FME Desktop

These instructions are based on FME Desktop version 2021.1.

Loading and displaying the GML supply

To load and display GML data in FME Desktop:

1. Open an existing workspace or create a new one.

2. In Readers, click Add Reader.

FME Workbench UI showing the Readers > Add Reader option.

1. In the Add Reader dialog:

   • Format: Select OGC GML (Geography Markup Language).

   • Dataset: Click …, navigate to and select the GML file on your computer.

   • Coord. System: Optionally, select EPSG:27700. FME should detect the correct system automatically.

   • Click OK.

     

     FME Workbench Add Reader dialog.
2. In the Select Feature Types dialog, select the layers (feature types) you want to load and click OK.

This dialog may take a while to load. You can watch the progress in green bar at the bottom left of the FME UI.

FME Workbench Select Feature Types dialog showing all layers selected.

A set of readers (matching the feature types your selected) displays in the main work area.

1. Right-click a reader and click Connect Inspector.

   

   FME Workbench main area showing three readers and the Connect Inspector option in the context menu.

An inspector automatically connects to the reader.

1. Click the green Run To This icon (triangle above the inspector) and then click Run in the Translation Parameter Values dialog.

   

   FME Workbench main area showing the Run to This action for an inspector and the Translation Parameter Values dialog that the action opens.

A table and graphical preview of the GML data displays below the main work area when the Run command completes.

FME Workbench showing data table and visual map that displays below the main work area.

1. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each layer (feature type).

Converting GML to shapefile

You can use FME to convert GML data to other geospatial and non-spatial formats. The instructions below demonstrate how to convert to shapefile, but you can adapt them for different formats.

To convert GML to shapefile in FME Desktop:

1. Open an existing workspace or create a new one.

2. In Readers, click Add Reader…

FME Workbench UI showing the Readers > Add Reader option.

1. In the Add Reader dialog:

   • Format: Select OGC GML (Geography Markup Language).

   • Dataset: Click …, then navigate to and select the GML file on your computer.

   • Coord. System: Optionally, select EPSG:27700. FME should detect the correct system automatically.

   • Click OK.

     

     FME Workbench Add Reader dialog.
2. In the Select Feature Types dialog, select the layers (feature types) you want to load and click OK.

This dialog may take a while to load. You can watch the progress in the green bar at the bottom left of the FME UI.

FME Workbench Select Feature Types dialog.

A set of readers (matching the feature types you selected) displays in the main work area.

1. In Writers, click Add Writer…

FME Workbench UI showing Writers > Add Writer option.

1. In the Add Writer dialog:

   • Format: Select Esri Shapefile.

   • Dataset: Click …, then navigate to and select the folder in which you want to save your translated data.

   • Click OK.

     

     FME Workbench Add Writer dialog.
2. In the Select Feature Types dialog, select the feature types (layers) you want to convert, and click OK.

• This dialog may take a while to load. You can watch the progress in the green bar at the bottom left of the FME UI.

  

  FME Workbench Select Feature Type dialog.

A set of writers (matching the feature types you selected) displays in the main work area to the right of their matching readers.

1. Connect each reader to its matching writer by dragging the grey triangle on the reader to the red triangle on the writer.

   

   FME Workbench UI showing the Run option.
2. Click the green arrow in the top bar to run the workspace.

FME Workbench UI showing the Run option.

1. In the Translation Parameter Values dialog, check that the source and destination file locations are correct and click Run.

   

   FME Workbench Translation Parameter Values dialog.

You can watch the conversion progress in the Translation Log below the main work area.

When the conversion is complete, both the GML files and shapefiles will be available in the file system on your computer and in the FME Navigator panel.