With over 400 FME transformers to choose from, you can be guaranteed there is a solution to your problem! Knowing how to navigate the sea of transformers will boost productivity and save time. Join our experts to get an overview of FME transformers and get tips for deciding which one fits your scenario. These scenarios were emailed ahead of time by FME users and we solve them through workspaces.

1. CHOOSING THE
DATA CHALLENGE

2. Team of Experts
Dale Lutz
Co-Founder and VP of
Software Development
Iris Gutowski
Web Developer, Web
GUI Team Lead
Mark Ireland
FME Evangelist

3. Team of Experts (on Q&A)
Trent Kading
FME Technology Expert
Nathan Hildebrand
FME Technology Expert
Debbi Leung
FME Desktop
Technology Expert
Stephanie Warner
Webinar Expert

4. Topics
Covered
● Resources on FME
Transformers
● Top 10+ Transformers - Expert
recommended!
● Data specific Transformers
and FME user submitted
scenarios
● Live Q+A
in today’s webinar
#SafeWebinar

5. Resources Quick Add in FME Workbench
Transformer Gallery:
safe.com/transformers
Transformer Guide Booklet
fme.ly/TransformerGuide18
Great article for merging
transformers:
fme.ly/mergingtransformers
The best places to learn
about FME’s 400+ transformers

6. New to FME?
On the best place to learn FME:
Our Free training courses on our virtual machines
On transformer essentials:
Review the top 30 transformers listed here: fme.ly/top30
On dealing with a specific type of data?
Try typing that on the Workbench canvas to search
(e.g. PointCloud, Raster)
Or maybe you just want to refresh the basics.
Here’s what our experts have to say:

7. ARE YOU UP FOR A
CHALLENGE?
Calling all users in the FME Knowledge Center
Sign up for free at knowledge.safe.com

8. User Scenarios Uploaded
Movie Magik
1) Grab list of video files from a webpage using many html extractors and list expanders.
2) Compare that list to list of files in a folder
3) Connect to an FTP Server and grab the missing files
4) Connect to YouTube’s API and post the new video to youtube
XML eXtravagance
“Read online XML - Create as points, remove irrelevant fields etc, export to ESRI
geodatabase feature class, or if possible to several Oracle Databases representing our
different environments using in ArcGIS Portal. Add metadata to the feature class, updating
an XML file which already contains the metadata for the layer in INSPIRE format, use a
transformer to update a field in metadata with today’s date….”
Do you know which transformers to use?
Go to knowledge.safe.com to share!
1
2

9. Rad Radar
“I would like to be able to analyze
raster images of historical radar
from NOAA.
I would compare the value in the
radar image (a geotiff) with a linear
feature (electric line).
The radar images are stored in 5
minute intervals so I would like to
know how often the linear feature
intersected with a certain level of
radar activity.”
User Submitted Scenario #1

10. Rad Radar
User Submitted Scenario #1
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
NumericRasterizer:
Create a raster from vector
input
Use for: Calculating statistics
based on a designated
attribute or set of attributes of
the incoming features.
Alternative: Convert Raster to
vector and determining
intersections in Raster
Dmitri says:
Always stay in
raster as long
as possible.

12. Dynamic
Duo
“I have been able to create a
workspace which can achieve the
above, but it is not dynamic. If a
new table gets created in the
database then the workspace has
to be edited to include it. New
tables are commonly created so
there needs to be a workspace
solution which does not reference
specific database tables, but the
answer is beyond me!”
User Submitted Scenario #2

13. Dynamic Duo
User Submitted Scenario #2
Key transformer used to solve the problem
#SafeWebinar

14. Anonymous
Automation
“So the scenario is:
1) how do we read as many as 13
different csv files (all with the
same file name)
2) decide which feature type we
are dealing with in each csv file
3) write those records for each csv
file to the appropriate set of fields
in a MS SQL database”
User Submitted Scenario #3

15. Anonymous
Automation
User Submitted Scenario #3
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Filters features by test conditions to
one or more output ports.
Removes all attributes and list
attributes, except the specific ones
you specify to be retained.

16. PDF Palooza
“Objective: to produce a multi-page
PDF – one page for each photo -
each page containing 4 objects
(plus Title and signature)
1) A photo
2) Large scale location plan 1:5000
3) Small scale location plan 1:100,000
4) Relevant row from points shape
file attribute table giving details of
featured photo.”
User Submitted Scenario #4
#SafeWebinar

17. PDF
Palooza
User Submitted
Scenario #4
Key transformers used
to solve the problem.
Use to:
Prepare features for output to PDF
Use when:
You want to detect a geometric
relationship containment,
intersection, etc between 2 features
Also Consider:
HTML ReportGenerator
to make dynamic web
reports

19. SCENARIOS
SOLVED?
Check in with the FME Knowledge Center
Sign up for free at knowledge.safe.com

20. Winds of
Change
“I need to convert this to two new
raster bands U and V. I.e. a vector
equivalent to the input bands.
But how would I apply this
calculation to NetCDF files?
Next I need to convert this raster file
to SQL Inserts that can be used to
load data into a database.”
User Submitted Scenario #9
#SafeWebinar

21. Winds of
Change
User Submitted Scenario #9
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Use to calculate a new
raster from values from
existing rasters
Use to convert raster cell
values to individual
points
Use to turn a points x,y
values into attributes

23. LAS Vegas “I have about 4000 LAS files and I
need to generate DEM’s and
Hillshades from them. So far, I can
only process them one at a time. I’d
like to see how I can automate this
process through FME to process all
4k tiles, using the tile name as an
output name.”
User Submitted Scenario #12
#SafeWebinar

24. LAS Vegas
User Submitted Scenario #12
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Draws input point, line and
polygon features onto a
numeric raster filled with
the background value.
Generates a shaded relief
effect, useful for visualizing
terrain.
Constructs a Delaunay
triangulation based on
input points and
breaklines.
Mosaics multiple raster
features into a single
raster feature.

