Inspector

Sends features to the FME Data Inspector for display.

When the workspace run is completed, any features that enter this transformer will be displayed in the FME Data Inspector. The Inspector also allows you to view the internal FME Feature Store (FFS) data as it is being processed at that particular moment. Depending on the placement of the Inspector, FME will open the FME Data Inspector and load the data in a new view.

All Inspector transformers used in a workspace will be displayed in the same view.

A feature type in the FME Data Inspector will have the same name as its corresponding Inspector transformer.

Usage Notes

This is a very useful tool for debugging workspaces. Keep in mind, however, that you are viewing the internal FME data, which may not be the same as the data eventually written to your output dataset. This is because FME does not apply any format-imposed restrictions on the data.

Shortcuts

To attach an Inspector transformer: right-click on a selected reader feature type or transformer and choose Connect Inspector(s).
Click the Inspector button to place an Inspector transformer in a workspace.
To immediately open the FME Data Inspector, right-click on a reader or writer feature type and select Inspect.

Redirecting Output to an Inspector

In some cases you might want to inspect output data, but you don't want to actually have to write the data to do so. For example, in a translation that applies updates to a spatial database, you will probably want to check the output before actually committing an update. The answer is the Redirect to FME Data Inspector setting.

When this setting is applied, the output from a translation is redirected away from the specified output and sent directly to the FME Data Inspector.

The simplest way to turn on this feature is to select Writers > Redirect to FME Data Inspector from the FME Workbench menu bar. This is a toggle setting, meaning that each selection turns the setting on or off.

Configuration

Input Ports

Output Ports

This transformer has no output ports.

Parameters

Vector

Pen Color Override

The pen color override takes precedence over the fme_color attribute on the feature. It has the same effect as setting fme_color attribute on the feature to the selected override color for the purposes of inspection.

For point cloud features, if the cloud contains color components for each point, the Inspector will use the color specified in the component. In this case, the pen color override will not be used.

If the cloud does not contain color components for each point, the following priority is used when selecting the paint color for each point:

If there is a Pen Color Override selected, the FME Data Inspector will paint all points in the cloud with the selected override.
If the cloud does not contain color component and a Pen Color Override is not selected, the FME Data Inspector will paint all points in the clouds based on the fme_color attribute on the feature.
If the cloud does not contain color component and there is no Pen Color Override or fme_color attribute on the feature, the FME Data Inspector will use a color ramp based on the z range from blue for the minimum value to red for the maximum value. When the intensity component exists, the intensity value becomes the lightness of the color.

Specifying Colors

Colors may be entered directly or chosen from the color picker via the ellipsis button.

Syntax

Colors can be specified by RGB values or hex codes. RGB values may be either 24-bit or decimal (0 - 1). If the value type is unclear, as in (1,1,1), the 24-bit interpretation is used. Hex codes are accepted with or without a hash sign (#).

24-bit RGB	Decimal RGB	Hex code
0,0,0	0,0,0	#000000
255,0,0	1,0,0	#FF0000
202,173,232	0.79,0.68,0.91	#CAADE8
255,255,255	Not Available	#FFFFFF

Area Fill Color Override

The Area Fill Color override sets the fme_fill_color for the feature for the purposes of inspection.

Area Fill Color Override is not applicable for any feature that does not need a fill such as point clouds, line features, and point features.

Specifying Colors

Colors may be entered directly or chosen from the color picker via the ellipsis button.

Syntax

24-bit RGB	Decimal RGB	Hex code
0,0,0	0,0,0	#000000
255,0,0	1,0,0	#FF0000
202,173,232	0.79,0.68,0.91	#CAADE8
255,255,255	Not Available	#FFFFFF

Raster

Reduction Type	This parameter offers different methods to speed up the inspection of rasters: No Reduction: Rasters will be visualized in full detail. Resample: Large rasters will be resampled down to a smaller size. This is useful if only an overview (that is, not full detail) is required for viewing. Subset: Only a subset of each raster will be written. This subset is defined by the Subset Start Column, Subset Number of Columns, Subset Start Row, and Subset Number of Rows parameters. Bounding Box Only: Only the bounding box of the raster data will be written.
Subset Start Column	Applicable when Subset is selected for the Reduction Type parameter. These parameters identify the position in the input raster from which the subset will be taken, as well as the size of the subset.
Subset Number of Columns (cells)	Applicable when Subset is selected for the Reduction Type parameter. These parameters identify the position in the input raster from which the subset will be taken, as well as the size of the subset.
Subset Start Row	Applicable when Subset is selected for the Reduction Type parameter. These parameters identify the position in the input raster from which the subset will be taken, as well as the size of the subset.
Subset Number of Rows (cells)	Applicable when Subset is selected for the Reduction Type parameter. These parameters identify the position in the input raster from which the subset will be taken, as well as the size of the subset.

Point Cloud

Thinning Type

This parameter offers different methods to speed up the visualization of point clouds by removing points from the cloud:

Every Nth Point (Interval): Keeps every <interval>th point.
Every Nth Point (Maximum Number of Points): Keeps at most <maximum number of points> points that are evenly spaced throughout the dataset.
First/Last N Points: Keeps at most <maximum number of points> points from the start or end of the dataset. This likely will perform faster but produce a less even distribution of points than the Every Nth Point thinning type.

Interval

Specifies how often the points are retained. For example, an amount of 2 will result in every other point of the input cloud feature will be present in the output point cloud.

Maximum Number of Points

Specifies the maximum points in the output point cloud. For example, an amount of 100 will result in points in the input cloud being dropped so the maximum number of points in the output cloud is 100.

Transformer History

This transformer was previously named the Visualizer.

References

The FME Data Inspector help files contain additional information about viewing and saving raster, point cloud, and vector data.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Transformer parameters can be set by directly entering values, using expressions, or referencing other elements in the workspace such as attribute values or user parameters. Various editors and context menus are available to assist. To see what is available, click beside the applicable parameter.

How to Set Parameter Values

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

Content Types

String Functions	These functions manipulate and format strings.
Special Characters	A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.
Math Functions	Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions	Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.
Math Operators	These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.
FME Feature Functions	These return primarily feature-specific values.
FME Parameters	FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters	Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Table Tools

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Add a row
Remove a row
Move current row up one
Move current row down one
Move current row to top
Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
Copy a row to the clipboard
Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

FME Community

The FME Community has a wealth of FME knowledge with over 20,000 active members worldwide. Get help with FME, share knowledge, and connect with users globally.

Search for all results about the Inspector on the FME Community.

Keywords: Visualizer