FME® Transformer Reference Guide

51 Pages·2016·2.81 MB·English

®
FME Transformer
Reference Guide
FME and Data Transformation
Moving data between diferent formats and applications often involves more than a format-to-format translation.
Datasets can contain more complex components that may not ft the requirements of the destination system. To
preserve key aspects of the data and load it seamlessly into the target application, you may need to adjust the data
model, contents, descriptive elements, and/or the coordinate system. This is known as data transformation and
it is one of FME’s core capabilities.
®
FME contains over 500 transformers that perform diferent types of data operations. In the FME Workbench
interface, transformers are stored in the Transformer Gallery and grouped in categories based on their function.
You can also search for transformers by keyword.
This guide provides a high-level summary of FME Workbench, data inspection, and each
transformer’s functionality. For detailed information, select FME Transformers from the
FME Workbench Help menu, select a transformer on the canvas and press F1, or visit
support.safe.com/KnowledgeDocumentation.
FME Workbench Overview
FME Workbench is a powerful tool for data conversion, sharing, transformation, validation, and integration.
Workbench elements are represented graphically on the Workbench canvas , and saved as a workspace. By
default, the workspace workfow reads from left to right: the reader (source data) is on the left, the transformers
are in the center, and the writer (destination data) is on the right. Connections between each item represent the
fow of data: connections can branch in diferent directions, and through diferent objects.
1
4
2
3
5
1 Navigator: Shows a hierarchical view of workspace objects.
2 Parameter Editor: Shows confgurable settings for any object selected on the canvas.
3 Transformer Gallery: Contains over 500 transformers to restructure features between source and destination data.
4 Canvas: Displays a graphical workfow of the objects and connections that represent data and data transformation.
5 Translation Log: Contains details about the workspace translation.
FME Transformer Reference Guide 1
FME Data Inspector Overview
The FME Data Inspector is used primarily to preview data before translation and verify data after translation, but it
can also be used to check data at any point during translation.
One of FME’s key abilities is the communication between Workbench and the Data Inspector – an Inspector
transformer can start the Data Inspector at almost any point while a workspace is running, and inspection tools
allow feature-by-feature analysis.
3
1 2
4
1 Display Control: Shows a list of open datasets and their feature types.
2 View: Displays a single dataset, or multiple datasets at the same time.
3 Feature Information: Displays information about a queried feature, including feature type, attributes, and
geometry details.
4 Table View: Displays the Feature Information values that are exposed to the end user, in tabular format.
Components of a Simple FME Workspace
In a workspace, translation components are represented in a visible, related hierarchy. Hierarchy is important
because it afects how components are added to a translation and, more importantly, how they are controlled.
Components consist of (but are not limited to):
• Readers (source format and data)
• Writers (destination format and output data location)
• Reader and Writer Feature Types (in FME, feature types represent a subset of records; for example, layer,
table, or sheet)
• Attributes
• Transformers
This guide is primarily a transformer resource – but it’s also important to see why transformers are key to FME’s
power and versatility. A very simple workspace example on page 4 shows how transformers work; and the rest
of this guide describes what each transformer can do.
2
The Basics: Placing and Editing Transformers
There are many ways to place a transformer on the Workbench canvas. To start, however, you can simply
double-click a transformer name in the Transformer Gallery and it will appear in the workspace.
Every transformer has a Properties button. This button is color-coded to show the status of its parameters.
If the Properties button is the same color as the transformer, you can use the
transformer with its existing parameters.
A yellow Properties button indicates that the transformer contains default settings,
but you have not yet accepted them. You can use the transformer in this state, but
your workspace might produce unexpected results.
A red Properties button means that there is at least one parameter for which FME
cannot supply a default value. You must provide a value for all required felds
before you can use the transformer in the workspace.
When you click a Properties button, the dialog that appears will usually have some of the common elements
shown in this example. The content of this dialog depends on the transformer, and sometimes even on
connections to the transformer. Most transformers have some common user interface elements, however, and
those are described here.
