Preparing pre-10 schematic datasets

Schematic elements are now schematic features stored in feature classes. This implies that a spatial reference and a geometry type are required to create the feature classes into which pre-10 schematic elements are going to be migrated.

Spatial reference

For element classes that are associated with a feature class, the spatial reference will be the same as their associated feature class.

For an element class that is not associated with a feature class, the spatial reference will be determined in the following way:

1. In the diagram classes that are associated with this element class, another element class associated with a feature class is searched to reuse the same spatial reference.
2. If no such element class is found, the default spatial reference of the schematic dataset is used.

For this reason, it is recommended that you set a default spatial reference on the pre-10 schematic dataset before migrating. This can be done under ArcCatalog by right-clicking the schematic dataset and selecting Properties to edit the spatial reference.

The spatial reference of a diagram class will be the spatial reference of its first associated element class or the default spatial reference of the schematic dataset if there is no associated element class.

Specifying the schematic feature class spatial referenceSpecifying the schematic diagram template spatial reference

Geometry type

By default, nodes and nodes on link are migrated into feature classes with a geometry type Point, drawings are migrated into features classes with a geometry type Polygon, and links and sublinks are migrated into features classes with a geometry type Polyline.

Node element classes that are containers are expected to be represented by polygons or polylines. To correctly visualize containers in schematic diagrams stored in pre-10 schematic datasets with this current version of ArcMap or ArcCatalog, the related element classes must be marked as containers. Such a configuration is not a pre-requisite for the migration of the schematic dataset, but if it is already done, each node element class marked as containers will be migrated with a Polygon geometry, by default. In all cases, when configuring the migration parameters, a specific dialog box will allow you to change the default geometry type for any node and drawing element class to migrate if needed.

Learn more about how to mark node element class as containers in pre-10 schematic dataset.