IN THIS ISSUEFME and PDFIntegrating FME into a Custom SystemEffi ciency: Using Single Workfl owsUsing FME Server for Data ValidationPower of FME Workbench to ServerIntegration into Web Mapping AppsFME User Spotlight: Tom LairdUsing FME in Helicopter SimulationsHot Topic: 3D InteroperabilitySpotlight on Michael Weisman

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Founder’s Perspective

Bringing Data and Users Together The last few months have found us on a multitude of planes, trekking the globe to meet face-to-face with FME users. It’s been great to interact with you and see the variety of creative ways you are using FME to bring data and users together!

We are truly inspired by the innovative ways

customers are using FME… and we hope

you will be too

Discover FME Best PracticesFind out how you can improve effi ciency and save yourself time in workspace design and maintenance. Explore the single workfl ow workspace design pattern in the article on page 3.This issue of the Safe Insider takes a look

at several of these exciting customer examples. We met with a Hawaiian customer who has integrated FME into their own submarine cable planning system; a sanitation utility is keeping the Chesapeake Bay watershed free of pollutants using FME Server’s data upload and validation services; and a

German customer is wowing everyone by using FME in a way we never imagined — bringing raster imagery into helicopter simulations. Each of these stories illustrates its own take on the importance of bringing data together for the users who need it.

You’ll also fi nd two new FME Server integration examples. We often talk about FME as a data moving technology, or a pipeline that brings data from a source to a destination for users to easily access. FME Server takes data accessibility one step further, enabling you to provide self-service access. Customers have asked us to show them how FME Server can be integrated into web mapping environments, and now you can see it fi rst-hand as well.

We are truly inspired by the innovative ways customers are using FME to make integrated datasets available to users, and we hope you will be too. After all, it’s all about the data!

Safe Software Co-founders: Don Murray and Dale Lutz

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the nearest ice rink to find public skate times. This can also be applied by public transportation organizations to identify bus stops with symbols which, when clicked, take the user to a web page that provides the schedule for that stop.

Another example comes in handy for larger maps. Instead of requiring users to download a full map file, consuming time and bandwidth, a PDF file can be published that contains a portion of the map that users most often need. Users can then access other portions by clicking a navigation link on the mini overview of the map that is located at the bottom of the PDF page, just as the screenshot here demonstrates.

This is accomplished by using FME to prepare PDF files that are tiles of the large map, which each include cross-referencing links between one another. Alternatively, using FME Server, these PDF files can be created on-demand to reflect data up-to-the-minute; when a user clicks a navigation link, a workspace is initiated to deliver the PDF file the user is looking for. Other links to published workspaces can also be provided in PDFs, including data download and streaming capabilities.

Check out sample PDFs containing hyperlinks by visiting: www.safe.com/2DPDFDemo to play with ready-made geospatial PDFs or use the latest beta at www.safe.com/Beta to create your own.

Get the New FME Screensaver!Show off your boosted performance in FME 2009 – download the new speedy FME screensaver at www.safe.com/Screensaver.

FME & PDF: Bringing Geospatial Data Together for Non-GIS Folks

Users click on a symbol to initiate a web page revealing further details about the location represented by the symbol, such as a bus stop and its schedule. Alternately, users can click on a square in the navigation overview to open a PDF file that shows another tile of the dataset.

Neogeography is catching attention, bringing with its popularity a new question: “Can we make our spatial data available to people outside the GIS department?” One format that answers this question is something we’ve received a lot of requests to support: Adobe® Geospatial PDF.

Nearly every computer has the free Adobe Acrobat® Reader, and most users are familiar with receiving information in PDF documents. Adobe has also recently introduced the ability to store geo-referenced data – including latitude/longitude information – in PDF files, bringing the PDF format into the world of spatial data.

We introduced write support for geospatial PDF in FME 2009 making it possible to use PDF as an integration and sharing format. Now data can be pulled together from GIS, CAD and raster files, and pushed out into PDF files for non-GIS folks to view. Without requiring users to have knowledge of industry-specific applications, sharing data in PDF allows users to view data in a spatial context, and provides the ability for users to filter their view of data by turning layers on and off.

Since the release of FME 2009, our developers here at Safe have continued to add functionality to our support for PDF. Upcoming in FME 2010 is the ability to create links in PDF outputs. This opens up a whole bunch of possibilities like making symbols on a map hyperlink to web pages with further details, providing visual navigation, and embedding FME Server services links into PDF files.

For example, a municipal mapping department can set up its map to contain symbols for community pools and ice rinks, each which contain a hyperlink to the events web page for the respective facility. Then locals can visit the PDF map and click the symbol for

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Makai: Integrating FME into a Custom Submarine Cable Planning SystemOver the years, we’ve seen many interesting examples of FME technology being integrated into geospatial applications. This article takes a look at one such example from Makai Ocean Engineering.