You can edit the default
transformer name.
Required parameters are
highlighted.
Transformer parameter
menu button.
The Defaults menu gives Click OK to accept changes
you options for using and close the dialog.
default values. (This button is disabled if
required parameters have
not been populated.)
FME Transformer Reference Guide 3
Working with Transformer Parameters
Most transformer parameters can be integrated with other pieces of a workspace. This means that the
parameters can be easily configured to work with elements of the source data as well as with other
transformers. More advanced functions, such as text and arithmetic editors, are also available in some transformers.
In most cases, you can use a transformer with its displayed default values.
For detailed information on transformer parameters, see the FME Transformers help, or select a
transformer on the Workbench canvas and view the Help tab in the bottom pane.
The Basics: Setting up and Running a Simple Workspace
This simple example shows how to set up a new workspace. The source data used for this example contains
information about 80 city parks.
Set up a new workspace by clicking
File > Generate Workspace. Then:
1. Select the format and location of the source data
(the Reader),
2. Specify the format and location for the destination
data (the Writer), and
3. Accept the defaults in the remaining dialog felds.
Click OK. Workbench reads the data, and generates the
initial workspace.
The objects on the canvas represent the data and data fow. The Reader Feature Type shows that the data
contains an attribute called DogPark.
DogPark attribute
4
Because we want to determine which parks allow dogs,
we add two transformers: a Tester transformer (to flter
data) and an Inspector transformer (to view results).
The Tester parameters are set to flter only parks that
allow dogs, and the Inspector transformer opens the
Data Inspector to show the results on a map.
Click the Run tool.
The resulting workspace shows that 7 parks allow dogs. These results are sent through the port
of the Tester transformer to a Writer Feature Type that we have added and named DogParks.
The workspace also shows that 73 parks do not allow dogs, and we have directed these results through the
port of the Tester transformer to the original Parks writer feature type.
Because we added an Inspector transformer to the Tester transformer’s Passed port, the Data Inspector opens
automatically. Here, the Background Map option allows us to view the exact locations of the 7 dog parks.

FME Transformer Reference Guide 5
Workbench Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows
General Viewing General Editing
New Ctrl+n Cut Ctrl+x
(create a new
Copy Ctrl+c
workspace)
Paste Ctrl+v
Generate workspace Ctrl+g
Redo Ctrl+y
Open (workspace) Ctrl+o
Save Ctrl+s
Exit (workbench) Ctrl+q
Select All Ctrl+a
Close (workspace) Ctrl+w
Undo Ctrl+z
Change to next tab Ctrl+Tab
Smart Delete Delete key
Change to previous tab Ctrl+Shift+Tab (repair connections)
Select tab number Ctrl+number_key Delete (without repair) Shift+Delete key
Close current tab Ctrl+F4 Readers, Writers, and Transformers
Open containing folder Ctrl+o Add Reader Ctrl+Alt+r
(datasets)
Add Writer Ctrl+Alt+w
Maximize canvas to Shift+F11
current window size Show Parameters Select an object, then Enter
Maximize canvas to full F11 Connect Inspector Select the object(s), then
screen Ctrl+Shift+I
Zoom-in Ctrl+ Connect Logger Select the object(s), then
Ctrl+Shift+L
Zoom-out Ctrl-
Create custom transformer Select one or more
Zoom 100% Ctrl+0 transformers, then Ctrl+t
Zoom in and out Ctrl+scroll wheel Duplicate transformer Ctrl+d
Zoom to next/previous Space/Ctrl+Space Using Quick Add:
bookmark If you add a transformer
Note: Show Bookmark
and want to add the same
Navigator must be
transformer again, press
enabled on the toolbar.
the slash “/” key. The
Pan Click scroll wheel (or Quick Add box will appear
middle mouse button) showing the last selected
and drag cursor. transformer. Press Return
to include it, then press
Return cursor to action Right-click anywhere on Return again to edit its
arrow the canvas. parameters.
