Safe Software is the world s leading supplier of spatial data translation software. We are focused on helping organizations enhance access to spatial

Transcription

1 Safe Software is the world s leading supplier of spatial data translation software. We are focused on helping organizations enhance access to spatial data resources by providing software solutions that deliver seamless data format translation. Our software products are used worldwide by organizations that need to access and manipulate GIS and CAD data in multiple data formats.

2 About this Help File This help file contains information about FME Universal Viewer. A separate help file exists for FME Universal Translator, FME Workbench, and FME Universal Viewer each may be accessed through the Help menu of the corresponding FME component. For detailed information on translation, consult the help files for FME Universal Translator and FME Workbench.

3 About the FME Data Inspector The FME Data Inspector is a Safe Software technology preview, intended to eventually replace the FME Universal Viewer. Although it maintains many of the same features as the FME Universal Viewer, the Data Inspector is cross-platform, it uses the latest display technology, and it supports 3D viewing. For this release, you have the option to use either application. To set the FME Data Inspector as your default Workbench data inspection application, go to Tools > FME Options > Workbench.

4 FME Help These help files contain information on performing translations and transformations using FME Workbench. Separate help files exist for FME Universal Translator, FME Workbench, and FME Universal Viewer. FME Workbench Help Files: Start FME Workbench and click the Help menu. FME Universal Translator Help Files: Start FME Universal Translator and click the Help menu. Coordinate System Help: In the FME Workbench Help file look under Coordinate Systems or press F1 from the Coordinate System Gallery. Note: Especially for advanced operations, you may have to look in different help files to get the information you need.

5 Format Information and Technical Reference These files contain technical information and can be found in the FME Workbench Help menu. FME Readers and Writers: Detailed information on FME-supported formats. Note that most reader and writer directives correspond to Workbench parameters in the Navigation pane. FME Functions and Factories: Detailed technical information on functions and factories that correspond to Workbench transformer. FME Fundamentals: Detailed reference information on FME's fundamentals; that is, how FME processes data. If you want to write or customize your own mapping files, or just want to know how FME works, you can find detailed information on FME Architecture, Functions, Feature Factories, Interfaces, Transformation Process, Mapping File Syntax, and Configuration. To view this file, from the Workbench Help menu choose FME Fundamentals Reference. Copyright and Trademark Information

6 About the FME Universal Viewer FME Universal Viewer is a utility that allows you to view data in any FME-supported format. It is used primarily to preview data before translation and to verify it after translation. It can also be used to check data at any point during a translation; as you use FME, you ll find the Viewer useful when setting up complex transformations because you can examine the output at each step. FME Universal Viewer is closely tied to FME Workbench Workbench can send data directly to the Viewer. The Viewer, meanwhile, has basic translation capabilities: you can save any data in the Viewer window to an output dataset in any FME-supported format. FME Universal Viewer has basic tools for editing the display symbology. FME Universal Viewer is commonly referred to as the Viewer. It is also occasionally referred to as the Visualizer, since it forms an integral part of the Workbench transformer of the same name. FME Universal Viewer files are called viewspaces and have the.fmv extension. What can you inspect with the Viewer? FME Universal Viewer isn t designed to be a GIS or mapping application. The tools for symbology modification and printing are intended for data validation rather than producing map output. You can inspect a number of different facets of spatial data, including: Geometry: Check whether the geometry types are correct and that the geometry is in the correct spatial location. Symbology: Is the color, size and style of each feature correct? Attributes: Are all required attributes present? Data Format: Is the data in the expected format? Data Schema: Is the data subdivided into the correct layers, categories, or classes? Data Quantity: Does the data contain the correct number of features? Process Output: Has the translation process restructured the data as expected?

