Issue with FLOWDIRECTION being automatically added as network attribute to electric UN

Isaac_King

I am encountering some undesirable behavior using the electric essentials package (UNv7) with Pro 3.3.

This package includes FLOWDIRECTION as an OOTB attribute but NOT as a network attribute. Unfortunately, when I apply my asset package, this is being set as a network attribute in the resultant UN - and creating some terminal connection issues in secondary lines. 

I have deleted the attribute from my asset package and reapplied, and somehow the attribute reappears and is set as a network attribute again in a newly created UN. I am not able to delete the attribute from ElectricLine feature class because it is set as a network attribute.

I'm stuck in a very annoying loop here and hoping someone like @RobertKrisher or @MikeMillerGIS may have a suggestion for a fix.

Thanks!

RobertKrisher

Your problem is that you assumed that the transformer was going to be at the first vertex of the line when it is in fact at the last vertex of the line. It is 100% acceptable for the transformer to be at the last vertex of the line because the utility network doesn't rely on the digitized direction to control flow, and electrical networks don't rely on the digitized direction of lines to control flow/tracing. If we did, then you wouldn't be able to backfeed a circuit by opening a switch because all the medium voltage lines would be drawn in the wrong direction.

The flowdirection is unrelated to that error, and even if you were to deploy a v6 network without the attribute you would still have the error. The problem is that you have populated the fromdeviceterminal with the terminal id of the device at the todeviceterminal position of the line. Remember that fromdeviceterminal and todeviceterminal refer to the device at the first vertex (from device) and the last vertex (to device) of the line, and not related to the flow of the network (i.e. which device is upstream).