Default Paths

Select Tools > FME Options > Default Paths.

Connection Storage

Specifies how FME stores data and public key files for database connections and web connections.

To Update Connection Storage

1. Click Manage and select Change Connection Storage.
2. In the Change Connection Storage dialog, specify the Connection Storage:
• Personal Database (default): The connections data file is stored and encrypted on the user's local system. Connections are available only to the user.
• Shared Database: The connections data file and associated database encryption key file are stored in locations that can be accessed by multiple users. Connections are available to any user with access to those locations.

  You must also specify:

  • Database Folder: Path to the folder in which to create the database to store connection data.
  • Key Folder: Path to the folder in which to locate the database encryption key file. If the key file does not already exist, one is created.
  • Key File Password (optional): Enter a password for accessing the key file.

  Tip  In addition to setting Key File Password, we recommend adjusting permissions on the key file, using the settings of your operating system, as an added layer of protection.

• FME Flow: Database connections, web connections, and their associated data files and encryption key files are available from the specified FME Flow. You must connect to the FME Flow you want to access. For more information, see Connecting to FME Flow.
3. To save and close FME Options, click OK. To save and keep FME Options open, click Apply.

Documentation Help Locations

By default, when you access Help from any FME Form tool (FME Workbench, FME Data Inspector, and others), it opens from the safe.com website. This means that you will always see the latest help topics for updates and for new features.

You can change this default behavior and access product documentation from help files that you install manually to your own system.

To Install Help Files to Your System

1. Visit the FME downloads page and specify the FME version for which you want documentation.
   Note  Ideally, the documentation version should match the installed version of FME, but you can install any available version of the documentation.
2. Under FME Form, click Offline Docs to download the necessary help files.
3. When the download is complete, extract the zipped files to a folder named help directly under your FME installation folder. You must create the help folder manually.
4. When extraction is complete, a path to the help folder appears under Documentation Help Locations. (You may need to close and re-open this window.)

To Toggle Accessing Help Files Between Offline and Online

1. Check or uncheck Use Offline Help as required:
• To instruct FME to access help files that you installed to your system, check Use Offline Help.
• To instruct FME to access help files online, uncheck Use Offline Help.
2. To save the change and keep the FME Options window open, click Apply. To save and close the window, click OK.

Shared FME Folders

A shared FME folder contains FME files that have been made available for other users to use. These files are:

• workspaces (*.fmw)
• mapping files (*.fme)
• custom  transformers (*.fmx)
• custom formats (*.fds)
• custom coordinate systems (*.fme is ideal; however, most file formats will work)
• transformer categories (*.fmxlist)

This option is especially useful for workgroups. For instance, if an entire workgroup uses just a few custom coordinate system definitions, keeping these definitions in one place means that everyone doesn't have to have a copy.  Then, whenever any of the definitions are updated, the entire group automatically has access to the new version.

Every time you start FME, it will scan the folders for new or updated transformers, formats, coordinate systems, coordinate system exceptions, coordinate system grid overrides, CS-MAP transformation exceptions, and transformer lists.

Steps

1. Click the Add button.
2. Browse to the folder that you want to open for sharing, and select it.
3. If the required subfolders do not exist, FME asks if you want to create them. (Note that your system administrator may have to set up permissions and subfolders for this folder.) Click Yes. The folder name is added under Shared FME Folders, and FME adds the following subfolders:

Subfolder Names
CoordinateSystemExceptions
CoordinateSystemGridOverrides
CoordinateSystems
CsmapTransformationExceptions
Formats
TransformerCategories
Transformers
Workspaces

4. To save the change and keep the FME Options window open, click Apply. To save and close the window, click OK.
5. Restart FME Workbench.

Click the arrow buttons to change the order in which FME scans the resource folders.

Removing Shared Directories

To remove a folder, click the Remove button. FME removes the folder from the shared resource list.

See Also

• Sharing Custom Formats, Transformers, and Coordinate Systems on FME Flow

workbench help