I will  introduce the new CIM-based product-level integration of ArcFM and Telvent DMS provided by Network Adapter 10.0.3.   I will discuss how the integration framework supports variations in GIS and DMS data models, as well as alternative sources and targets for synchronization.   We will top off the session exploring the role of GIS-DMS integration in the plant alterations workflow that is critical to the utility business.  Hope to see you there!

ArcFM, DMS, and Standards-Based Integration: Enabling the Smart Grid

Wednesday, February 29, at 10:40 am, in River Birch A.

Try out our new tools to build up a pole and see if it can withstand the forces of conductors and cables.  You can also test drive our terrain tools, update the elevation and add new buildings and clearance requirements.  When it’s all done, switch to 3D mode and fly around each structure to see the work you’ve done.  And of course, tell us what you think of the new tool.  If you’re interested in learning more, come to my Overhead Design Analysis session on Thursday where I’ll provide a deep dive into the development of this new tool and it’s overall capabilities.

A few of the sessions you can attend to talk with me specifically about ArcFM are as follows:

• Feeder Manager what’s next – Day 2
• ArcFM Feedback – Day 2
• Feeder Manager what’s next (repeat) – Day 3
• Managing Your CP systems with ArcFM – Day 3

One of the most exciting things you’ll hear about at this year’s TUG is our next version of Feeder Manager. The improved performance of this new solution is incredible and I look forward to demoing it for you this year along with John Bennett and Shawn Kendrot!

Another exciting new tool that I’ll have a chance to present on is our new CP toolset that’s included in ArcFM 10.0.3. See my previous blog post for more details. This first release of our new gas tools does a great job of helping you to protect and analyze your valuable infrastructure!

We’ll also have a chance to discuss ArcFM and what we’ve accomplished in 2011 and where we see the product going in the future. I hope you’ll be able to attend this session to give us your thoughts and feedback and to help us build a better product moving forward!

I hope to see you there!

Matthew Crooks

ArcFM Product Owner

Matthew.Crooks@telvent.com

To get more information about Education Services, details regarding our core curriculum courses, or specifics on custom training and our Train the Trainer options, simply visit our web site.

Download the 2012 calendar.

JANUARY

1/9 to 1/13: Working with ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

1/24 to 1/26: Working with Responder

FEBRUARY

2/7 to 2/9: Working with Fiber Manager

2/20 to 2/21: Accelerated ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

2/22 to 2/24: Configuring ArcFM

MARCH

3/5 to 3/9: Customizing ArcFM

3/19 to 3/22: Working with Designer

3/23: Working with Conduit Manager

APRIL

4/16 to 4/20: Working with ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

4/24 to 4/26: Working with Responder

MAY

5/8 to 5/10: Working with Fiber Manager

5/21 to 5/22: Accelerated ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

5/23 to 5/25: Configuring ArcFM

JUNE

6/4 to 6/8: Customizing ArcFM

6/18 to 6/21: Working with Designer

6/22: Working with Conduit Manager

JULY

7/16 to 7/20: Working with ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

7/24 to 7/26: Working with Responder

AUGUST

8/7 to 8/9: Working with Fiber Manager

8/20 to 8/21: Accelerated ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

8/22 to 8/24: Configuring ArcFM

SEPTEMBER

9/10 to 9/14: Customizing ArcFM

9/24 to 9/27: Working with Designer

9/28: Working with Conduit Manager

OCTOBER

10/15 to 10/19: Working with ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

10/23 to 10/25: Working with Responder

NOVEMBER

11/6 to 11/8: Working with Fiber Manager

11/12 to 11/13: Accelerated ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

11/14 to 11/15: Configuring ArcFM

DECEMBER

12/3 to 12/7: Working with ArcFM- Electric, Gas, Water

12/11 to 12/14: Working with Designer

In ArcFM 10.0.3 there are new tools to help you manage, modify, and track the status of your cathodic protection systems. The automatic configuration discovers and defines existing CP systems, and identifies unprotected network features. The new desktop tool lets you create, view and edit CP system data via a simple interface. Use it to spot your network’s weak points and gauge the health of valuable infrastructure.

What’s the user interface look like?

A simple and intuitive user interface displays a list of all of your cathodic protection systems. CP System information such as length, surface area, number of rectifiers, anodes and test points is calculated and displayed automatically. Other features like a search bar and a filtering option keep the list of CP Systems manageable so it’s easy to locate and view the anything in the network.

What about when I make edits?

Edits that are made to the geometric network that affect a particular CP System (e.g. adding an insulator, extending a distribution main for a new subdivision, etc.) automatically flag the affected CP System in the UI. This feature helps to maintain the CP network and gauge whether valuable infrastructure is adequately protected.

A visual representation of each CP System is available to help identify and visualize the features that encompass the system.

Can I track test data?

Important test data can be graphed automatically within the tool to perform analysis and to identify data trends over time.

As mentioned above, these Cathodic Protection Management tools are available in ArcFM 10.0.3. For more detailed information visit the What’s New in ArcFM 10.0.3 post here on ArcFMBuzz!

If you have any comments or suggestions on the new tools please don’t hesitate to contact me at Matthew.Crooks@telvent.com.

