FME Components

FME is actually a number of different software applications that comprise a number of spatial data handling components. All applications listed here are included with every edition of FME. Browse your FME installation folder to access the components.

FME Workbench

FME Workbench is an application for solving data translation and processing problems.

With Workbench, underlying FME functionality is exposed in an intuitive interface that allows you to graphically define a custom data flow from source, through transformation, to destination.

Workbench has tools for defining the source and destination dataset structure (or schema), and also for manipulating the geometry and attributes of spatial data.

Workbench is fully integrated to interact with other FME applications (such as the FME Data Inspector). It is also integrated with other products such as FME Server, and is the authoring tool for FME Server models.

It is quite possible that you will only ever need to use Workbench and the FME Data Inspector.

FME Data Inspector

The FME Data Inspector is used primarily to preview data before translation or to verify it after translation. You can also use it to check data at any point during a translation; as you use FME you’ll find this is useful for step-by-step examination of complex translations. The FME Data Inspector is cross-platform, it uses the latest display technology, and it supports 3D viewing. The Data Inspector also includes a Table View for easier inspection of non-spatial data.

FME Quick Translator

FME Quick Translator (originally called the FME Universal Translator) was the first FME application to be developed. Translations are defined through a scripting language rather than a graphic interface. For this reason, the Quick Translator is largely superseded by FME Workbench; however, as its name suggests, it is good to use for quick, format-to-format translations.

FME Command-Line Engine

The FME Command-Line Engine enables translation requests to be submitted at the command-line level.

Developer Components

These additional development components are all included as part of the standard FME package.

FME Objects

FME Objects is a software library for working with spatial data. Application developers use FME Objects to add spatial data reading and writing support into their stand-alone applications.

FME Application Extenders

FME Application Extenders are components by which FME technology is used or embedded into other GIS applications. These are then known as FME Enabled Applications. Application Extenders enable a GIS product to view datasets not native to that application.

FME Plug-In SDK

The FME Plug-In SDK allows developers to add their own formats or functionality to the FME translation core.

FME Integration SDK

The FME Integration SDK allows developers to create FME-enabled applications for users who already have FME installed on the same PC.