For the past seven years, I have implemented Fiber Manager for over forty clients.  Without a doubt, one of the most important and probably least productive tasks is the construction of Cable and Patch Location ArcFM Favorites. Because of the quantity of related objects required to make features useable within Fiber Manager, the process is extremely time consuming and prone to error.

There have been previous blog posts written by Skye and myself regarding short cuts to the process (see links below), but there is no true “champion” process.  As an implementer, the perfect tool to create cable favorites would be one that supplies a GUI to the user to enter the configuration of cable (i.e., quantity of strands and buffer tubes), enter specific default strand attributes, and generate a XML (more later).

When SSP announced its internal 2nd Annual Codefest, the team (“Object Reference is Null”) of Chalmer Danahue, Konstantin Korchakov, and myself was quickly formed to build this much needed tool (not to mention….sure winner).

In only one day, the team constructed an immediately useable tool.  The tool functions as follows:

• Click the executable and the Fiber Cable Creator GUI appears (Figure 1).
• Specify a Description which identifies the ArcFM Favorite in the list.
• Specify the quantity of buffer tubes in the cable.  In this case, 6 is chosen.
• Specify the quantity of strands.  The available drop down menu only specifies values that are in increments of 6 (value will vary based upon quantity of buffer tubes selected).

• The value of 144 strands (24 strands per buffer tube) is chosen (Figure 2).

• Click the Next Button or the Strand Attributes Tab and the user is able to specify default values for each strand (Figure 3).  Supplied attribute drop down menus pull from existing domains.

• When satisfied with the entered values, click the Build XML Button.
• Choose what to name the XML and where to save it in the Save As GUI (Figure 4).

• We now utilize OOTB (Out of the box) ArcFM Favorites Manager within ArcCatalog.  With administrative privileges, highlight the System Favorites category and click the import Tool (Figure 5).

• Navigate to the created XML, and click the Open Button.  A SSP Cable Creator category is created with the desired favorite inside (Figure 6).
• The created favorite can be reorganized by dragging to other categories (as necessary).

As shown if Figure 7, the favorite is immediately useable with the correct configuration and populated attributes.  A 144 strand cable that used to take 1-2 hours to make, now takes less than 5 minutes with less potential error.

It should be noted that the tool assumes that the colors are “normal” (i.e., EIA598-A) colors, each buffer tube contains the same quantity of strands, and that the cable isn’t hybrid (i.e., mixture of singlemode and multimode strands).  Based upon observation, the tool can build approximately 95% of the cable out there.  In the event of a hybrid cable, the favorite could be built as described above and its strands subsequently modified (as necessary) which is still faster than constructing via traditional means.

So….did Team Object Reference is Null win 2015 Codefest?  Let’s just say that we didn’t Wang Chung that night.  Next year we will build a Patch Location Favorite Tool.  I am always amazed of the talent that SSP has.