7 FME Data Inspector is a Safe Software Technology Preview Safe Software is the world s leading supplier of spatial data translation software. We are focused on helping organizations enhance access to spatial data resources by providing software solutions that deliver seamless data format translation. Our software products are used worldwide by organizations that need to access and manipulate GIS and CAD data in multiple data formats. About the FME Data Inspector The FME Data Inspector is a Safe Software technology preview, intended to eventually replace the FME Universal Viewer. Although it maintains many of the same features as the FME Universal Viewer, the Data Inspector is cross-platform, it uses the latest display technology, and it supports 3D viewing. For this release, you have the option to use either application. To set the FME Data Inspector as your default Workbench data inspection application, go to Tools > FME Options > Workbench. Why the option? FME is used by a diverse group of worldwide users who work with countless different hardware and software configurations. Releasing the FME Data Inspector as a technology preview allows Safe Software to not only solicit feedback, but it also allows us to make sure that we get this feedback from the widest user base possible. We believe this will result in the best overall user experience when we fully debut the FME Data Inspector. FME Components Primary 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 directory 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 Universal Viewer (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 feasible that you will only ever need to use Workbench and the FME Universal Viewer or FME Data Inspector. FME Universal Viewer The FME Universal Viewer allows quick viewing of data in any FME-supported format. It is used primarily for data validation and quality assurance by allowing you to preview data before translation, or review data after translation. FME Data Inspector (FME technology preview) The FME Data Inspector is a Safe Software technology preview, intended to eventually replace the FME Universal Viewer. Although it maintains many of the same features as the FME Universal Viewer, the Data Inspector is cross-platform, it uses the latest display technology, and it supports 3D viewing. For FME 2011, users have the option of using both. FME Quick Translator

8 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. FME Community Our online community consists of an enthusiastic group of users and Safe Software staff participating in our various online resources. FME User Central fmepedia FMETalk FME Certification Program FME User Central FME User Central is an access point to technical resources for FME users. Be sure to bookmark this site to get direct access to all the information, tools and news you need to build your FME expertise. fmepedia fmepedia is Safe Software's user collaboration site. Based on Mediawiki, fmepedia is a wiki that is maintained both by Safe Software staff as well as members of our user community. FMETalk FMETalk is a technical discussion group for Safe Software's FME range of applications. Safe Software FME Certification Program The Safe Software FME Certification Program is a technical skill credentials program that identifies high-quality, knowledgeable FME consultants and trainers. There are two designations available: FME Certified Professional and FME Certified Trainer. Individuals who receive these prestigious designations must demonstrate deep expertise in FME and meet the quality standards set by Safe Software. Certification offers FME experts a great way to gain a competitive edge in their industries. This program supersedes the previous FME Most Valued Professional (MVP) program.

9 Viewer Interface Every area of the FME Universal Viewer interface has a name and serves a specific purpose. Any of these windows, panes, or bars can be shown or hidden by selecting View > Windows in the Menu Bar. ). Hold- Tip: You can "undock" display panes by clicking on a boundary and dragging it to another location (or by clicking the Maximize button ing down the Ctrl key at the same time ensures that the window won't "redock" in another location in the Viewer. View Window The View Window is the spatial data display area of the FME Universal Viewer. Multiple views of different datasets may be opened at the same time.

10 Display Control Window The Display Control Window shows a list of open datasets and their various feature types. These components are displayed as a hierarchy of levels that can turned on or off, from entire datasets down to individual geometry types. The Display Control Window also allows you to adjust feature type symbology and to change the drawing order of data.

11 Each feature type can be assigned a different color or style that will apply to all geometries beneath it. At the geometry level, each separate type can also be assigned a unique color or style. Datasets and feature types are displayed in the same order in the Display Control Window as they appear in the View Window. You can change this order by dragging any dataset or feature type above another to promote its display order in the View Window. You may only reorder feature types within their own dataset. If you want to change the display order of multiple feature types, it is often easier to use the Reorder Feature Types function. Open it by rightclicking a dataset or feature type in the list and selecting Reorder Feature Types.

12 The Edit Feature Type Order dialog then allows you to toggle the display of the feature types, re-order them in the list or re-sort them alphabetically. Tip: Hold Ctrl to select successive entries or Shift to select a range of entries.

13 Information Window When you query a feature in the View Window, information about that feature is shown in the Information Window. This information includes feature type, attributes (both user and format attributes), coordinate system, and geometry details. Log Window The Log Window reports information related to the reading and showing of a dataset, which you can use to confirm that data was read correctly. It shows statistics and processing information whenever you open a dataset, open a viewspace, or save a dataset to a different format. Certain other functions, such as the Measure Distances tool, also generate messages in the Log Window. You may find it useful to copy information from the Log File to a text file.