Also for your reference are the session slides and a download version (.mp4 file, 74MB) of the recording. Please direct any questions or feedback to Todd Moran, Manager of Education Services at todd.moran@telvent.com

The new Delete Archive Records Tool allows you to delete incidents, calls and/or loadpoints from Archive Explorer. Mass Edit Archive Loadpoints and Calls allows you to mass edit loadpoints and calls to quickly change some common fields like Time of Outage or Time Restored. This can also be used to re-assign responsible device or move calls to a different incident.

For a complete list of everything we stuffed into 10.0.3, see the What’s New in 10.0.3 page on the ArcFM Solution Resource Center.

The ArcFM team unleashed brand new tools to manage cathodic protection systems, including automatic CP system discovery and status monitoring to spot weak points and gauge the health of valuable infrastructure.

Among extensive changes to the Compatible Unit library structure, the Designer group delivered the CU Filter. Use it to quickly navigate your CU library via configurable filters.

Fiber Manager’s new Trace, Place, Connect tool accommodates a huge variety of Air Blown Fiber and multiplexing scenarios via the trace-based placement of favorites and automatic connection creation.

Network Adapter for CIM now supports exports of network feeders from an ArcFM geodatabase to CIM XML, which can be imported by Telvent DMS v3.2. The CIM export includes a Class/Field Mapping framework to support transformation of any GIS data model to any CIM profile.

For a complete list of everything we stuffed into 10.0.3, see the What’s New in 10.0.3 page on the ArcFM Solution Resource Center.

The new ArcFM for Silverlight Configuration Tool now simplifies the maintenance of relationships between map services and layer IDs and offers a simple user interface for administering the page.config file. You can download this stand-alone tool from the Tools section of the ArcFM Solution Resource Center.

Evaluate

• To develop a Silverlight for Server application, you need to verify/decide which version of Silverlight your ArcFM Server Silverlight Viewer is based upon and plan accordingly.
• What version is your ArcGIS / ArcFM platform?
• What features are offered vs age/stability of a version is a big consideration for many clients.
• Will it support the ArcGIS / ArcFM Server applications you wish to use?
• Do you have any other Silverlight applications in-house? If so, what versions of Silverlight are they based on?

Plan ahead

• Understand what tools you need in the app, and what you want.
• Make sure that functionality is available in server, and know what bugs may exist in ArcGIS and ArcFM Server that may affect that functionality.
• View the sample application in the ArcFM Solution Resource Center http://server.arcfmsolution.com/silverlight/sampleviewer/
• Review the Interactive samples for ArcFM Server and their code behind to easily evaluate tool options for the functionality – http://server.arcfmsolution.com/
• Make use of existing code behinds with ArcFM / ArcGIS – don’t recreate the wheel if you do not have to.
• Is one all-encompassing application viable, or would smaller more focused applications work better? i.e. gas-specific, electric-specific, etc.
• Understand any workflow which the Server application will be a part of.
• What are the requirements for this workflow?
• Is a web application the best solution for those requirements?
• Can the requirements be modified to fit a web application?
• With the advent of new technology, some workflows may need to be re-evaluated.
• Understand the quantity of users which will be using the Server application
• Can the existing hardware (or the hardware you plan to purchase) support the users you are anticipating?
• You may wish to consider the number of users you believe will be using Server in the near and distant future and plan on hardware to support those users as well, or at least hardware that is easily upgraded.

Prioritize

• Know what tools you need in the app, and what you want.
• What tools need to be available on the application to make it productive and useful on go live and what tools may be added later.
• Server is a very fluid application, and it is relatively easy to get new functionality to the end users.

In-house Developer and/or Contractor

• Do you have in-house resources to support the building of the initial application?
• If you bring someone in for the initial application, once it is built do you have in-house resources to maintain and/or update the functionality?
• Do you have an in-house resource willing to train for the opportunity to support the Server application?
• If you decide to contract a developer, ensure that any knowledge transfer occurs to someone on the business side (document, document, document).
• From the business side to the contractor – ensure the prioritized tools are built correctly.
• From the contractor to the business – ensure that once they have completed the build, an in-house resource can pick up with maintenance, if that is the plan.

Resources to help with above considerations

Microsoft Resources:

Silverlight Community – http://silverlight.net/

Silverlight Developer Center – http://msdn.microsoft.com/silverlight

Free IDE to create Silverlight Apps – Visual Web Developer Express – http://www.microsoft.com/express/Web/

Esri Resources:

ArcGIS Server Resource Center – http://resources.esri.com/arcgisserver/apis/silverlight

ArcGIS Resource Center, ArcGIS Server Blog – http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/silverlightwpf/default.aspx

Sites with Web mapping applications to see how organizations are bringing maps and geography to everyone – http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgisserver/live-user-sites.html

Book – Building a GIS: System Architecture Design Strategies for Managers by Dave Peters – (A good Server Application relies on a solid GIS foundation) – http://esripress.esri.com/display/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&websiteID=141&moduleID=0

ArcFM Resources:

ArcFM Support Forum – http://telvent-gis.com/support/forums

ArcFM Resource Center – includes interactive samples and the code behind for easy retrieval and use – http://resources.arcfmsolution.com

ArcFM Buzz – www.ArcFMBuzz.com