FME Workbench essentials
FME Workbench is a visual workflow editor used for developing data transformation tools. When the Data Interoperability extension is enabled, you can use it to create spatial ETL tools and custom formats.
Starting FME Workbench
FME Workbench can only be used in its capacity as part of the Data Interoperability extension. It cannot be started outside ArcGIS by clicking the workbench.exe file.
There are three ways to start FME Workbench:
- Right-click a toolbox
and click New → Spatial ETL Tool. - Right-click an existing spatial ETL tool and click Edit from the shortcut menu.
- Double-click Add Interoperability Connection on the Catalog window and create a new custom format.
Getting help in FME Workbench
As you work in FME Workbench, you can get help in the following ways:
- To open the ArcGIS Data Interoperability help, click Help → Windows → Workbench Help from the main menu.
- For help with a format reader or writer, click the source or destination object on the canvas and press F1.
- For help with a transformer, click the transformer object on the canvas and press F1.
- For help with a particular setting, click the context-sensitive help button—the question mark (?)—and click the setting on the dialog box.
The workspace canvas
Starting FME Workbench opens the main window and workspace canvas. The canvas displays the data sources, connections, transformers, and destination features that define your spatial ETL tool. By default, you work from left to right beginning with the source data objects, directing dataflow using connectors to link outputs to inputs, and terminating the flow at the destination features.
- Use the right-click shortcut menu for datasets, transformers, and connectors. Each menu is context sensitive and provides quick access to commands that are common to typical workflows.
- To select multiple objects, hold the CTRL key down while clicking, or click and drag the pointer.
- Use the F2 key to rename attributes.
- Use the DELETE key to delete any object.
Navigator
Navigator is an explorer window that displays your workspace in a tree view. It provides a visual status of your parameters and offers immediate access to editing dialog boxes.
- To open the Navigator window from the main menu, click View → Windows → Navigator.
- To edit parameters, right-click the parameter and click Edit Parameter from the shortcut menu.
Transformer Gallery
Transformer Gallery is an explorer window that enables you to browse for transformers by category or search for them by entering one or more keywords that describe a name or function. To add a transformer to your workspace, double-click or drag the transformer onto the canvas.
To open the Transformer Gallery window from the main menu, click View → Windows → Transformer Gallery.
Log
The Log pane is a text window that displays detailed information about your translation during run time. Use it to trace errors and warnings and document the execution of your spatial ETL tool. When the translation is finished, you can search for specific text strings, copy and paste the contents to other text files, or save all the information to a log (.log) file.
To configure FME Workbench to generate a log file each time you run a translation, click Tools → FME Options, click Runtime on the navigation menu, then check the Save log to file check box.