25. Path
Production
“I am trying to take an area feature
class representing trails and
convert it to a line feature class.
The CenterLineReplacer has given
me some results, but the data
needs a lot of clean up and this is
where I am struggling.”
User Submitted Scenario #8
#SafeWebinar

26. Path
Production
User Submitted Scenario #8
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Use for:
Replacing an area feature with its medial axis or
a straight skeleton. This transformer works best
with long, narrow areas.
Use for:
Transforming or measuring geometry features
based on a specified algorithm.

27. List Limbo
aka
Overlapping
Overlay
“A. I have 8 different polygon
datasets with flood model meshes
(which basically are triangles with a
depth value)
B. I have another 5 polygon datasets
with land use, which are not
complementary, i.e. they do overlap
in places
The question to be answered is: how
much land (number and area) is
affected by flooding ?
...which transformer should I use?”
User Submitted Scenario #14

28. List Limbo
User Submitted Scenario #14
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Alters multiple attributes through
adding, renaming, copying,
deleting and re-ordering.
Dissolves area features by
removing common boundaries to
create larger areas.
AreaOnAreaOverlayer: Performs an
area-on-area overlay (intersection of
polygons) so that all input areas are
intersected against each other and
resultant area features are created
and output
Use Tester when:
- You want to make a different
decision based on an Attributes Value
- To split the logic flow into 2 cases IE
Test Pass Test Fail

29. CAD
Conversion
The requested workspace would convert a
folder of Bentley MicroStation DGNs to ESRI
Geodatabases with the following parameters:
1. Create one GDB per DGN with the new GDB
having the same name as the original DGN
2. The DGNs have a local coordinate system
but have an associated world file in the folder
3. Convert annotation, points, polygons, and
polylines while honoring the original levels in
the DGN without attaching the annotation to
the points, polygons, and polylines. (I need
Annotation as a separate Feature Class)
4. The Annotation must honor the sizing in an
MXD as it was in the original DGN
User Submitted Scenario #11
#SafeWebinar

30. CAD
Conversion
User Submitted Scenario #11
Key transformers used to
solve the problem
Routes a feature based on its
geometry type.
Adds one or more attributes to the
feature and optionally assigns a value
derived from constants, attribute
values, and expressions.

31. Common theme in
Dealing with large
data volumes
user submitted scenarios:
Video on Bulk Data
Processing: fme.ly/bulk-data
Dynamic Workflow:
fme.ly/dynamic-workflow

32. Q&A
Thank you!
If we didn’t get to your scenario, please post it to
knowledge.safe.com or tweet us @SafeSoftware

33. Transformer
Reference
Guide
Thank you! Get our free
fme.ly/TransformerGuide18

34. Bonus Notes
(Not included in webinar)

35. Tester
Use tester when:
>You want to make a different decision based on an Attributes Value
> to split the logic flow into 2 cases IE Test Pass Test Fail
Also Consider: TestFilter
> If you want to consider branching more than 2 ways consider a TestFilter

36. AttributeCreator
Use when you want to:
Create attributes based on the value of other attributes
Use over AttributeManager if you want simplicity and less options
Also Consider: AttributeManager
Pro Secret: AttributeCreator and Manager are the same under the covers

37. FeatureMerger
Use when you want to bring data together
Allows for a basic join on matching attribute values
Can take a combination of ports to produce inner, left right and full outer joins
Offers complex ways to assemble geometry as either aggregates or reassembling
Use when you need an all - purpose tool
Also Consider FeatureJoiner for performance
SQL Caller/DBJoiner- Merging in the DB often faster can use SQL
InlineQuerier if you know sql for more flexibility can use SQL on non -dbs

38. AttributeManager
Use when you need to do anything attribute
Create, delete, rename and copy
Do all your attribute manipulation in 1 place!
Keep your workspaces tidy

39. Reprojector
Use when you want to convert a geometries coordinates to a new coord system
you want the actual coord values to change (actual data transformation)
Don’t confuse with CoordinateSystemSetter when you have the right coordinates
but just need to define a new system
Also consider ESriReprojector CSMapReprojector which use different engines

40. Creator
Use when you need a “dummy” feature to trigger something
Want to create a simple test geometry
Creator ->Http Caller> …
Can bring in a wkt geometry easily
Also consider RasterCreator, PointCloudCreator

41. AttributeRenamer
Does a basic rename
Consider combining with other tasks in the AttributeManager

42. TestFilter
Use when you need to split out features into multiple 2+ paths depending on
attribute values
IE branch a table out to different writers

43. AttributeKeeper
Use when you need to clean up
Cut your schema down to the set of things you want
Can improve performance and reduce memory overhead
Also Consider AttributeRemover to specify what to get rid of instead of what to
keep

44. Clipper
Use when you want to clip a geometry to a predefined area
Also consider AreaOnAreaOverlayer

45. AttributeValidator
Expose hidden attributes

46. Logger
Can be used to troubleshoot tricky data type problems

47. Transformer
Reference
Guide
Thank you! Get our free
fme.ly/TransformerGuide18