14 Status Bar The Status Bar is a general report on the status of the Viewer. It shows which feature is being read when a dataset is opened, indicates when the Viewer is drawing a dataset on screen, and prompts you when the Viewer is waiting for user input. Menu Bar The Menu Bar includes the File, View, Window, and Help Menus. The File Menu allows you to perform administrative tasks, such as opening, adding, and saving files. The View and Window Menus let you navigate around the View Window and set Viewer options, while the Help Menu contains links to help files and other FME documentation. Toolbar The Toolbar contains shortcuts to some of the Universal Viewer s most valuable functions. Note: Detailed descriptions of many toolbar functions are available elsewhere in the Universal Viewer Help. Insert tools Open Dataset Add Dataset Open Viewspace File tools Save Data As Save Viewspace Close View Close Viewspace View tools

15 Pan Zoom In [Shift] Zoom Out [Ctrl] Zoom to a Selected Feature Zoom to a Marked Location Zoom to the Full Extent of the Data Revert to the Previous Zoom Extent Advance to the Next Zoom Extent Query tools Select Features Measure Distances Refresh and Repaint tools Repaint View [redraws the current display window] Refresh View [reloads the dataset you are viewing] Note: Do not use the Refresh button when you are viewing data routed directly from FME Workbench. Selecting Format The Universal Viewer allows you to view multiple simultaneous datasets in any FME-supported format. To view your data, click the Open Dataset icon or select File > Open Dataset. This opens the Select Dataset to View dialog. Now, you must specify the format of the file you want to read. This is done through the Formats Gallery. Launch the Formats Gallery by clicking the Format Browse button. Select the appropriate format, either by scrolling through the list or by entering a character string into the Search box (the Format box on the previous screen also serves as a format filter). Start by typing in the first few letters of the desired format. Typing Goo, for example, produces the following:

16 Even if you don t know the first letters of your chosen format s name, you can enter a partial phrase into the filter. Typing Shape, for example, automatically opens ESRI Shape format: Or, if you prefer, you can filter by file extension. Do so by typing a known extension into the format box. Typing Dgn, for example, shows only those formats that are typically associated with the file extension.dgn : Specifying a format activates the file filter in the subsequent dataset selection dialog. This assists in locating datasets amongst other files, while ensuring that the appropriate dataset type (that is, folder-based) is selected. Note: After you have viewed multiple datasets in the Viewer, notice that the Format drop-down box has become populated. The drop-down list consists of the 10 most recently used formats. Selecting Dataset Once you have selected your desired format, you must specify the data file to view. Begin by clicking the Dataset Browse button. This will launch a file browser (notice that only files of your selected data format are visible). Browse to the appropriate data file(s) and click Open.

17 Tip: FME is sometimes able to detect the format of a selected dataset without being told in the Format box. Therefore, it can be faster especially if you aren t sure what format your data is in to select your Dataset first. However, it is always helpful to confirm that the Format and Dataset fields are correct before you attempt to view the data. If the format does not match the dataset, the data will fail to load in the Viewer. Adjusting Reader Parameters The Parameters button allows you to specify additional information required by certain source formats. When you select a format that permits additional settings, the Parameters button will become available. When you click the button, you ll see a dialog containing options specific to the format you selected. Note: If your format supports extra settings, you do not necessarily have to change them FME will simply use default values. Setting Coordinate System In most cases, the Coordinate System box indicates Read From Source after the Format and Dataset have been selected. This means that FME is able to read the source dataset and detect which coordinate system is being used. However, if the Coordinate System box reads Unknown or is blank, you may have to manually select a coordinate system. Do so by clicking the Coordinate System browse button and selecting the appropriate system in the Coordinate System Gallery:

18 Recently-used coordinate systems are also saved in the Coordinate System drop-down menu: Tip: For more information on individual coordinate systems, select a system in the Coordinate System Gallery and click Properties. Adding a Dataset The Add Dataset tool adds a dataset to a pre-existing viewspace. Click the icon or select File > Add Dataset from the Menu bar. For assistance in filling in the Format and Dataset fields, see Selecting Format and Selecting Dataset. The new dataset will open in the currently active view window and the additional dataset name and features will appear in the Display Control Panel. Note: When you use the Add Dataset tool to overlay two or more datasets, it is important to make sure that all datasets belong to the same coordinate system. The FME Universal Viewer cannot reproject data to a different coordinate system.

