You can use the Add Diagram Feature Capability rule to add a specific capability to some network features or network objects represented in the diagram so they are processed in a certain way by other diagram rules executed later during the diagram building process.
Add Diagram Feature Capability rule process
Four capabilities are provided with the Add Diagram Feature Capability rule: Prevent to collapse parent, Allow to collapse parent, Prevent to reduce junction, and Allow to reduce junction.
This rule can be configured to assign one of these capabilities to specific diagram features during the diagram building process.
Prevent or allow parent container collapsing
When one of the Prevent to collapse parent or Allow to collapse parent capabilities is enabled on diagram features in a container, any Collapse Container rule that goes into action will consider the capability and determine whether to collapse the parent container.
The graphics below exemplify a use case when collapsing diagram features:
- Graphic A shows the sample diagram. It references five container features:
- Two switch banks—C1 and C2
- One fuse bank—C3
- One switchgear—C4
- One transformer bank—C5
These containers are all expanded and represented as diagram polygon containers around their contents.
Graphic A—All containers C1 through C5 are shown as expanded diagram polygon containers. - Graphic B highlights the switches in the sample diagram. They are contents of C1, C2, and C4 containers.
Graphic B—All switches in the diagram are shown as selected diagram features. - Graphic C shows the sample diagram obtained when the template is configured to collapse all containers.
Graphic C—Any containers are systematically collapsed. - Graphic D shows the sample diagram obtained when its template is configured with the Prevent to collapse container capability on all switches before collapsing all containers.
Graphic D—Containers are systematically collapsed except those containing switches.
Between the two templates used to produce graphics C and D, there is a difference in the rule definition. A Diagram Feature Capability rule is executed before the Collapse Containers rule.
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Prevent or allow junction reductions
When one of the Prevent to reduce junction or Allow to reduce junction capabilities is enabled on diagram junctions, any Reduce Junction rule that goes into action will consider the capability and determine whether to reduce the junction.
Using the Add Diagram Feature Capability By Attribute Rule tool in a diagram template model builder can simplify the reduce junction rule sequence configured on a diagram template.
For example, suppose that you want to reduce all junctions in your diagrams except switches. There are two ways to configure the diagram building—one way will not execute the Add Diagram Feature Capability rule and the other way will execute it.
Without using the Add Diagram Feature Capability By Attribute Rule tool, your model builder must iterate on two Reduce Junction rules; that is, it must be configured to chain four rules, as shown below:
- A Start Iteration rule (1)
- A Reduce Junction rule to reduce any junctions excluding those in the DistributionDevice source class (2)
- A Reduce Junction rule to reduce any distribution devices except switches (3)
- A Stop Iteration rule (4)
When using the Add Diagram Feature Capability By Attribute Rule tool, two rules only are needed:
- An Add Diagram Feature Capability rule to prevent switches from being reduced (1)
- A Reduce Junction rule to reduce any junctions regardless of their source class (2)
Configuring complex network diagram building thanks to Add Diagram Feature Capability rules
Configuring the Add Diagram Feature Capability rule at judicious positions in a diagram template rule sequence also allows you to finely prevent some features that exist at the time the rule executes to be collapsed, or some devices with specific characteristics to be reduced while devices with the same characteristics but introduced later in the diagram building process will be reduced.
For example, imagine you want to generate diagrams that will represent both the upstream and downstream trace result starting from a transformer bank or a distribution junction selected as input in the map. Then, you want to keep some interesting upstream junctions while reducing any downstream junctions as much as possible to mainly focus on service locations. In this case, the Add Diagram Feature Capability rule can be used multiple times, as shown in the diagram template model builder below.
- In the first part of this template model builder, you must focus on the transformer bank or distribution junction that the template expects as the input starting point for the upstream and downstream traces. To do so, you can set up the model as follows:
- Add Remove Feature rules to remove any network features that could be selected as input but is not a transformer bank nor a distribution junction tied to the tier you want to trace.
- Set up Add Diagram Feature Capability rules to prevent the transformer bank parent container (1) or the distribution junction parent container (2) to collapse.
- Flag the input transformer bank or distribution junction as the starting point for the trace rules that will be executed in the next phases.
- The second part of the template model builder concerns the trace rules.
- Begin with an upstream trace that will be executed from the specified starting point.
- Flag the upstream subnetwork controller returned by the upstream trace as the root junction for the tree layout that will be executed at the end of the network diagram building process
- Set up an Add Diagram Feature Capability rules (3) to prevent the upstream subnetwork controller parent container to collapse.
- Set up an Add Diagram Feature Capability rules (4) to prevent any upstream devices such as switches, fuses, transformers, circuit breakers, and the subnetwork controller to be reduced.
- Set up an Add Diagram Feature Capability rules (5) to prevent any upstream junctions such as connection points to be reduced.
- Execute the downstream trace. It will execute from the same starting point as the upstream trace.
- During the last phase, you set up the diagram rules that will simplify the network diagram graph and lay it out:
- Add a Collapse Container rule to collapse any containers.
- Set up an Add Diagram Feature Capability rules (6) to prevent any service location devices to be reduced.
- Add a Reduce Junction rule to reduce any diagram junction regardless of its related network source class.
- Run a Smart Tree layout from top to bottom.
The following screenshot shows some sample network diagrams based on a diagram template configured, thanks to the template model builder explained above. The transformer bank used as input for each network diagram generation displays with a blue label showing its Facility ID:
Add Diagram Feature Capability rule configuration
To configure an Add Diagram Feature Capability rule on a template, use the Add Diagram Feature Capability By Attribute Rule tool.