Spatial relationships automatically update features based on their location relative to other features to help aid general editing and maintaining these relationships. These are used to speed up filling out information when adding new features. It is most often used to update a child record with a parent records id number. For example it can update a sewer pipe with up and down stream manhole numbers, or update play ground equipment with the park id. The spatial relate can update any fields, whether or not they are linked to lucity and it can use non-Lucity feature classes to update Lucity feature classes.
Triggering a Spatial Relationship update
There are three ways in which spatial relationships are triggered:
Within an ArcMap edit session, when a feature is created or edited.
Within an ArcMap edit session using the "Update Spatial Relationships" tool on the Lucity GIS Edit toolbar. This tool is typically used if the data was imported using a non-Lucity import tool or was added during a non-Lucity edit session.
When the Lucity Data loader tool is used, it automatically checks for spatial relationships.
Considerations
Which features require data from other features?
Which features would benefit from having data pulled over from other features?
Select the Feature Class the spatial relate will be updating and right-click on the node.
Click Add > Spatial Relationship.
An entry will be added under the Feature class configuration and the Spatial Relationship form will be displayed.
*Populate the Field to Update with the Field name of the field in the selected feature class that will be automatically updated.
*Populate the Related Feature Class with the name of the feature class that is being related to the selected feature class.
Note: The Related Feature Class MUST be stored in the same geodatabase as the selected feature class.
*Populate the FC Field Name with the field name of the field in the Related Feature Class that contains the value that will updated the Field to Update field.
*Populate the Relationship Type using the drop down list of predefined relationships.
From Intersect: Finds any features in the Related Feature Class that intersect the from point of the feature in the selected feature class. This relationship only works for polyline, edge, or complex edge features.
To Intersect: Finds any features in the Related Feature Class that intersect the To Point of the feature in the selected feature class. This relationship only works for polyline, edge, or complex edge features.
Is Contained by: Finds any features in the selected feature class that are contained by features in the Related Feature Class. The Related Feature Class must be a polygon feature class.
Intersects: Finds the first feature in the Related Feature Class that intersects the feature in the selected feature class.
US Intersect Distance: Finds the first feature in the Related Feature Class that intersects the feature in the selected feature class and then calculates the distance along the line that the intersection occurs (from the to point). The selected feature class must be a polyline, edge, or complex edge feature class.
Midpoint Intersect: Finds any feature in the related feature class that intersects the midpoint of the feature in the selected feature class. This relationship is designed for polyline, edge, or complex edge features as the selected feature class, and a polygon feature for the related feature class.
Force Related Feature to Self-Update: This relationship finds any features that intersect the feature in the selected feature class and adds them to the edit cache so that they are synched to the desktop even if the records have not changed. This is used primarily for the street segment feature class (as selected feature class) and the street intersection feature class (as Related Feature Class). This forces the intersections to automatically recalculate the intersection configurations for the diagram in the desktop Intersection module when street segments are changed.
Is Within Distance of: Finds all features in the Related Feature Class that are with a specified distance of the feature in the selected feature class.
Populate the Distance Value.
Required only if the relationship type "Is Within Distance Of" has been selected. The field is used to specify a distance for this relationship type.
Never Overwrite a Non-Null Value.
Optional. Check this box to ensure that data populated in the Field to Update field of the selected feature class is never overwritten if a value already exists.
Update Value to Null if No Relationship is Found.
Optional. Check this box to allow the Field to Update field to be set to null if no relationship is found.
This information will be saved when another node is selected of the form is closed.
Note: Spatial Relationships can be edited anytime after saving them
To delete a spatial relationship from a feature class, select the spatial relationship listed under the feature class from the tree on the Geodatabase Configuration form.
Right-Click on the spatial relationship and choose Delete.