Feature Type and Attribute Property Menus

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Working with Reader Feature Types

Right-click on a Feature Type, and choose an option from the command menu.

Menu Choice

Description

Run

You can run partial workspaces in the following ways:

  • Run From This (or Selected) (F6): All parts of the workspace that flow from a selected object (or objects) run.
  • Run Just This (or Selected): Only a selected object (or objects) runs. If a collapsed bookmark is included in the selection, only the objects within the bookmark run.
  • Run To This (or Selected) (Shift+F6): All parts of the workspace that flow to a selected object (or objects) run.
  • Run Between Selected: All parts of the workspace that flow between the selected objects run.

Cut, Copy, Delete

Performs these functions on the selected feature type only.

Duplicate on Writer

Duplicates the feature type on the writer side, and automatically connects all the attributes.

Disable

Disables this feature type. Menu selection changes to Enable when the feature type has been disabled.

Hide (Connections)

Hides the connections to and from a transformer or feature type. The menu selection changes to Show when connections are hidden.

Enable Only This Feature Type

Disables (and grays out) all other feature types

Connect Inspector

Connects an Inspector transformer.

Connect Logger

Connects a Logger transformer.

Connect Junction

Connects a junction. Junctions help manage connections as you build and organize a workspace.

Attach Annotation

Add a comment associated with this feature. The comment, connected by a leader line will stay joined to its associated feature type.

Show Summary Annotation

Shows hidden object information. This can be useful when printing a workspace.

Create Bookmark

Define areas of your workspace for easy access.

Copy Attributes from Feature Type/Transformer

Copy attributes from another feature type or a transformer. This is a useful function if you have many attributes to duplicate.

Bring to Front, Send to Back

Useful if you have a large workspace, with many feature types.

Zoom to Feature Type

Zooms and focuses the canvas on the selected feature type.

Update

If you add or rename an attribute, this function allows you to update feature types without having to remove and reload them.

Expose Attributes

For advanced FME users: allows you to "expose" or make visible built-in FME attributes.

Pair With

Connects selected reader and writer feature types.

Disconnect

Removes all connections.

View Source Data

Displays the data in the the FME Data Inspector.

Open Containing Folder

Opens the folder that contains the source data.

Properties

Rename the feature type, or view or edit the feature type parameters and attributes. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon above the feature type.)

Working with Writer Feature Types

Right-click on a Feature Type, and choose an option from the command menu.

Menu Choice

Description

Run

You can run partial workspaces in the following ways:

  • Run From This (or Selected): All parts of the workspace that flow from a selected object (or objects) run.
  • Run Just This (or Selected): Only a selected object (or objects) runs. If a collapsed bookmark is included in the selection, only the objects within the bookmark run.
  • Run To This (or Selected): All parts of the workspace that flow to a selected object (or objects) run.
  • Run Between Selected: All parts of the workspace that flow between the selected objects run.

Cut, Copy, Delete

Performs these functions on the selected feature type only.

Duplicate

Duplicate this feature type on the writer.

Disable

Disables this feature type. Menu selection changes to Enable when the feature type has been disabled.

Hide (Connections)

Hides the connections to and from a transformer or feature type. The menu selection changes to Show when connections are hidden.

Update

If you add or rename an attribute, this function allows you to update feature types without having to remove and reload them.

Enable Only This Feature Type

Disables (and grays out) all other feature types

Attach Annotation

Allows you to add a comment associated with this feature. The comment, connected by a leader line, will stay joined to its associated feature type.

Show Summary Annotations

Shows hidden object information. This can be useful when printing out a workspace.

Create Bookmark

Define areas of your workspace for easy access.

Copy Attributes from Feature Type

Duplicates the attributes from another feature type.

Copy Attributes from Transformer

Duplicates the attributes from a transformer.

Expose Attributes

For advanced FME users: allows you to "expose" or make visible built-in FME attributes.

Sort Attributes

Alphabetizes the attribute names.

Bring to Front, Send to Back

Useful if you have a large workspace, with many feature types.

Zoom to Feature Type

Zooms and focuses the canvas on the selected feature type.

Add Attribute

Adds a new attribute. Note that you will have to physically connect this attribute with its source.

Rename (F2)

Type a new name and press Enter.

Pair With

Connects selected source and destination types.

Disconnect

Removes all connections.

View Written Data

Displays the data in the FME Data Inspector.

Open Containing Folder

Open the folder that contains the output data.

Edit (Writer) Parameters

Opens a dialog that displays the existing parameters set on the writer.

Properties

Rename the feature type, or view or edit the feature type parameters and attributes. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon on the top right-hand side of the feature type.)

Working with Attributes

Right-click on either a reader or writer attribute, and choose an option from the command menu.

Note  To enable the menu choices, click the gear icon above the feature type, click the User Attributes tab, and select Manual under Attribute Definition.

Menu Choice

Description

Edit Value

Assign a fixed value to the attribute (writer attributes only).

This was known in previous FME versions as Constant Value.
Rename

Type a new name and press Enter.

Note  You will lose any association with any previously connected attribute.
Delete Remove attribute from the list.
Move Up/Down

Moves the attribute up or down in the list. You might want to do this so the display looks visually cleaner, or to organize attributes for ease of reference.
Properties Rename, view, or edit the attribute. (This is the same as clicking the gear icon above the feature type, and clicking the User Attributes tab.)