19 Merging Similar Datasets If have you several datasets of the same format and schema (data model), you can view them as a single merged dataset in the Viewer. 1. Click or select File > Open Dataset. Select an initial source dataset, then click the Add Source Datasets button to show the Select Source Data Files dialog. 2. You can type directly in the Folder field and use wildcards to include all files of a specific format. For example, typing C:\**\*.dgn merges all.dgn files on your C: drive. 3. You can also click Add Folder to browse for a specific folder and may optionally check the Subfolders box to also include all subfolders below that directory. All files that are in the specified format in those directories are included. 4. Choose Add Files to select individual files to merge. 5. Check the Identical Schemas box if you know that all files have the same schema. If you check the box, then FME does not have to perform an initial scan of all files to determine their schemas. Instead, FME takes the initial dataset as representative of the entire data model. 6. Click OK. The Viewer merges the specified datasets and appends the added datasets to the original. The log window shows detailed information. Opening a Viewspace The Open Viewspace tool opens a previously saved viewspace (.fmv file). To open a viewspace, click the Open Viewspace icon or select File > Open Viewspace from the Menu Bar. Browse to the.fmv file and click Open. The viewspace is shown in the Viewer.

20 Tip:To speed up the reading of frequently accessed viewspaces, select View > Options > Use Persistent Cache. Note: Viewspaces do not contain spatial data, but rather details of the open datasets and how they are being viewed. For more information, see Saving a Viewspace. Saving a Dataset Saving a Dataset (as) is the Universal Viewer s method of conducting basic translations. In this sense, the Save Data As tool is similar to FME Workbench s Translation tool (only without advanced transformation capabilities). Save your Dataset in a different format by clicking the Save Data As button or by selecting File > Save Data As. Now select an output format and type a filename and associated extension. Depending on the format desired, you may have the option to change settings. You may also wish to specify which coordinate system the new dataset will use. When you are finished, click OK.

21 Tip: When you conduct a basic translation, only the data displayed within the View window will be output. Therefore, a crude envelope can be set by using the windowing tools to display only the area of data required. This can help to keep file sizes small and to focus attention on a particular spatial phenomenon within your dataset. Saving a Viewspace A viewspace is essentially a legend and a list of settings. Saving a viewspace, then, saves details of the open datasets and how they are being viewed. Opening your saved viewspace in the Viewer will reopen the original datasets to present the display exactly as it was when the viewspace was saved (including screen positioning, marked locations, etc.). However, saving a viewspace doesn t save the data itself (so you can t send an.fmv file alone to someone to view the data) and the original datasets must still exist in the same locations for a previously saved viewspace to be opened. Save a Viewspace by clicking the Save Viewspace button in the Toolbar or by selecting File > Save Viewspace. Removing a Dataset Right-click the dataset name in the Display Control Panel and click Remove Dataset to remove a dataset from view. If you have only one dataset open, selecting this option will close the file.

22 Closing a View To close the selected View pane without shutting down the Viewer, click File > Close View.

23 Viewing Raster Data Because raster data is made up of cells rather than features, the techniques for inspecting raster datasets are slightly different than those for inspecting vector datasets. Above: A CDED format digital elevation model (DEM) opened in the FME Universal Viewer. The value of the selected cell is reported in the lower-right corner of the Information Pane. Querying Raster Features There are two ways to use the Query tool on a raster dataset: querying a cell and querying a raster dataset itself. Below: An FME splash screen.gif opened in the Viewer.

24 This is a good example of a color raster image. Each cell contains a triplet that defines its color by RGB (Red, Green, Blue). For example, the shade of red at the letter M's highest peak (204, -94) is 95, 63, 71. Querying a Cell A single click onto a raster dataset queries the cell under that click and produces output in the Information Window:

25 Querying a Dataset Selecting an area of the raster dataset with a click and drag motion queries a larger portion of the dataset. This results in the following type of output:

26 Because it is part of a raster dataset, FME considers the 1201 x 1201 cell area to be a single feature. Mixing Vector and Raster Datasets The FME Universal Viewer is capable of displaying raster and vector datasets in a single viewspace. Below: A raster digital elevation model with overlaid vector boundary data.