Search: Ctrl+f Rename Select an object, then F2
- Workspace if the
F3
focus is in the Search for a transformer Slash “/” key
workspace or the by name
Navigator
- Log if the
focus is in the Log
window
Connection Style Ctrl+Shift+C
Print Ctrl+p
Help Select an object, then F1
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Other Workspace Authoring
Add Bookmark Ctrl+b
Attach annotation Select the object(s), then
Ctrl+k
Attach summary Select the object(s), then
annotation Ctrl+Shift+K
Insert Junction Ctrl+Shift+J
Enable/disable objects Ctrl+e
(including links and
feature types)
Running Workspaces
Run translation F5
Rerun entire workspace Shift+F5
Enable Prompt for User Ctrl+Alt+F5
Parameters
Prompt and run Ctrl+r
Enable feature caching Ctrl+F5
Run with feature caching F6
+ “Run From This”
Run with breakpoints Ctrl+Shift+F5
Toggle breakpoints Select connection, then F9
Viewing Data in Visual Preview
Toggle automatic inspect Ctrl+ Alt+A
on selection
Toggle Display Control Ctrl+Alt+`
Toggle Table View Ctrl+Alt+1
Toggle graphics View Ctrl+Alt+2,
Ctrl+Alt+3,
Ctrl+Alt+4
Show/hide Feature Ctrl+Alt+F
Information window
Open in Data Inspector Ctrl+Alt+D

FME Transformer Reference Guide 7
Transformer Categories
3D AttributeCreator 16 ListRangeExtractor 36
3DAfner 13 AttributeDecompressor 16 MeasureExtractor 37
3DArcReplacer 13 AttributeDereferencer 16 MeasureGenerator 37
3DForcer 13 AttributeExploder 17 ModuloCounter 37
3DInterpolator 13 AttributeExposer 17 NetworkCostCalculator 39
3DRotator 13 AttributeFileReader 17 NetworkTopologyCalculator 39
AppearanceExtractor 14 AttributeFileWriter 17 OrientationExtractor 40
AppearanceMerger 14 AttributeKeeper 17 PartCounter 40
AppearanceRemover 14 AttributeManager 17 PointCloudExpressionEvaluator 41
AppearanceSetter 14 AttributeRenamer 17 PointCloudPropertyExtractor 41
AppearanceStyler 14 AttributeSplitter 18 PointCloudStatisticsCalculator 41
Buferer 19 BulkAttributeRemover 19 PointPropertyExtractor 42
Creator 23 BulkAttributeRenamer 19 RandomNumberGenerator 43
CSGBuilder 23 DatabaseJoiner 23 RasterAspectCalculator 43
CSGEvaluator 23 Deaggregator 24 RasterBandMinMaxExtractor 43
DEMDistanceCalculator 24 ListBuilder 35 RasterBandPropertyExtractor 43
DEMGenerator 24 ListConcatenator 35 RasterCellValueCalculator 44
DimensionExtractor 24 ListCopier 35 RasterExpressionEvaluator 44
3D SharedItemIDExtractor 49 ListExploder 36 RasterPropertyExtractor 46
3D SharedItemIDSetter 49 ListExpressionPopulator 36 RasterSingularCellValueCalculator 47
3D SharedItemRetriever 49 ListIndexer 36 RasterStatisticsCalculator 47
ElevationExtractor 26 ListPopulator 36 ReprojectAngleCalculator 47
Extruder 26 ListRenamer 36 ReprojectLengthCalculator 48
FaceReplacer 26 ListSorter 36 StatisticsCalculator 51
GeometryInstantiator 29 NullAttributeMapper 39 StreamOrderCalculator 51
