Configuring parameters for an Associated Field schematic attribute

Prerequisite:

An Associated Field attribute can be configured on schematic feature classes for which the associated object class is specified. The values for this type of attribute are retrieved from a field stored in the feature class or table with which the schematic feature class is associated. Configuring Associated Field schematic attribute parameters consists of specifying that associated object class field. The steps below explain how to configure this field.

LegacyLegacy:

The new Associated Field attribute replaces the Dynamic and Static types of attributes in Schematics prior to 10. Static attributes were evaluated each time diagrams were generated/updated with previous versions of Schematics; when creating an Associated Field attribute with the On Generate/Update evaluation mode now within Schematics, the functions will be exactly the same as with a Static attribute. Associated Field attributes with the On Start Editing evaluation mode are also very near to the previous Dynamic attributes that were always reevaluated at the diagram's opening. But to have the exact equivalent in that case, you also need to configure your diagrams to be automatically loaded in memory at their opening.

To create any Associated Field schematic attribute, you must start with the steps detailed in the Creating attributes on a schematic feature class topic and choose Associated Field when specifying the attribute type at step 6. The steps below concern the specific Associated Field attribute configurations that are expected to be operative at step 7 in this topic.

When specifying Associated Field as the type for a new schematic attribute, the Properties tab appears as follows:

Sample Associated Field attribute - Properties tab content

You then have to configure the field in the associated object class whose values will define the attribute values:

Steps:
  1. Choose the field you want to return the attribute values from the Field drop-down list.

    The fields in the Field drop-down list correspond to all the fields in the feature class or table with which the schematic feature class to which the attribute applies is associated.

To specify an end point to any Associated Field schematic attribute you have created, set the parameters that are available in the Storage Mode and Evaluation Mode sections as explained in steps 8 to 11 in the Creating attributes on a schematic feature class topic.

CautionCaution:

Like any schematic attribute based on another attribute type, the Associated Field schematic attributes can directly be used to set the schematic feature symbology whatever their evaluation mode is. However, Associated Field schematic attributes cannot directly be used for labeling when its evaluation mode is On Refresh/Redraw. In that specific case, ArcMap labeling engines don't force the load of the associated field values by default, but you can force this loading when using the following advanced label expression:

Advanced expression to get labels based on an Associated Field schematic attribute with the On Redraw/refresh evaluation mode correcly display.

Input parameters:

  • [ATTR_AS_LABEL]: the schematic attribute you want to be used for labeling.
  • [PROPERTYSET], [DATASOURCEID], [UCID], and [UOID]: the schematic feature class fields that have to be loaded to keep the related associated field value up-to-date.

Note that [DATASOURCEID], [UCID], and [UOID] fields are available from the Fields list in the Label Expression dialog box and can be picked up from this list when building the following advanced expression. But since the [PROPERTYSET] field is not available from this list; you must directly type it in the expression box.

Function FindLabel([PROPERTYSET],[DATASOURCEID], [UCID], [UOID], [ATTR_AS_LABEL])
			FindLabel = [ATTR_AS_LABEL]
End Function


Published 6/7/2010