GIS Attributes

For new components (those added, replaced, or modified as a part of the design), designers can add attributes that are pushed back to the GIS along with the design. For an example using a pole, the designer might add ownership information, pole coating, foundation type, manufactured year, or other properties not contained within the equipment specification. For existing components (those not part of the design), you can choose to display the same attributes (those that already existed for the component) in a read-only manner.

As an administrator, you can choose which fields to include, their field names, their order, and which are required.

IMPORTANT:

Before adding attributes, read the topic Attribute Push Priority which discusses the ramifications of setting attributes at the levels of equipment specification, CU, Macro CU, or GIS Attribute. Do not add GIS attributes that are driven by an equipment specification (spec) or managed by the application network model.
When adding fields as GIS attributes, those fields should not also be defined in the Table schema.

Attribute assignment varies for UN and GN implementations. If you are using the UN, you will create Asset Keys which are a unique combination of Layer Name plus the Asset Group and Asset Type. For GN environments, there are two options. You can configure a Subtype Key or use Layer and Subtype Rules.

Existing GN implementations will have the choice to remain with legacy Layer and Subtype Rules or move to Subtype Keys. The Designer XI application pulls attribute information from the GIS, relying on Layer and Subtype Rules if no Subtype Key is defined. This configuration is still supported, but we strongly recommend migrating to Subtype Keys to take advantage of new and future Related Records functionality.

For new GN implementations, configuration of the Layer and Subtype Code is required. A Subtype Key, or GUID, is assigned to each unique Layer plus Subtype code and is used in place of Layer and Subtype Rules. The Subtype Key is a unique identifier for a layer in the GIS.

Both existing and new GN implementations will be able to view configured Related Records, but configuration of the Layer and Subtype Code (i.e., Subtype Key) is required to enable Related Records future functionality for creating and editing Related Records in the Designer XI application.

To add fields to the interface, follow these steps:

In the Catalog tab > Electric or GIS Schema subtab, use the drop-down to choose GIS Attributes.
(GN implementations only) Set the Show Subtype Key Attributes toggle. Toggle the Show Subtype Key Attribute on to establish a Subtype Key for a Layer plus Subtype pair. With the toggle on, notice the left-hand list of GIS Attributes is filtered to show only those with Subtype Key defined and to allow adding a new GIS Attribute with Subtype Key. With the Show Subtype Key Attributes toggle turned off, the GIS attribute is reliant on Layer and Subtype Rules to determine which fields are pushed to the GIS.
Click the Add GIS Attribute button.
Use the drop-down to choose the Designer Component.
If you want to add Fields to All Asset Types (UN) or Subtype/Layers (GN), ensure that tab is selected and click the Add button next to Fields.
To add a new Asset Type or Subtype/Layer for field assignment, follow the relevant substep.
1. For UN implementations, use the Add button next to Assign Fields to Asset Group and Type to add a specific Asset Type.
  
  Once you select the Asset Group and Asset Type, you can use the check boxes to select the Fields to assign for this Asset Type.
2. For GN implementations using the Subtype Key, click the Add button next to Assign Fields to Layer and Subtype to add specific Asset Subtypes.
  
  Once you select the Layer Name and Subtype, you can use the checkboxes to select the Fields to assign for this Subtype.
3. For GN implementations using the legacy Layer and Subtype Rules, click the Add button next to Assign Fields to GIS Layer to call out attributes for a specific layer.
  
  • Use the checkboxes to assign the specific Fields to this layer.
To add Fields to an existing Asset Type or Layer, highlight the tab in the right-hand pane and click the Add button next to Fields as described in step 5 above. Use the drop-down to choose the field, then type a user-friendly display name. If left null, the name defaults to the database field alias.
Check the box next to “Is Required for DXI” to mark the field as required. The field displays in red in the Designer XI application. Leave the box unchecked to keep the field as optional.
Check the box next to “Show for Imported” to also include this attribute for imported components that are not part of the design. The user cannot edit attributes for imported components, but including the attribute in read-only format could be helpful for designers.
IMPORTANT:
- The GIS Attributes functionality applies to new components (those added, replaced, or modified as a part of the design), but the “Show for Imported” checkbox is an important exception. It determines if you also want to see this attribute for existing components.
- To see the field and its attributes in the application, the field must actually have data in it. A null field in the GIS does not appear. For example, in the image below, the administrator is choosing to show Foundation Type for existing poles. If the end user in the application selects a pole that has a null value for Foundation Type, then neither the field name nor the null attribute appear in the Component Information pane for that particular pole.
Check the box “Read Only” to allow users to see the field for imported components, but not to edit the field for new components. If you check “Read Only,” the field does not appear in the attribute editor within Designer XI.

NOTE: The “Read Only” checkbox really only makes sense if the “Show for Imported” check box is also checked. If you checked “Read Only” by itself, you are stating you do not want designers to see that field for new components, and since “Show for Imported” isn’t checked, that field wouldn’t be visible for existing features either. In short, the field would be completely hidden, and in that case, you wouldn’t map it at all. By checking both, you are stating that you want users to see the field for existing features, but not be able to edit that same field for new components.
Continue to add fields as necessary.
When you have finished adding fields, use the up and down arrows on the far, right-hand side of the interface to determine the layer order. This top-to-bottom order matches the order of layers displayed to the end users in the Component Information pane in Designer XI.
Click Save.
Repeat the process with other components.

When adding attributes, keep the following in mind:

To see your GIS Attributes in the Designer XI application, you need to restart the Edge Service if you are using an on-premises version of the service. The Hosted Edge Service will pick up configuration changes as they occur.
- However, there is no Catalog Cache. Thus, you do not need to Update Cache.
If you want to verify the fields in the Designer XI application:
- For new install components, you can open a different design to verify the new fields.
- But, to verify “Show for Imported,” you need to initialize a new design after restarting the Edge Service to see the new fields.

For “Show for Imported,” in order to see the field and its attributes in the application, the field must actually have data in it. A null field in the GIS does not appear.