Esri ArcGIS Layer Reader

FME can read Esri Layer files and feature classes viewable in Esri ArcCatalog® and ArcMap®.

Esri ArcGIS Layer Product and System Requirements

Dependencies

To use FME’s Esri ArcGIS® Layer (ArcObjects) Reader, you must also install a compatible version of Esri ArcGIS. The bit version must be the same for FME and ArcGIS.

To use Esri ArcMap layers with 64-bit FME, ensure you have ArcGIS Desktop with Background Geoprocessing installed and provide the path to the layer file. To use Esri Pro layers with 64-bit FME, ensure you have ArcGIS Pro installed and provide the path to the layer file.


Format

Product

Operating System

Reader/Writer

FME Desktop License

FME Server

FME Cloud

Windows 64-bit

Linux

Mac

Reader

Available in FME Esri Edition and higher

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Overview

Since the ArcGIS Layer Reader is based on the same technology as FME’s Geodatabase Reader, any spatial feature that the Geodatabase Reader supports is also supported by the ArcGIS Layer Reader.

The ArcGIS Layer reader does not read (non-spatial) tables.

With FME’s ArcGIS Extension or the Esri ArcGIS Data Interoperability Extension installed, it is possible to read FME feature classes for formats that Esri does not natively support. An FME feature class is simply an FME feature type, that, where applicable, has been split geometry type (i.e., point, line, polygon, text, null).

Reader Dataset

Note: To use Esri ArcMap layers with 64-bit FME, ensure you have ArcGIS Desktop with Background Geoprocessing installed and provide the path to the layer file. To use Esri Pro layers with 64-bit FME, ensure you have ArcGIS Pro installed and provide the path to the layer file.

A single Esri layer/feature class from which data is to be read. The value for an Esri layer is simply the layer file. The value for a feature class is the Esri path to the file/database containing the feature class plus the name of the feature class. The Esri path is displayed in the Location toolbar within Esri ArcCatalog.

The FME dataset selector has been enhanced for the ArcGIS Layer reader to use Esri’s layer/feature class picker. Using this selector will greatly simplify the process of selecting a dataset.

Examples

Esri Layer ARCGIS_LAYER_DATASET “C:\data\runways.lyr”
Feature Class within a Personal Geodatabase ARCGIS_LAYER_DATASET “C:\data\airport.mdb\runways”
Feature Class within an Enterprise Geodatabase ARCGIS_LAYER_DATASET “Database Connections\esri92.sde\JOE.runways”
FME Feature Class within a MIF/MID file (requires ArcGIS to be extended by FME) ARCGIS_LAYER_DATASET “C:\data\mif\usa.mif\usa Line”

FME Community

Notes on FME and Esri Versions and Compatibility

FME and Esri ArcGIS Troubleshooting Guide