description if you like, but it is not required. Click OK.

   

6. The next step is to send the Preset Template to the Targets Pane. Open up the Targets pane, the search for your newly created Preset Template in the Create Features pane.

7. Right-click on the Preset Template and select Send to Targets.

   

   The Preset Template appears as a target with the same name on the Targets pane. You can expand the target to see the various features included in the target.

8. To edit the attributes for any of the features in the target, click on a feature to see it's editable values, then edit the attributes as you wish.

   

   In this example, the Line Ends listed under each of the Overhead Primary Three Phase Disconnects are actually the same feature on the map. For that reason, when the Line End attributes are edited under one disconnect, let's say Overhead Primary Three Phase Disconnect_2, that same Line End (e.g. Primary Three Phase Line End_1) listed under Overhead Three Phase Disconnect_4 displays the same attribute updates.

   TIP: Keep in mind some attributes may be configured to "reset after create" which means the field resets to the default value each time the target is placed.

9. After editing the attributes, the template is ready to be placed on the map! Click on the template name, then click on the map where you'd like to place the features.