Based in Oahu, Hawaii, Makai provides ocean engineering services worldwide and is the developer of MakaiPlan, a leading software solution for planning submarine cable routes. Deep water cable route planning requires a vast amount of information: bathymetry, fi shing regions, dumping grounds, military restrictions, political boundaries, cable crossings, sediment characteristics and navigational charts to name just a few. However, the lack of standardization in this industry has made it very diffi cult for cable planners to bring together the many different data types necessary for cable path planning. This process often required multiple, time-consuming steps or the use of 3rd-party tools to adapt the various forms of spatial data into Makai’s planning software.

Recognizing the need to simplify this data integration process for their customers, Makai found their answer in FME. Working

Discover the Effi ciency of Single Workfl owsFME Workbench is widely used at the Centre for Topographic Information of Natural Resources Canada (CTI-S) to validate and transform data before loading it into their central repositories. For over ten years, their team of FME specialists have designed complex workspaces to perform data validation. In time, they realized that they had created over 600 workspaces and custom transformers, many of which solve similar problems. Something needed to be changed to improve effi ciency for workspace maintenance and reusability.

Inspired by the Design Patterns presentation at the 2008 FME International User Conference, CTI-S began examining the concept of single workfl ow workspaces. The notion was that a few well-designed workspaces could be created to be reused for multiple purposes, reducing duplication and improving workspace maintainability.

CTI-S went ahead with designing a workspace pattern they could apply to any validation concept and spatial data model used by

The two dialog boxes shown demonstrate how easy it is to add GIS data using the FME module in MakaiPlan.

“With FME, the process of importing GIS data is simple regardless of the type or complexity of the data.”

- Dr. Michael Nedbal, Operations Coordinator, Makai Ocean Engineering

with Safe, Makai developed an FME add-on that seamlessly integrates with MakaiPlan to extend the format support capabilities of the application. With this add-on, users can import over 150 key spatial data formats- including Autodesk® AutoCAD® and ESRI® formats and the International Hydrographic Organization S-57 standard for navigation charts - directly into the familiar MakaiPlan environment for planning and analyses of submarine cable routes.

a warehouse database prior to importing the data into the planning software. Now the entire process is embedded within MakaiPlan, making the creation of these fi les transparent to users.

What’s the result? This integration has enabled Makai’s customers to increase the overall effi ciency of the cable planning process, as well as lower planning costs. The time users have saved in integrating and transforming multiple data types into the MakaiPlan system can be put towards more productive endeavours, such as refi ning the cable route or performing analyses critical to the installation of the submarine cables.

Interested in integrating FME technology into your own application? Visit www.safe.com/DevTools to learn more.

Not only can MakaiPlan users get access to a wider spectrum of spatial data, but their data integration process has also been signifi cantly simplifi ed. Previously, a simple AutoCAD fi le containing bathymetry contours required the creation of a schema defi nition fi le, a coordinate system fi le and

their organization. Their design uses a single point of entry where multiple source features are merged into one pipeline or stream. Similarly, for the destination they use the fanout option for a single output. In between their source and destination, they use custom transformers as their central component.

For each validation concept they created one custom transformer that could be used in any workspace. The input to this transformer is the feature that is being validated, and any additional options required for validation are passed as parameters. The output exits via different ports according to the processing results.

Using this approach, CTI-S was able to design workspaces that can be applied to a wide variety of their data validation tasks, saving themselves unnecessary design and maintenance time costs.

Find out more about FME best practices by visiting: www.safe.com/FMEBestPractices.

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Default FME Server order form page with

published parameters

Workspaces created using FME Workbench can be uploaded to FME Server for end users to access and run right over the web.

FME Server: Data ValidationHampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) was recently faced with the task of creating a regional hydraulic wastewater model to identify improvement areas for meeting the new overfl ow reduction requirements of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Centralizing pipeline data from the 14 participating localities with that of their own force main system, this was no small project.

Knowing from previous collaboration efforts how much time and resources data centralization and validation can consume, HRSD wanted to automate the creation of their wastewater model, moving data collection and quality assurance online so that localities could upload their data without involving HRSD staff. They found these capabilities in FME Server’s data upload, validation and loading service.

To set up the service, HRSD fi rst identifi ed which validation tests they would require. Then they used FME Desktop to create a workspace (or spatial data fl ows) that would perform geometric and attribute quality checks on data before loading it into their central ESRI SDE database. Once this workspace was published to FME Server, it was ready to be used.

Not only has HRSD saved weeks of time creating their centralized database, but they now have an effi cient process for keeping the database up-to-date as information changes. The FME Server workspace is accessed through a simple online form where data can be uploaded and validated in under two minutes, with reports identifying areas of the dataset that require fi xes before the data can be loaded. Plus, updating data validation requirements in the future is as simple as modifying the workfl ow using an intuitive graphical interface.

