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title: "Planning the Network Schematic"
canonical: "https://docs.rubiconwater.com/space/SM/2001010941/Planning%20the%20Network%20Schematic"
format: markdown
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> Macro (toc)

Follow these general guidelines when creating a network schematic:

- Plan your layout before you the schematic. It can be difficult and time consuming to undo mistakes in the Network Editor because you will have to break and rebuild connections between objects.
- Place reaches and regulators first, then connect the outlets, place the properties, and connect the outlets to the properties
- Don't try to accurately represent the network geography. The purpose of the schematic is to record the *relationships* between objects, not their precise positions.
- Use the grid and turn on **Snap to Grid** to simplify the drawing process. A 500 x 500 grid is a good choice for most networks. See [https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SMNC/pages/2001010899](https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SMNC/pages/2001010899) for more details.
- Use plenty of space in your schematic to allow room for later changes and additions, and to provide space for displaying object and order details on the schematic. See the table below for detailed recommendations.

> ℹ️ **Caution**
> ℹ️ 
> ℹ️ The Network Editor automatically saves any changes that you make. There is no UNDO function, so take care when making changes to the network schematic, and particularly when deleting objects.

The following table shows the minimum recommended spacing for various network components:

| **Object Type** | **Layout** |
| --- | --- |
| Regulator | Allow at least two grid cells between the nodes on either side of a regulator |
| Reach | Allow at least two grid cells between each outlet connected to a reach.<br>This means that a reach should have a minimum length of<br>2 + (2 x n)<br>Where n is the number of outlets that you plan to connect to the reach. Note that it can be difficult to make more space on a reach after the outlets are connected, so you should plan in advance for at least the number of outlets you expect to connect. |
| Outlet | Place the outlet at least one grid cell from the reach. |
| Property | Property recommendations depend on whether the reaches are aligned vertically or horizontally to allow space for text and popup dialogs.<br>- Horizontal reaches - allow at least one grid cell from an outlet, and another one cell from the reach.
- Vertical reaches - allow at least three grid cells from an outlet and another one from the reach. |

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