The VML Format writer creates a single VML top-level group element that is used as the containing block for all feature data. This top-level group element defines the coordinate space for all of its sub-elements. The coordinate space for the top-level group element may be specified with the FME COORDSIZE and COORDORIGIN mapping file directives. These directives are described under the Writer Directives. All features are drawn relative to its containing block’s —the top-level group element—top left corner. The specified coordinate space has its positive x and y axis in the lower right quadrant.
The VML writer creates a single HyperText Markup Language (HTML) file with the VML data contained in the <body> region of the HTML. At the time of this writing, the only browser supporting VML is Internet Explorer 5 (IE5) and, as a result, the header of the HTML file produced contains information specific to this browser. This information is needed in the header to let other browsers know that the embedded VML data is to be handed off to the browser’s VML-specific processor.