Feature Attributes

Attribute data, also called text data, describes what the feature is like-such as its size, type, manufacturer, serial number, and other physical characteristics.

Certain attributes are usually shared by many feature types (such as ID, Name, Life-Cycle Status, Installation Date); other properties may be feature-specific (Account Number, for example, might be relevant only for the Customer feature). Each feature is usually defined by a set of basic attributes that are mandatory and a number of others that are optional. Companies may include an optional attribute in a feature definition to meet their long-range analysis and recordkeeping objectives (such as Inspection Date for a Pole feature).

Each feature in the Features Catalog is defined with a set of default attribute values that will accompany the feature when you select it in the catalog and assign it to a work location. These defaults derive from the feature definition of the current job default.

Feature Geometry

The geometry of a feature indicates where the thing is-for example, its absolute location (i.e., its coordinates), its relative location (distance from another feature), and its proximity to a group of features. Its geometry also determines its display location (e.g., offset angle and offset distance) and directional position (in the case of flows, for example).

Each feature in the Features Catalog is defined with a set of default geometry settings that will be applied to a GIS design when you select the feature in the catalog and assign it to a work location. These defaults derive from the feature definition of the current job default.

Feature Topology

When features are associated to form networks and other complex structures, geometry data can be used to support a topological model. With topological data, Bentley OpenUtilities Designer can determine proper connectivity between facilities, recommend optimum facility siting, and analyze system capacity and performance (including flow analysis). A company's topological model is implemented by setting up business rules for various features.

Certain features in the Features Catalog may be associated with a default placement rules if your company has configured sets of rules. If one or more of these rules are enabled, they will be applied when you select the feature in the catalog and assign it to a work location. These settings derive from the feature definition of the current job default.

Tappable Features

To ensure valid connectivity in network modeling, Bentley OpenUtilities Designer requires a feature to be "tappable" if you select it as the takeoff point for a new branch of the distribution system. Features are designated as tappable during configuration. With most data models, it is customary to designate primary and secondary conductors, transformers, and gas mains as tappable features.

Features that feed network segments must be classified as tappable so that Bentley OpenUtilities Designer can apply the selected path type during GIS trail construction (see Path Requirements). Only placeable features can be configured as tappable, since they must be visible in the GIS to be selected as takeoff facilities.

Splitting and Non-Splitting Features

Some data models require support for superspans-a span-type work location that has one or more point-type work locations along its length. With superspans, features assigned to work locations on the span are connected upstream and downstream to the span. In some data models, superspans are never broken; in others, they are broken only when certain features are assigned to the span (i.e., "selective splitting").

Bentley OpenUtilities Designer handles selective splitting by distinguishing between "splitting" features and "non-splitting" features. Splitting features will break any span-type feature or work location at the point where the splitting feature is placed. Non-splitting features will not cause a split, keeping the superspan intact.

This aspect of a feature's behavior is determined by configuring the feature type as Splitting or Non-Splitting. A feature's splitting behavior may also be based upon the value of a particular feature attribute. For example, a Fitting feature might be configured to observe non-splitting behavior whenever the Type attribute of the assigned feature has "Coupling" as its value. Only one attribute may be used to determine whether the feature will cause a split. Once a feature has been configured as a Splitting feature, it will cause a split with all span features and span-type work locations. That is, the Splitting feature cannot be configured to split one span feature (e.g., Main) and not another (e.g., Service). Any Non-Splitting feature can be reconfigured as a Splitting feature, and vice versa. These updates will have no effect on existing design data.

Configuration of feature types is carried out with the Configuration Assistant (see the separate Administrator's Guide) or with Bentley Systems, Inc.'s data-loading utilities.

For information about paths used with superspans, see Understanding Path Types.

Compound Features

A compound or composite feature is an aggregation of features that can be manipulated as one object. In a compound feature, one object is considered to be the "parent" while the other features are "children." For example, the parent feature OH Primary Conductor might consist of two child features: OH Primary Neutral and OH Primary Wire.

Compound features, which can be thought of as an encapsulation or as just another type of relationship between features, are established during configuration. Compound features not only express real-world relationships conveniently but also simplify design work. Since the child features can automatically inherit attributes shared with the parent, this set of attribute values has to be specified only for the parent. (In some cases, child features are configured to drive certain attributes of their parent feature.)

Default attribute values for compound features, as with simple features, are set with the Placement Defaults dialog box (see Using Placement Defaults).

Linked Attributes between Features

Certain feature attributes can be configured with a link to shared or related attributes of connected facilities. When an attribute is linked between two or more features, editing the attribute value of one feature will either automatically update the linked values of other features or allow you selectively update particular features simultaneously. The behavior of the update operation will depend on the type of attribute link and whether you are editing a feature type or an assigned feature.

This functionality is particularly relevant to Electric Optimization as the recommendations, if accepted, are likely to update linked attributes.

Attributes can be linked in one of two ways:

Keep in mind that attribute links will not be automatically updated when new objects are placed in a design. They will be updated only when you edit placed features with links to unrelated features and then approve the update. This means that it is possible to place a new feature in such a way that the default attribute settings will disagree with attributes of existing features in the design that are linked to the defaults.

Furthermore, the linked attribute functionality applies only to links from the edited object to objects at the same work location and to objects at any immediate upstream or downstream work locations. In other words, the system will not follow links more than one work location away from the edited object. This means, for example, that linking from a point object to a span object will update only the spans immediately connected to the point. This will not result in an update of all connected spans in the design.

A special icon designates linked attributes. On the Attributes page of the Placement Defaults dialog box, the icon shows linked attributes for parent-child features only (i.e., compound features). In the Feature Editor, the Linked Attribute icon also indicates the "from-to" direction in which the linked attribute is propagated to linked features. An upward-pointing arrow indicates that the value is propagated from another feature, so a change to this value is restricted to the current feature and does not affect the linked feature. When you change this type of linked value, the Design Assistant warns you that the change will result in mismatched values between linked features.

A downward-pointing arrow indicates that this linked attribute is configured to propagate the values of other features. Changing this type of linked value launches the Linked Attribute Value dialog box , which displays the linked features that are configured to be propagated by the selected feature and that are available for updating (i.e., they are assigned to this work location or to the work location immediately upstream or downstream). Selecting one or more of the displayed links allows you to update linked attributes in one step.

Icons for linked attributes (Feature Editor)

Linked Attribute Change dialog box