27 Types of Datasets Source Datasets may come in any of four possible types. FME distinguishes between these different types on the basis of data storage and structure. Since FME handles each type differently, it is important to know which type of data you are working with. File-Based Datasets A file-based dataset is as simple as it sounds: it s a complete dataset stored within a single file. An AutoCAD DXF file is a good example of this; each.dxf file is a separate dataset. Feature Types within File-Based Datasets File-based datasets usually have some method of assigning data to different categories. In FME these categories are treated as different feature types. For example, in an AutoCAD DXF file the data is organized into "layers". DGN files, on the other hand, use "levels". In each case, FME reads these categories as distinct feature types. Folder-Based Datasets In this form, the dataset is the folder or directory holding the data. For example, in "C:\FMEData\Data\Schools\ShapeSchoolRegions" the dataset name is "ShapeSchoolRegions". ESRI Shape, MapInfo TAB and CSV formats are examples of folder-based datasets. Feature Types within Folder-Based Datasets In a folder-based dataset, data is contained in a series of files. Typically, each unique file within the folder is a feature type within the dataset. For example, in the following ESRI Shape data structure, the dataset is "engineering", while the feature types are "roads", "pipelines", and "roadsigns". C:\citydata\engineeering\roads.shp pipelines.shp roadsigns.shp Note: It is common for FME users to mistake individual files for datasets. However, when there is no method of subdividing the data within the file itself, FME usually treats the file as a feature type within a folder-based dataset. Database Datasets A database dataset, as its name implies, is a set of data stored within a database. Generally each distinct database is a different dataset (though to be strictly accurate, each user/schema within a database would be a different dataset). The most obvious example is an Oracle database; whether it is spatial or non-spatial, it is treated the same way by FME. Feature Types within Database Datasets In a database dataset, each different table within the database is considered a feature type. For example, an Oracle database called "resources" has tables called "users", "vehicles", and "equipment". The dataset, in this case, is "resources", whereas the feature types are "users", "vehicles", and "equipment". Web Datasets A web dataset is a collection of data stored on an Internet site. A Web Feature Service (WFS) server is an example of a web dataset. In this case, the name of the dataset is the same as the name of the URL (Universal Resource Locator). Feature Types within Web Datasets Web datasets commonly have a number of layers. Each layer represents a different feature type.

28 Points Point geometries are features represented by a single coordinate. A simple point feature has only an x/y coordinate. Text features possess an x/y coordinate that represents the insertion point of an annotation (usually the lower-left corner of the text). The feature is also defined by text size, rotation and justification. Arc features possess an x/y coordinate that represents their centre point, plus a mathematical definition of the arc radius and sweep angles so that FME can describe them properly in a view. Ellipses, like arcs, are basically circle or oval features. However, since they are closed figures, they don t require a start or sweep angle. Lines A line is a series of points strung together to form a chain. The simplest form of line geometry is a two-point line: a line with a start coordinate and an end coordinate, but no intermediate points. A polyline feature is a multi-point line; that is, it has a start coordinate and an end coordinate, plus one or more intermediate points. Note: An NB is a polyline feature whose last point is coincident to its first. In other words, it appears as a closed figure. However, it is a line feature by definition and doesn t become a polygon unless coerced (connected) by a transformer or reader/writer, such as FME Workbench s PolygonBuilder. Polygons A polygon feature is a series of points strung together whose first and last points coincide to form a closed shape. A simple polygon forms a single closed shape. A donut is made up of an outer polygon to define the perimeter and an inner polygon to represent a hole within it. The inner polygon is known as an island.

29 Aggregates An aggregate is a defined set of any of the above features (point, line, polygon, and so forth). It is also sometimes known as a "collection" or "group." A homogeneous aggregate is made up of features of the same geometry type. A non-homogeneous aggregate is made up of features of differing geometry types. Raster A raster geometry feature is a set of pixels (or cells) in a grid formation. There are no attributes as such, but each cell may possess a single value or color. Non-Geometry A non-geometry feature is a set of attributes without geometry. The most common non-geometry feature is a simple database record. Other Geometry Types FME supports a variety of other geometry types which are less easily classified. These include: Area BRepSolid Box CSGSolid CompositeSolid CompositeSurface Curve Extrusion Face MultiArea MultiCurve MultiPoint MultiSolid MultiSurface MultiText Null

