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Authoring schematic layers

As for all map services, creating a schematics service begins inside ArcMap. You must create a map document that contains schematic layers related to the schematic diagrams you want to use in your service.

A schematic layer is a composite layer composed of feature layers based on the schematic feature classes associated with a schematic diagram template. Each schematic layer can reference one of the following:

  • A schematic diagram
  • A schematic diagram template

When publishing a map with a schematic layer that references a single schematic diagram, this schematic diagram will be available through the web service.

When publishing a map with a schematic layer that references a schematic diagram template, all the schematic diagrams based on that diagram template that already exist in the schematic dataset—such as those based on this diagram template which will be built afterwards—will be available on your GIS server. In that case, if the schematic diagram template comes from a registered enterprise geodatabase and you publish the map with the Schematics Editing capability enabled, you will be able to generate new schematic diagrams based on this template from your client web applications.

When you author your map with the desired schematic diagrams, you can author one of the following:

  • A finite set of unitary schematic diagrams—that is, you will have a schematic layer per schematic diagram through your GIS server
  • A set of schematic diagram templates—that is, you will have a schematic layer per schematic diagram template through your GIS server, each one allowing you access to all the existing and future schematic diagrams based on a template
  • Both a finite set of unitary schematic diagrams and schematic diagram templates
Caution:

When authoring a schematics map for packaging or publishing, the schematic layers referenced in the map must share the same schematic dataset. Schematic layers packaging and publishing don't support multiple schematic datasets in the same map.

Caution:

If you want your schematics service to be used for querying, viewing diagrams, and applying schematic layout algorithms without saving the layout results, the schematic layers you add to your map can reference schematic data stored in any type of geodatabase—file or enterprise geodatabases.

However, if you want your schematics service to be used for saving schematic diagram layouts, generating new diagrams, or updating diagrams, the schematic layers you add to your map must reference data stored in an enterprise geodatabase and this enterprise geodatabase must be registered with the server. Schematic layers that reference data stored in a file geodatabase are not supported for editing operations.

The following section details the steps to author your map with the desired schematic diagrams:

  1. Start ArcMap with a new empty map.
  2. Click Windows on the main menu and click Catalog.

    The Catalog window opens.

  3. Navigate to the schematic dataset where the schematic diagrams with which you want to work are stored.
  4. To provide access to a particular schematic diagram through a web service, do the following:
    1. Drag the desired schematic diagram on the Catalog window.
    2. Drop it on the map document.

      A schematic layer for this schematic diagram is created in the map document.

    3. Repeat substeps a and b for each desired schematic diagram.
    Tip:

    If the schematic diagrams in which you are interested are all stored in a schematic folder, drag and drop this schematic folder on the map document. A schematic layer for each schematic diagram stored in this folder will be automatically created in the map document.

  5. To provide access to all existing and future schematic diagrams related to a particular diagram template through a web service, and have the ability to generate new schematic diagrams based on this template on the web, do the following:
    1. Right-click the schematic dataset entry in the Catalog window and click Show/Hide Schematic Classes.

      New main branches, one per schematic diagram template in the schematic dataset, automatically appear in the Catalog tree.

    2. Drag the entry corresponding to the schematic diagram template in which you are interested.
    3. Drop it on the map document.

      A schematic layer referencing all the schematic diagrams related to the diagram template is automatically created in the map document.

      Note:

      A schematic diagram template can be dragged and dropped in the map even if no diagram on which it is based already exists.

    4. Repeat substeps a and b for each desired schematic diagram template.
    Tip:

    To provide access to all the existing and future schematic diagrams related to a schematic dataset, and have the ability to generate any kind of diagrams through a web service, you can also drag the schematic dataset from the Catalog window and drop it on the map. A schematic layer for each diagram template in the schematic dataset will be automatically created in the map document.

  6. Save the map.
Caution:

When authoring your schematics map, nothing prevents you from editing the feature layers related to your schematic layers, and creating joins, changing the symbology, and so on, before publishing it. Then when consuming this Schematics map service, the schematic diagrams under this service will display with your layer properties' customization until you start an edit session on those diagrams. To keep the layer properties' customization on your diagrams after starting an edit session on the client, you must save the customized schematic layer properties as a layer file and import this .lyr file as the default symbology for the related diagram templates using Schematics Dataset Editor.

Note that joins specified on feature layers related to a schematic layer not saved as the default layer properties for the related diagram templates may not only impact the symbology when starting an edit session on the published diagrams, but they can also cause strange behavior on the edited diagram—for example, schematic features may appear as disconnected features; applying schematic algorithms may end with strange layout results, and so on.

Learn more about importing default schematic layer properties

Note:

When you have labels on feature layers that compose your published schematic diagrams, the schematic diagrams display with these labels on your client applications until you start an edit session on the diagrams. The labels display again after closing the edit session on the diagrams.