FME Transformers: 2026.1

Categories
Geometries

Geometries

Categories
Geometries

Geometries

GeometryExposer

Exposes geometry names so they can be accessed by downstream transformers and writers.

Jump to Configuration

Typical Uses

  • Making geometry names available in a workspace for further processing
  • Explicitly declaring geometry names expected downstream in the workspace

How does it work?

The GeometryExposer makes unexposed geometry names visible so they can be used elsewhere in the workspace.

Names may be entered manually or imported from upstream feature caches. Known geometries can be selected from the drop-down menu.

Geometry names exposed by this transformer are visible in downstream schema-aware drop-downs in transformers such as the Reprojector, GeometryRemover, and GeometryNameSetter. They are treated as if they exist in the feature schema, even if they don’t yet exist in the data.

This transformer only exposes the geometry names - it does not ensure that valid geometry names are being exposed. Input features are not modified in any way.

Examples

In this example, we have a set of features with multi geometry. Note that two geometries exist on the feature, and are named POLYGONS and POINTS. We want to rename them to something meaningful.

The features are routed into a GeometryNameSetter.

In the parameters dialog, note that the geometry names are not available for selection. They need to be exposed before renaming.

A GeometryExposer is added prior to the GeometryNameSetter.

In the parameters dialog, both geometry names are added.

Now the names are available for selection in the GeometryNameSetter.

The selected name is changed.

Usage Notes

  • Named geometries differ from geometry type names such as point, curve, and area. To retrieve geometry types, use the @GeometryType() feature function in any transformer that outputs attributes, such as the AttributeManager.
  • This transformer exposes geometry names for use by transformers and writers, but does not add them to an attribute. The GeometryNameExtractor retrieves names into an attribute.

Configuration

Input Ports

Features with named geometries.

Output Ports

Features with exposed geometry names.

Parameters

Geometries To Expose

Provide geometry names to expose.

The order in which they appear here is the order in which they will appear in the Output port.

Use Import to read names from any upstream feature cache.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Transformer parameters can be set by directly entering values, using expressions, or referencing other elements in the workspace such as attribute values or user parameters. Various editors and context menus are available to assist. To see what is available, click beside the applicable parameter.

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters.

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

String Functions

These functions manipulate and format strings.

Special Characters

 A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.

Math Functions

Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.

Math Operators

These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.

FME Feature Functions

These return primarily feature-specific values.

FME Parameters

FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters Create your own editable parameters.

Table Tools

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Add a row
  • Remove a row
  • Move current row up one
  • Move current row down one
  • Move current row to top
  • Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

  • Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
  • Copy a row to the clipboard
  • Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Reference

Processing Behavior

Feature-Based

Feature Holding

No
Dependencies None
Aliases  
History  

FME Online Resources

The FME Community and Support Center Knowledge Base have a wealth of information, including active forums with 35,000+ members and thousands of articles.

Search for all results about the GeometryExposer on the FME Community.

 

Examples may contain information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver, Open Government Licence - British Columbia, and/or Open Government Licence – Canada.