30 Path RectangleFace Segment SimpleArea SimpleSolid SimpleSurface Solid Surface Text TriangleFan TriangleStrip

31 Querying Features The Universal Viewer is able to query both classic and enhanced geometric features. To query a feature, click it after selecting the Query tool. To query multiple features, select the Query tool and drag a box over a region by holding down the left mouse button. Querying Classic Geometry The example below shows the Information Window with queried feature information. 1) The number of features queried. Here it is feature 1 of 1. To the right are buttons to advance or reverse when more than one feature has been queried. Query multiple features by dragging a box over a region in the View Window. 2) The Feature Type of the feature a city park, in this case. 3)The coordinate system that the feature belongs to. This field will be blank if the format does not support coordinate systems. 4) User Attributes. This dataset contains attributes called name, parts, acres, points, etc. 5) FME Attributes. These start with "fme_" and define the feature within FME. For example, fme_color attributes define a feature s color according to FME s definition method. 6) Format Attributes. In this case the format is MapInfo. These define the feature within the source format. Here format attributes define a feature s color using the format s definition method. 7) Spatial Summary: includes details on the feature s dimensionality (2D or 3D), number of coordinates and bounding box details. 8)Coordinate Listing: an (optionally) full listing of all the coordinates of the feature. Querying Enhanced Geometry Querying an enhanced geometric feature produces considerably different output in the lower half of the Information window. The example below shows The Information Window with queried feature information.

32 1) The feature geometry type. Here it is a polygon feature (IFMEPolygon). 2) The boundary of the polygon is defined by a "path" (IFMEPath) made up of three segments. 3) The first path segment is a line feature (IFMELine). It is a 2D line with three coordinates (that is, a polyline). 4) The second segment is an arc (IFMEArc). 5) The final segment is another line. The overall feature looks like this(below).

33 Options Menu Selections in the View > Options menu allow you to customize what you see in the Viewer output. Mark Vertices These options, when activated, visibly mark all vertices of Area, Line, and/or Text Feature Types. Unmarked area vertices: Marked area vertices:

34 Redraw on Theme Change When you check this option, the datasets in the View Window are redrawn whenever a theme change occurs; for example, when you select layers in the Display Control tree. This option is helpful if you have to turn on or off numerous layers and would prefer not to redraw (repaint) the view each time. Allow Area Filling This option fills in all polygons with their associated color (fme_fill_color). When this option is turned off, polygons are transparent, allowing you to see through to the data below. You can turn this option on or off depending on the nature of your data. Area Filling might be appropriate, for example, in a viewspace depicting bodies of water. Unfilled Area:

35 Filled Area:

36 Display Full Decimal Precision The Viewer shows coordinates either in a truncated format or in their full decimal precision. The default option is to show truncated coordinates, but full precision is vital for checking geometric processes, such as examining a polygon to ensure that it closes correctly. Display All Coordinates When a feature is processed in the Viewer, its coordinates are listed in the Information window. Features can have thousands of coordinates. Therefore, to preserve Viewer performance FME restricts coordinate display to a maximum of 50. However, you can choose to enable full coordinate display by selecting this option from the menu. Adjust Sound Events You can adjust Universal Viewer sound events using the Windows Sound Control Panel. To make it easier to find, the Viewer provides direct links through the Menu Bar. You can set two events in the FME Universal Viewer: when a data load is complete and when a redraw is performed (if the redraw takes longer than 3 seconds). Note that by default all sounds are set to Off. Follow these steps to enable them: 1. Select View > Options > Adjust Sound Events. 2. Scroll through the Program Events list until you find "FME Viewer." 3. Select the sound to associate with the appropriate event. 4. Click OK.

