topic Re: Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks! in ArcGIS Network Analyst Questions

Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

JamalNUMAN — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:52:14 GMT

Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

I'm not sure about the critical difference between:

I) path tasks:

1.Find path upstream
2. Find path

II) upstream tasks:

1. Find path upstream
2. Find upstream accumulation
3. Trace upstream

III) Trace and Find:

1. Trace upstream
2. Find path upstream

thank you in advance,

regards

Jamal

Re: Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

RobertBorchert — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:32:06 GMT

I) path tasks:

1.Find path upstream You place a flag and it finds the direct path to the SOURCE using weights
2. Find path You place two flags and it finds the direct path between the two flags using weights

II) upstream tasks: FIND Paths will use any weights you have built into your Geometric Network. Trace will simply find the most direct route.

1. Find path upstream
2. Find upstream accumulation
3. Trace upstream

III) Trace and Find: Same answer. Trace finds the most direct route, FIND uses the path of least resistance.

1. Trace upstream
2. Find path upstream

Re: Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

JamalNUMAN — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:47:33 GMT

I) path tasks:

1.Find path upstream You place a flag and it finds the direct path to the SOURCE using weights
2. Find path You place two flags and it finds the direct path between the two flags using weights

II) upstream tasks: FIND Paths will use any weights you have built into your Geometric Network. Trace will simply find the most direct route.

1. Find path upstream
2. Find upstream accumulation
3. Trace upstream

III) Trace and Find: Same answer. Trace finds the most direct route, FIND uses the path of least resistance.

1. Trace upstream
2. Find path upstream

Many thanks Robert. this really helps

I'm not sure if I'm right when i say that the whole idea behind the geometric network and then the "Utility network analyst" is just to have 3 main tasks:

- up/downstream
- connected/disconnected
- loops

is that all the power that the "Utility network analyst" has?
does this satisfy all the needs of the end-user?
even with the add-in features, they are not of that super power!

regards

Jamal

Re: Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

RobertBorchert — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:00:50 GMT

I suppose it depends on how you are going to use the GM. I work for an electric utility. for us it is essential that we have things linked together correctly from Substation to Meter. We use it to make sure the are no loops, (meaning a short circuit where the electricity loops back on itself).

We need 100% connectivity in order to export features to WindMil for load management purposes. If you wish to use the GM for routing you need it intact.

Also, we use it for analysis in load management to determine how many miles of conductor we have of each phase. we can use it to determine the number and size of transformers on a particular section of line. Also it can be used as a basic outage management tool. You place a flag on each customer that calls in an outage and do Find Common ancestors and have it only search for sectionalizing devices.

If you have built yours with weights you can use find upstream accumulation to determine the resistance to the destination

I) path tasks:

1.Find path upstream You place a flag and it finds the direct path to the SOURCE using weights
2. Find path You place two flags and it finds the direct path between the two flags using weights

II) upstream tasks: FIND Paths will use any weights you have built into your Geometric Network. Trace will simply find the most direct route.

1. Find path upstream
2. Find upstream accumulation
3. Trace upstream

III) Trace and Find: Same answer. Trace finds the most direct route, FIND uses the path of least resistance.

1. Trace upstream
2. Find path upstream

Re: Utility Network analyst: Similar tasks!

JamalNUMAN — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:41:28 GMT

I suppose it depends on how you are going to use the GM. I work for an electric utility. for us it is essential that we have things linked together correctly from Substation to Meter. We use it to make sure the are no loops, (meaning a short circuit where the electricity loops back on itself).

We need 100% connectivity in order to export features to WindMil for load management purposes. If you wish to use the GM for routing you need it intact.

Also, we use it for analysis in load management to determine how many miles of conductor we have of each phase. we can use it to determine the number and size of transformers on a particular section of line. Also it can be used as a basic outage management tool. You place a flag on each customer that calls in an outage and do Find Common ancestors and have it only search for sectionalizing devices.

If you have built yours with weights you can use find upstream accumulation to determine the resistance to the destination

Thank you Robert for the elaboration. this is quite useful.

I got from your notes the power of using the "Weight" in the analysis.

1) i tried to create a weight to represent the length of the pipes such that the cost can indicate the distance from the flag to the source but sounds to not work properly!

2) why we have two weights (along/against the digitized direction) for the edge considering that the flow is one-direction based?

3) if your time permits, please, consider the attached screenshots and a sample of my database, how can i create a weight to reflects and calculates the length of the pipe from a flag to the source?

appreciated,

Jamal