Custom Work Functions

A Work Function is the core edit being performed against a component. Out of the box, Designer XI provides three Work Functions: “Install” to represent adding a component, “Remove” to represent deleting a component, and “Abandon” for separating a component from the network and leaving it in the field (gas only).

However, your company’s Work Management System (WMS) might be expecting a different term for related functions. Perhaps your company’s WMS tracks “Insert” or “Scrap” or “Retire,” and these functions come with different cost calculations in the WMS. At their heart, they still represent adding, updating, or deleting a component, but the WMS treats them a little differently.

Designer XI allows you to create Custom Work Functions names that your WMS recognizes, relate those Work Functions to core edits, and then associate them with CUs.

IMPORTANT: If you upgrade to a version that includes Custom Work Functions (first released at Version 11.3.2), you cannot roll back to a previous version.

When creating a Custom Work Function, you associate it with a “Behaves Like” function. These functions include the following:

Add
- If the end user changes GIS Attributes with this function, those changes are also sent back to the GIS when the user pushes the design.
Delete
Update
- If the end user changes GIS Attributes with this function, those changes are also sent back to the GIS when the user pushes the design.
- Choose Update if you are creating a gas Custom Work Function that is supposed to behave like Abandon.

In short, to configure Custom Work Functions, you:

Create the Custom Work Function
Add the Custom Work Function to CUs and Macro CUs
Add the Custom Work Function to the schema

Create the Custom Work Function

On the Catalog tab, click the Custom Work Functions subtab.
Along the left-hand side, click the New Work Function button.
Type a Display Name. These steps use “Insert Existing” as an example.
- This name is visible to users in the application.
- This name is added into the schema (steps are below).
- This name should relate to the Work Function name expected by your company’s WMS.
Use the Behaves Like drop-down to associate the Custom Work Function with the core edit. In the “Insert Existing” example, “Add” is the most appropriate option.

TIP: If creating a gas Custom Work Function that is supposed to behave like Abandon, choose Update from the drop-down.
Optionally, click Browse to add an image to act as the icon in the application for this Custom Work Function.
Click Save.

Add the Custom Work Function to CUs

Now that you have created the Custom Work Function, it is time to add it to the relevant CUs and Macro CUs.

IMPORTANT: Macro CUs have Available Work Functions, as do its Driving CU and Child CUs. You must ensure that the Driving CU’s and Child CUs’ Available Work Functions include at least all of the Available Work Functions that are in the Macro CU's Available Work Functions. For example, if the Macro CU has Install, Remove, Scrap, and Retire, then its Driving CU and Child CUs must have (at least) those four Available Work Functions.

The following steps add the Custom Work Function to a CU.

On the Catalog tab, click the Compatible Unit subtab.
Locate the CU, then click it once to highlight it.
By Available Work Functions, click the Edit button.
Click the Edit Available Work Function button.
Check the boxes next to the Work Functions you need to associate with this CU, then click Apply.
Confirm your selections. These steps continue using the “Insert Existing” example from before.
Click Save.

Add the Custom Work Function to the Schema

The final part of configuration is ensuring the schema knows about the Custom Work Functions. This configuration step has two main parts:

Ensure the WorkFunction field is mapped for the components that have the Custom Work Function (this step was likely completed during your implementation).
Add the new Custom Work Functions to the WorkFunction coded value domain.

Click the Catalog tab, then click the Electric or Gas GIS Schema subtab.
On the schema drop-down in the upper, left-hand corner, click Tables.
Along the left-hand side, locate the component type that is getting the Custom Work Function. Click it once to highlight it.
Under Fields, ensure WorkFunction is mapped. As stated above, this was likely completed during your implementation. However, if it is not present, add this row. See the Schema Editor topic for more information about working with the schema.

Geometric Network:

Utility Network:
On the schema drop-down in the upper, left-hand corner, click Coded Value Domains.
Many components have a WorkFunction domain. Locate the domain specific to the component that is getting the Custom Work Function. Click it once to highlight it.
Under Entries, click the Add button.
For the Designer Value, type the name of the Custom Work Function. This example uses “Insert Existing.”
For the Esri Name, choose the appropriate coded value that equates to the Custom Work Function. In this example, it is the same name, but it varies depending on your company’s GIS.
Click Save.
Continue to add Custom Work Functions to the Coded Value Domains, as needed.
When finished, click the Catalog Cache subtab.
If you are ready to test the new Custom Work Function, click Update Cache for all rows in your utility. This is step is required only if you are planning on opening up the Designer XI application and testing the new Custom Work Function.