Custom Weight Autoupdater

You always have two alternatives if your database design does not meet the prerequisites of the native weight autoupdater: you can modify the data until it does meet the prerequisites or develop a custom weight autoupdater. The questions below might help you decide.

Do I Need a Custom Weight Autoupdater?

Does every conductor feature class in your database have a field that indicates the nominal operating voltage? If so, skip to 3 below.
If you answered no to 1, then do you have a separate conductor feature class for each nominal operating voltage in your electric distribution system? If not, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both transformer-like features (i.e. junctions that may have more than two conductors attached, and more than one operating voltage among the attached conductors) and switch-like features (i.e. anything whose switching state affects electrical continuity of phase conductors in the attached line features)? If so, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both conductor line segments and lines that function as substation busbars? If so, is it possible to add an integer-valued field to each such feature class, that could be used to distinguish the busbar lines from the conductor lines within the class? If not, you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
Does each feature class that contains switchable devices (i.e. switches, fuses, reclosers, sectionalizers, open points, circuit breakers, etc.) have a separate integer-valued field to indicate the switching status for each electrical phase (A, B and C)? And does that field have the interpretation of open = 0, closed = 1, and not applicable = 2? If no is the answer to either of these questions, then you need a custom weight autoupdater. Otherwise keep reading.
If your database passes the above tests then all Feeder Manager functions will work without a custom weight autoupdater. If you are interested in compatibility with possible future applications of the weight field, then keep reading.
Are there any feature classes in your database that contain both protective switching devices (e.g. fuses, reclosers, etc.) and manual switching devices (e.g. disconnects, loadbreaks, etc.)? If so, you need a custom weight autoupdater.