37 Use Persistent Cache This function allows the Viewer to save data in the local file system for subsequent use, such as in situations in which access to the data is over a low-bandwidth link, access is not available at all or the dataset is very large. This is helpful when you need to view a particular viewspace frequently. Geometry Handling This option allows you to switch between Classic and Enhanced Geometry handling modes. Each of FME's supported formats reacts slightly differently to this directive. For example, if an arc in AutoCAD DWF format is read while in Enhanced Geometry handling mode, it is represented as a continuous curve. In Classic geometry handling mode, however, it appears as a series of connected points that form a curve. In both cases, the actual storage of the feature's geometry is unaffected. The reading of the geometry, however, varies according to the Geometry Handling setting. For detailed information on how a particular format responds to Classic or Enhanced Geometry handling, refer to the FME Readers and Writers manual (available in Workbench under Help > FME Readers and Writers Reference) or to FME Fundamentals (available as FME- Fundamentals.chm on your FME CD, as well as on our website). Note that, if a reader only supports enhanced geometry (for example, EDIGéO) or only supports classic geometry (for example, ESRI ArcInfo Generate), it is not affected by the parameter. Note: Changing this parameter introduces certain limitations. For example, if you open a dataset while in Enhanced Geometry handling mode, then change the setting to Classic and add another dataset to the same viewspace, both modes are at work simultaneously. If you refresh view, however, the reading of both datasets reverts to Classic Geometry handling mode. the

38 Marking a Location on a Dataset The Mark Location feature allows you to pinpoint a location on a dataset. Right-click any part of the dataset and select Mark Location. The location is now marked with a red crosshair. Select in the toolbar to open the Mark Location dialog. From here, you can view and alter the X and Y coordinates of the marked location. This is useful if you know the coordinates of your intended mark, but do not necessarily know where to find it in the viewer or if you want to mark a very precise location. The Mark Location dialog also allows you to specify the length of the mark s radius (in units). If the specified radius is particularly large, a crosshair may no longer be an appropriate marker. In these cases, the location is marked by a circle: Select to zoom immediately to the marked location. Using the Measuring Tool The Viewer supports a measuring mode that makes it easy to determine distances between two points. One of the advantages of this tool is that it allows you to determine how close things are so that you can set and adjust tolerances during format translations. Click the measuring tool. You see a crosshair in the viewspace. Click and hold to drag the crosshair from point A to point B.

39 Release the mouse button. The Log window shows the distance measured, as well as start and end coordinates. This information is also shown in the Status Bar on the lower left: Displaying Features The easiest way to toggle feature displays in the viewspace is by clicking the box next to a feature name. An X means that the feature is currently shown. Click to deselect the box and turn off the feature display. You can also right-click a feature name to show a command menu. Select Toggle Feature to quickly turn on/off the display, or turn on/off the other options to change the appearance of the feature. Note: If you have more than one dataset open, clearing a dataset checkbox turns off data in the view for that particular dataset only. Setting Drawing Styles You can customize the appearance of your dataset by adjusting how its features are displayed. In the Display Control Window (which shows the "tree" view), click to expand a feature. In this case, the feature is called LOT_LINES.

40 Double-click a geometry type (Area, Line, Point or Text) to display the Drawing Styles dialog. From here you can change color, line style, symbol, and text characteristics. Filtering Features Locating a particular feature in a large dataset can be tricky. The Filter Features tool allows you to use SQL queries to filter out features, retaining only those whose attributes match the given criteria. Example This data has an attribute called Length.

41 The Filter Features tool opens a dialog box that contains a Test Expression field. The Left Side is usually a function and the Right Side is usually a constant. In this case, the dialog is set up to test for lines with a length of less than 600. The Enabled check-box turns the function on and off so that you don't have to re-enter settings. The Log Pane reports how many features are in the view and how many were filtered. Note: The value in the Left Side text box contains an ampersand (&). This is the Filter s way of specifying the value of the length attribute rather than the text string length. Adding Dynamic Attributes This feature adds new attributes to your data, including any FME functions. Click to display the Dynamic Attributes dialog. Example - Adding attribute: Type the new attribute name and expression, remembering to include any parameters in parentheses. Click Add to add the attribute to the list. Close the window. The new attribute appears in the list in the Information Window.

42 Non-System Encoding The FME Universal Viewer has the ability to view attributes held in a non-system encoding without having to change your computer to a different locale. Shortcuts To quickly zoom to a location in your viewspace, hold down the Shift key, click the mouse button, and drag the cursor around the area. To quickly zoom out, hold down the Ctrl key, click the mouse button, and drag the cursor. To zoom out in successive steps, hold down the Ctrl key and click the mouse button once. Printing From the File menu: Select Print to edit printer properties, print range, and number of copies. Select Print Preview to preview your output. Select Print Setup to choose your printer and to set default print parameters, such as page layout and paper size. Click the Print icon to perform a quick print.