What's new in ArcGIS Schematics 10.1?

ArcGIS Schematics is an extension available with ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Engine for Windows, ArcGIS Engine for Linux, and ArcGIS for Server:

  • The scope of ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop and Engine functionality is generally similar to what was available in ArcGIS 10.0. However, there have been general improvements in stability and performance.
  • The major change for Schematics at 10.1 is the new Schematics Server Object Extension.

Schematics Server Object Extension

Schematics Server Object Extension allows you to publish the schematic content you create on ArcGIS for Desktop to ArcGIS for Server and expose that content on the web in client web applications using the ArcGIS web APIs. It allows you to display, create, update, and lay out schematic diagrams in supported client applications.

Learn more about the Schematics Server Object Extension

General changes

Building schematic diagrams from network dataset elements

In Schematics versions prior to 10.1, when working with data organized into a network dataset, you could configure diagram templates to work with the Network Dataset builder and generate schematic diagrams from any network analysis layer containing a performed Route, Closest Facility, Service Area, or Vehicle Routing Problem network analysis. This was the only way to generate schematic diagrams from network dataset data. In 10.1, the Standard builder has been enhanced to allow you to generate diagrams from selected sets of network dataset elements.

Learn more about schematic diagrams from selected sets of network dataset elements

Learn more about schematic diagrams from network analysis layers

Appending new features to diagrams based on the Standard builder without a full synchronization of the whole diagram content

Prior to Schematics 10.1, when using the Update Diagram command to append new features to a diagram based on the Standard builder, the whole diagram content was always fully synchronized regarding the geodatabase. A full synchronization ensures that the entire diagram content is in complete coherence with the current state of all the GIS features associated with the schematic features contained in the diagram, but it is time-consuming, in particular on diagrams containing a very large number of features. Also, such a full synchronization may be unnecessary when you know that the network features associated with the schematic features in your diagram didn't change and you simply want to append new features to it. In 10.1, the full synchronization is no longer automatic and becomes optional when appending new features to a diagram. By default, the process now executes a partial synchronization of your diagram content regarding the geodatabase content, which only impacts the diagram's part where the features are appended.

Learn more updating a diagram by appending new features to it

Schematic diagrams layout

  • A new schematic layout algorithm has been added called Relative Main Line. This algorithm arranges the schematic nodes and links in the active schematic along parallel straight lines for which all the connected links have the same attribute value and places the branches coming from those lines, preserving both their directions with regard to the straight lines and distances proportional to the initial distances and relative to each other. This algorithm can be applied to any kind of data but is particularly interesting to use on diagrams containing lines that are parallel, such as those representing rail tracks.

    Learn more about the new Relative Main Line layout algorithm

  • Schematic layout algorithms now try to keep the diagram extent as close as possible to its extent before the algorithm execution, when they run with relative parameters.

Searching for schematic diagrams

The Find Related Diagrams command is now called Find Diagrams. This command still can be used to search for diagrams that contain schematic features associated with the geographic features currently selected in the map or with the schematic features currently selected in the active diagram. However, it has been enhanced to also allow searching for diagrams where schematic features have been removed or added during their last update.

Learn more about the new Find Related Diagrams command

Miscellaneous

  • In the previous version, when the update or generation of a schematic diagram failed, you had no explicit messages to help you understand why and where the process failed. At 10.1, error messages are now better managed and more explicit.
  • Schematic objects geometry is now better managed for containers and links without initial geometry, nodes without initial coordinates, and so on.
  • In prior versions, a join could be configured on feature layers that compose a schematic diagram layer. But joined feature layers were not always working properly—in particular, when starting an edit session on the schematic diagrams. They are now managed in a better way.