When Task Assistant Manager for Designer is installed, the Task Assistant window is configured to create and edit task assistant workflows. This is achieved through the Designer tab. Use the Designer tab to create and configure steps.
Step configuration includes naming the step and choosing the node style, in addition to configuring the step to perform a task such as enabling a tool or making a layer visible. Although it may be possible to configure a parent step to perform in a similar manner, this step is not typically used to execute any processes.
The Designer tab contains settings that apply either to the entire workflow or the individual steps.
Workflow settings
The workflow settings manage what happens once a step is executed. You can choose whether or not history information is logged, the step is locked once it is executed, or if the workflow can only be run in order from top to bottom.
- Log History After Execution—When the Log History After Execution button
is clicked and the option enabled, an entry is created on the History tab for each task that is executed in the workflow. If it is not enabled, no entries are created on the History tab. - Lock Step After Execution—When the Lock Step After Execution button
is clicked and the option enabled, a step is disabled after it is executed. If this option is not enabled, you can rerun any task in the workflow. - Enforce Step Order In Workflow—When the Enforce Step Order In Workflow button
is clicked and the option enabled, you can only proceed through a workflow from beginning to end. Each step is locked after it is executed, so a step cannot be repeated. If this option is not enabled, the steps can be executed in any order.
Step settings
Individual steps have a wide range of configuration settings that allow to associate a step with map layers, ArcGIS Desktop commands, and node styles, among other settings.
- Node style—The style that represents the step. Styles allow you to assign icons to steps or alter the font color, bold, or italics settings of the step text. You can add and modify custom node styles.
To learn more about using the Style Manager, see Style Manager.
- Description—Information that can help another user understand the purpose and function of this step. You can enter information such as what occurs when the step is clicked or what occurs after a step is executed. With the Description Editor, you can format the text font/bold/italics and colors. The entry in the Description field is displayed on the Help tab when you execute a step. It also appears as a ToolTip when you hover over the step if the Show Tooltips check box is checked on the Properties tab.
- Name—The step name displayed in the Task Assistant window.
- Commands—Allows you to associate ArcMap or custom commands with the step. When you associate multiple commands with a single step, commands are executed from top to bottom, in the order in which they appear in the Selected Commands area of the Command Item Editor dialog box. You can change the execution order by highlighting a command in the Selected Commands area and using the up and down arrows in the Command Item Editor dialog box to move the command in the list.
Task Assistant Manager also allows you to specify parameters for commands. This option is available through the Designer tab, on the Command Item Editor dialog box. This is particularly useful for custom commands that are configured to receive parameters. Note that ArcMap commands cannot receive parameters and will ignore any specified parameters. Custom commands that are not implemented to receive parameters will also ignore any specified parameters. For more information about commands, see Adding custom commands with parameters.
- Data Frame—Allows you to specify the active data frame.
- Feature Template—Allows you to set the templates and construction tools to perform edits. The feature templates are used for steps that will be executed during an edit session.
- Geoprocessing—Allows you to associate ArcMap or custom geoprocessing scripts with a task assistant workflow step. When you associate multiple geoprocessing tools within a single step, tools are executed from top to bottom in the order in which they appear in the Selected Geoprocessing Items area of the Geoprocessing Item Editor dialog box. You can change the execution order by highlighting a tool in the Selected Geoprocessing Items area and using the up and down arrows in the Geoprocessing Item Editor dialog box to move the tool in the list.
- Layers—Allows you to configure layer settings for steps. Layer configuration includes table of contents properties (visibility and selectability).
- Snapping—Allows you to specify snapping properties for steps that will be executed during an edit session.