Introduction to diagram templates

When you generate a diagram, you choose a template on which your diagram will be based. The diagram template contains the definitions of the diagram rules, layouts, and layer. In other words, it contains the configuration properties that define the content (rule and layout definitions) and presentation (diagram layer definition) of network diagrams that will be generated.

The three diagram templates included in a utility network or trace network are as follows:

• Basic—This is the default template used to generate diagrams. Use this template to generate basic diagrams from the network elements currently selected in your map. A diagram feature is created for each selected network elements. Any content features or objects represented in the diagram receive a diagram feature to represent the container.
• ExpandContainers—Use this template to generate diagrams with expanded containers represented by diagram polygon containers.
• CollapseContainers—Use this template to generate diagrams with collapsed containers represented by collapsed diagram junctions and collapsed diagram edges. A single diagram line or point feature represents a container and its set of content.

These three diagram templates are generic; their definitions are not specific to any network domain, and they do not process particular network elements. These are provided to allow you to gain familiarity with network diagrams by generating simple diagrams, but have limited scope. Network Diagram's added value can be measured when adding diagram templates that allow the automatic tracing of the network, which is rerun at each diagram update, or producing diagrams that show a simplified network graph.

To produce network diagrams that will highlight your network specifics, simplify your daily work, and facilitate decision-making, you can create your own diagram templates and consider the diagram rules that need to be chained to build them. The rules in the diagram templates installed by default with a utility network or trace network are detailed in the next sections.

Installed diagram template definitions

The three out-of-the-box diagram templates can be re-created if needed. The sections below detail the rules that must be chained together to re-create each diagram template.

Basic diagram template definitions

To create a diagram template similar to the Basic template, the following geoprocessing tools must be chained together in the order shown:

• Add Diagram Template with the Diagram Template Name of your choice.
• Alter Diagram Template with Keep initial vertices on edges and Enable to extend diagram checked.
• Add Connectivity Associations Rule with its default settings.
• Add Structural Attachments Rule with its default settings.

ExpandContainers diagram template definitions

To re-create the ExpandContainers diagram template, the following geoprocessing tools must be set up and run in the order shown:

• Add Diagram Template with the Diagram Template Name of your choice.
• Alter Diagram Template with Keep initial vertices on edges checked.
• Add Expand Container Rule with its default settings.
• Add Connectivity Associations Rule with its default settings.
• Add Structural Attachments Rule with its default settings.

CollapseContainers diagram template definitions

To re-create the CollapseContainers diagram template, the following geoprocessing tools must be set up and run in the order shown:

• Add Diagram Template with the Diagram Template Name of your choice.
• Alter Diagram Template with Keep initial vertices on edges checked.
• Add Expand Container Rule with Container Type = Junctions only; the other parameter default values being kept.
• Add Connectivity Associations Rule with its default settings.
• Add Collapse Container Rule with its default settings
• Add Structural Attachments Rule with its default settings.

Diagram templates available for a network and their properties

To review the existing diagram templates for a given network and view their main settings, you can run the following workflow:

1. In the Catalog pane, depending on whether you are working with a geodatabase or a service, do one of the following:
   • Expand your database item and locate and right-click the utility network or trace network data element.
   • Click the Portal tab and locate and right-click the utility network feature layer.
2. Click Properties.
3. On the network properties dialog box that appears, click the Network Diagrams tab and expand the Diagram Templates section at the bottom to access the list of existing diagram templates. For each template, you also have the following information:
   • Name—The diagram template name
   • Created Time—The template creation date
   • Last Modified Time—The last time the template was modified
   • Diagram Storage—Whether the template allows diagrams to be stored
   • Is System—Whether the template is set as a diagram template for subnetwork tiers
   • Extend Diagram—Whether the template enables diagrams to be extended
   • Description—The template description

Note:

Most of these properties can be edited using the Alter Diagram Template tool.