GeometryPartExtractor 29 StreamPriorityCalculator 51
Calculated Values
GeometryPropertyExtractor 29 StringLengthCalculator 51
GeometryPropertyRemover 29 Aggregator 14 SubstringExtractor 51
GeometryPropertyRenamer 29 AngleConverter 14 TempPathnameCreator 53
GeometryPropertySetter 29 AngularityCalculator 14 TextLocationExtractor 54
IFCPropertySetDefnitionCreator 31 ArcPropertyExtractor 15 TextPropertyExtractor 54
IFCQuantitySetDefnitionCreator 32 AreaCalculator 16 TextureCoordinateSetter 54
MeshMerger 37 AttributePivoter 17 UUIDGenerator 55
MeshSimplifer 37 AttributeRounder 17 VertexCounter 56
MRF3DCleaner 38 BaseConverter 18 VolumeCalculator 56
BoundsExtractor 19
Ofsetter 39
CenterPointExtractor 20 Cartography and Reports
PlanarityFilter 40
CircularityCalculator 21 AreaAmalgamator 15
PointCloudSurfaceBuilder 41
CoordinateConcatenator 22 ChartGenerator 21
RasterDEMGenerator 44
CoordinateExtractor 22 CommonLocalReprojector 21
RasterHillshader 45
Counter 22 Curveftter 23
RasterSlopeCalculator 47
CRCCalculator 22 DGNStyler 24
Scaler 48
DateTimeCalculator 23 Displacer 24
SecondOrderConformer 48
DateTimeConverter 23 DWGStyler 25
SharedItemAdder 49
DateTimeStamper 24 ExcelStyler 26
SolidBuilder 50
DecimalDegreesCalculato 24 FeatureColorSetter 26
SurfaceBuilder 52
DEMDistanceCalculator 24 Generalizer 28
SurfaceDissolver 52
DensityCalculator 24 GeometryColorSetter 28
SurfaceDraper 52
DimensionExtractor 24 HTMLLayouter 31
SurfaceFootprintReplacer 52
DMSCalculator 25 HTMLReportGenerator 31
SurfaceModeller 53
ElevationExtractor 26 ImageRasterizer 32
SurfaceOnSurfaceOverlayer 53
EllipsePropertyExtractor 26 KMLPropertySetter 33
SurfaceSplitter 53
ExpressionEvaluator 26 KMLRegionSetter 33
TINGenerator 54
GeometryExtractor 29 KMLStyler 33
VolumeCalculator 56
GOIDGenerator 30 KMLTimeSetter 33
Attributes HoleCounter 31 KMLTourBuilder 33
Aggregator 14 LeftRightSpatialCalculator 34 KMLViewSetter 33
AttributeCompressor 16 LengthCalculator 34 Labeller 33
AttributeCopier 16 LengthToPointCalculator 34 LabelPointReplacer 34
ListHistogrammer 36 MapboxStyler 36
8
MapInfoStyler 36 VertexCounter 56 DuplicateFilter 25
MapnikRasterizer 36 VertexRemover 56 FeatureJoiner 26
MapTextLabeller 36 FeatureMerger 27
Data Quality
MapTextStyler 37 FeatureReader 27
MSWordStyler 38 AngularityCalculator 14 FeatureTypeFilter 27
NumericRasterizer 39 AreaGapAndOverlapCleaner 16 GeometryFilter 29
PDFPageFormatter 40 AttributeValidator 18 LineOnAreaOverlayer 35
PDFStyler 40 ChangeDetector 20 LineOnLineOverlayer 35
PowerPointStyler 42 CircularityCalculator 21 ListBasedFeatureMerger 35
RasterHillshader 45 ClosedCurveFilter 21 MultipleGeometryFilter 38
SherbendGeneralizer 49 CommonSegmentFinder 21 NeighborhoodAggregator 39
TextAdder 53 ConvexityFilter 22 NLPClassifer 39
TextPropertySetter 54 CRCCalculator 22 NLPTrainer 39
TextStroker 54 DimensionExtractor 24 PlanarityFilter 40
