{"id":1746272,"date":"2022-12-14T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T17:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1746272"},"modified":"2023-09-11T04:59:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T11:59:17","slug":"create-network-diagram-the-beginners-guide","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/utility-network\/data-management\/create-network-diagram-the-beginners-guide","title":{"rendered":"Create a Network Diagram: The Beginner’s Guide"},"author":37241,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[23851],"tags":[771582,582621],"industry":[],"product":[515312],"class_list":["post-1746272","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-management","tag-networkvisualization","tag-network-diagrams","product-utility-network"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":37241,"user_firstname":"Koya","user_lastname":"Brown","nickname":"Koya Brown","user_nicename":"kbrown","display_name":"Koya Brown","user_email":"kbrown@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2020-05-22 19:46:58","user_description":"","user_avatar":""}],"short_description":"In this beginner's guide, you'll learn the basics of creating and using network diagrams.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Ready to generate a network diagram<\/a>? Today, we are going to show you how to make a simple network diagram by selecting features in the map. Creating a diagram is not a difficult process. We will cover the basics of creating and using network diagrams, with a focus on beginner tips and tricks. By the end of this post, you will be ready to start diagramming your networks.<\/p>\n

What are network diagrams<\/a> exactly?<\/h3>\n

A network diagram is a simplified view of your assets and how they are connected. This is often referred to as a schematic. I like to think of everything in the map as the geographic representation and everything in the diagram as the schematic view. I am using schematics here to teach you how to diagram a proof of concept, reproduce a CAD drawing, or just to see how things are connected.<\/p>\n

Network Diagrams are the perfect way to show your system\u2019s connectivity, and they work well for many reasons. For example, let\u2019s say you work at Rail Company X and wanted to see a schematic view of your rail system with from-to measures on the diagram. Or your organization has some old CAD drawings it wants to reproduce using schematics. Network diagrams is the perfect tool in both of these cases. Another reason these visuals might come into play? You have created schematics using the old ArcGIS Schematics extension that need to be updated; on top of creating new ones.<\/p>\n

Now you have a basic idea of what network diagrams are and when to use them. Let\u2019s get started. You\u2019ll learn about:<\/p>\n