Create a connectivity association

There are two ways to connect features in a utility network: geometric coincident-based connectivity or connectivity associations. To obtain either type of connectivity, a rule must exist to support the relationship.

Connectivity associations are created using the Modify Associations pane, through Python, or with the Import Associations tool and can be used to connect the following:

• Two points that are not coincident (junction-junction)
• Two features with terminals (junction-junction)
• A junction object and a point (junction-junction)
• Two junction objects (junction-junction)
• A point and an edge object (junction-edge)
• A junction object and an edge object (junction-edge)
• An edge object and a midspan device, junction, or junction object (junction-edge midspan)
• An edge object and a line (edge-junction-edge)
• Two edge objects (edge-junction-edge)

Requirements

The network topology is enabled and a rule exists to support connectivity between the two selected features.

Create a connectivity association: junction-junction

Use the Modify Associations pane to connect two features through an association. If either feature has terminals, parameters in the pane allow you to specify which terminal or terminals to connect.

If a feature cannot participate in the desired association, it is not added to the pane.

1. Ensure that a utility network is available in an active map view and click the Utility Network tab.

   The Utility Network tab is activated.

2. In the Association group, click Modify .

   The Modify Associations pane is activated.

3. In the Modify Associations pane, select one of the features you want to establish a connectivity association between.
   1. Click the Add features tool and click one of the features on the map to populate the Active Item parameter in the pane.

      To select junction objects, use the Load selected tool to populate the Active Item parameter in the Modify Associations pane with selected rows from the attribute table.

      When the Active Item is populated, the Connectivity, Containment, and Attachment tabs appear with an indicator that communicates the number of associations the active item has for each type.

   2. Select the Connectivity tab to view the connectivity associations for the feature.
   3. If the feature has terminals, select a terminal from the Terminal drop-down menu to set the active terminal.

      Connections to the active terminal appear in black. Connectivity to other terminals on the feature are indicated by a lighter shade of gray.

4. In the Junction - Junction section of the pane, use the Add features tool to select other features on the map that will participate in the association.

   • For junction objects, use the Load selected tool to populate the table in the Junction - Junction section of the pane with selected rows.

   1. If a feature has terminals, select the appropriate terminal from the Terminal field in the section's table to connect.

   New features are added to the pane with a green indicator to designate the creation of an association.

5. Click Apply.

The specified features are connected using a connectivity association. Validate the network topology to reflect the change. Update the subnetwork if the feature was connected to one. Once the network topology is valid and the subnetwork has been updated, the appropriate traces can travel through these features.

Create a connectivity association: junction-edge

Use the Modify Associations pane to connect two features through an association. Junction-edge connectivity associations are used to establish connectivity between an edge object and a point or junction object. If either feature has terminals, the Terminal drop-down menu allows you to specify which terminal or terminals to connect.

If a feature cannot participate in the desired association, it is not added to the pane.

In this example, you are creating an edge-junction-edge connectivity association between an edge object and two junction objects.

1. On the Utility Network tab, in the Association group, click Modify .
2. In the Modify Associations pane, select one of the features you want to establish a connectivity association between.
   1. Select the appropriate records in the edge object attribute table.
   2. Click the Load selected tool to populate the Active Item parameter in the Modify Associations pane with the selected row from the edge object attribute table.

      The Active Item parameter can also be populated with a selected point or junction object to create an association with an edge object.

      When the Active Item is populated, the Connectivity tab appears.

   3. In the Junction - Edge section of the pane, click the Add selected tool to populate the table with the selected rows from the junction object attribute table.

      If a feature has terminals, a Terminal field is populated in the section's table. Select the appropriate terminal to connect.

   New features are added to the pane with a green indicator to designate the creation of an association.

3. Click Apply.

A connectivity association is established between the features. Validate the network topology to incorporate the new association or associations.

Create a connectivity association: junction-edge midspan

Use the Modify Associations pane to connect two features through an association. Junction-edge midspan connectivity associations are used to establish connectivity between an edge object and a device, junction, or junction object located midspan along the edge object.

If a feature cannot participate in the desired association, it is not added to the pane.

In this example, you are creating a junction-edge midspan connectivity association between an edge object and a junction object.

1. On the Utility Network tab, in the Association group, click Modify .
2. In the Modify Associations pane, select one of the features you want to establish a connectivity association between.
   1. Select the appropriate records in the edge object attribute table.
   2. Click the Load selected tool to populate the Active Item parameter in the Modify Associations pane with the selected row from the edge object attribute table.

      The Active Item parameter can also be populated with a selected device, junction, or junction object to create an association with an edge object.

      When the Active Item is populated, the Connectivity tab appears.

   3. In the Junction - Edge Midspan section of the pane, click the Add selected tool to populate the table with the selected rows from the junction object attribute table.
   4. For % Along, enter a decimal value to indicate the location of the feature along the edge object.
      The percent along parameter (% Along) accepts values between 0.0 and 1.0. This value is stored in the association to indicate the location of a midspan feature along a nonspatial edge object.

   New features are added to the pane with a green indicator to designate the creation of an association.

3. Click Apply.

A connectivity association is established between the features. Validate the network topology to incorporate the new association or associations.

Use Python scripting to create a connectivity association

Editors can use Python scripting to perform edit operations which include the creation of connectivity associations between features. To do this, you must first import arcpy and start an edit operation to run the AddConnectivityAssociation function.