WebMapTiler 56 DuplicateFilter 25 PointCloudFilter 41
ElevationExtractor 26 PointCloudMerger 41
Coordinates
FeatureTypeFilter 27 PointOnAreaOverlayer 42
2DForcer 13 GeometryFilter 29 PointOnLineOverlayer 42
3DAfner 13 GeometryValidator 30 PointOnPointOverlayer 42
3DArcReplacer 13 HoleCounter 31 RasterMosaicker 45
3DForcer 13 Inspector 32 Sampler 48
ArcSDEGridSnapper 15 JSONValidator 33 SpatialFilter 50
AttributeReprojector 17 ListDuplicateRemover 35 SpatialRelator 50
BMGReprojector 19 ListElementCounter 35 Tester 53
CenterPointExtractor 20 ListHistogrammer 36 TestFilter 53
CommonLocalReprojector 21 Matcher 37 TraitMerger 55
CoordinateConcatenator 22 MRF2DCleaner 37
Format Specifc
CoordinateExtractor 22 MRF2DConfator 37
CoordinateRounder 22 MRF2DDangleRemover 38 ArcSDEGridSnapper 15
CoordinateSwapper 22 MRF2DDuplicateRemover 38 AttributeFileReader 17
CoordinateSystemDescription MRF2DExtender 38 AttributeFileWriter 17
Converter 22 MRF2DGeneralizer 38 DatabaseDeleter 23
CoordinateSystemExtractor 22 MRF2DIntersector 38 DatabaseUpdater 23
CoordinateSystemRemover 22 MRF2DJoiner 38 DGNStyler 24
CoordinateSystemSetter 22 MRF2DShortGeometryRemover 38 DWGStyler 25
CsmapAttributeReprojector 23 MRF3DCleaner 38 EsriReprojector 26
CsmapReprojector 23 NullAttributeMapper 39 ExcelStyler 26
DecimalDegreesCalculato 24 PartCounter 40 FeatureReader 27
DimensionExtractor 24 PlanarityFilter 40 FeatureWriter 27
DMSCalculator 25 Sampler 48 GeometryExtractor 29
ElevationExtractor 26 Snapper 49 GeometryReplacer 29
EsriReprojector 26 Snipper 49 GeoRSSFeatureComposer 30
GridInquestIIReprojector 30 SpatialFilter 50 GeoRSSFeatureReader 30
GridInquestReprojector 30 SpatialRelator 50 GMLFeatureComposer 30
GtransAttributeReprojector 30 SpikeRemover 50 HTMLLayouter 31
GtransReprojector 30 SummaryReporter 52 HTMLReportGenerator 31
LatLongToMGRSConverter 34 Tester 53 HTMLToXHTMLConverter 31
LocalCoordinateSystemSetter 36 TestFilter 53 IFCPropertySetDefnitionCreator 31
MGRSToLatLongConverter 37 VertexCounter 56 IFCQuantitySetDefnitionCreator 32
PROJAttributeReprojector 42 JSONExtractor 32
Filters and Joins
PROJReprojector 42 JSONFlattener 32
RasterGCPExtractor 45 AggregateFilter 14 JSONFormatter 32
RasterGCPSetter 45 Aggregator 14 JSONFragmenter 32
RasterGeoreferencer 45 AreaOnAreaOverlayer 16 JSONTemplater 33
ReframeReprojector 47 AttributeFilter 17 JSONUpdater 33
ReprojectAngleCalculator 47 AttributePivoter 17 JSONValidator 33
ReprojectLengthCalculator 48 AttributeRangeFilter 17 KMLPropertySetter 33
Reprojector 48 ChangeDetector 20 KMLRegionSetter 33
RubberSheeter 48 ClosedCurveFilter 21 KMLStyler 33
Scaler 48 ConvexityFilter 22 KMLTimeSetter 33
SecondOrderConformer 48 DatabaseJoiner 23 KMLTourBuilder 33
TextureCoordinateSetter 54 Deaggregator 24 KMLViewSetter 33

FME Transformer Reference Guide 9