“In the past, HRSD poured a lot of resources into data centralization projects, including staff time spent manually cleaning up data coming in many different formats,” says Clay Wise, Senior Programmer Analyst for HRSD. “By implementing FME Server, we can now keep our centralized database current in a fraction of the time it would take to do this manually.”

Find out more about this story at www.safe.com/HRSD.

HRSD used FME Server to create a hydraulic wastewater model for their continued efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed from pollutants.

Applying the Power of FME Workbench on the ServerOver the past few months, we’ve had the opportunity to introduce users to all the great new enhancements in FME 2009 and to the power of FME Server. It’s during these personal interactions that we receive the most candid insights on what excites users the most. And with the introduction of FME Server to the FME family, we’ve seen a whole lot of excitement.

So, why are FME fans so excited? FME Server gives you the power of FME Workbench in a server environment. Because FME Server is workspace driven, data conversion workspaces you’ve created using FME Workbench can be uploaded to FME Server for end users to access and run right over the web. This enables users to perform self-service data conversion and eliminates the need for your GIS team to manually handle each transformation.

With FME Server, the data transformation capabilities of the FME Workbench that you know and love can be passed on to people who need to access spatial data – without requiring any training or assistance. Users can download up-to-date spatial data in the format and data model they require by simply selecting the data plus the output format or coordinate system they want. Once the request is submitted, FME Server automatically converts the data on-the-fl y and sends the user an email with a link to the resulting dataset.

Now the responsibility for running common data conversion tasks to provide end users with access to up-to-date spatial data doesn’t have to reside solely within your GIS department. Instead, it can be made available inside your current web mapping solution. Check out the article on the next page to learn more.

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Integrating FME Server Into Web Mapping Applications

Both examples display a generic web map next to a request form. The Google Maps example also allows users to view overlays of the actual layers they can download. In both cases, users can view the displayed map and use the polygon tool to clip the area of data they want to access. Then they select the layers they’d like, and choose their output coordinate system and format. The underlying JavaScript dynamically builds a POST request and then sends their request to the appropriate FME Server service which delivers a link to the data they’ve requested.

This is all accomplished in an HTML document that uses JavaScript, some of which is borrowed from freely available source code provided by Google, ESRI and user communities. Upon the user loading the page, the JavaScript draws the map and sets up the data distribution form. It also provides the onClick polygon clipping capabilities and creates the user-selected geometry as a list of points to pass along to FME Server as bounding box parameters. Finally, the service request sent to FME Server is easily designed based on the “Show Request” button in the FME Server web user interface.

Underneath FME Server’s data distribution capabilities, its architecture is designed to be easily integrated into existing web mapping frameworks. This kind of integration allows end users to gather data in a familiar environment, such as their organization’s custom system or a third party application – like ESRI ArcGIS® Server or GoogleTM MapsTM.

Recently, FME users have been asking us to show some examples of how this can be done. One sample we’ve created demonstrates how FME Server’s download and streaming services can be called from a web mapping form integrated with the Google Maps API. Another integration example shows how FME Server services can be made available within an ESRI ArcGIS Server web map.

The Google Maps example also provides two options based on a user’s selected output format. First, it hides the data download and streaming options to simplify the user’s experience. If a user chooses to receive the data as a GIF, the image simply opens directly in their web browser; if they choose the other available formats, the data is delivered to them in a zip file via their web browser. The second option is for outline and fill colors, which can be user-specified if the selected output format can handle styling, such as Adobe PDF.

We’ve published everything you need from these examples to fmepedia.com. There you can also find generic JavaScript that offers an easy entry point for integrating FME Server into your own web mapping applications. Simply visit www.safe.com/FMEServerIntegrationExamples.

Psst… Coming soon in FME 2010, FME Server will further ease integration by providing a more complete set of RESTful tools. We’re always looking for new ways to make our products work better for you. Have ideas on what we can improve? Let us know! Visit www.safe.com/FMEIdeas.

Heard Around

“Don’t ask what you can do with FME, ask what you can’t do with it! I’m sold, and FME Server completes the circle.” - A tweet on Twitter.com by FME fan Miguelicus.

Google Maps Example

ESRI ArcGIS Server Example

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FME User Spotlight: Tom Laird, GIS Database AdministratorCity of Springfi eld, Oregon, USA, FME User for 8 Years

What is your role at the City of Springfi eld? I am responsible for designing, creating and maintaining databases to support multiple enterprise and regional data systems and applications, as well as performing application development. We do a lot of everything around here which keeps the work very interesting.

Tell us about an interesting GIS project you’ve worked on in your career. The City is in the process of examining our commercial and residential land supplies to determine the need for Urban Growth Boundary expansion. To meet the diverse requirements of our Planning department, consultants and other stakeholders, we used FME to develop automated tools to run routine analyses and re-run them using altered parameters. We’ve already seen tremendous benefi t and this project has opened my eyes to the power and potential of FME – which is exciting to consider for both old and new projects.

How do you use FME in your organization? We use FME to import and export our spatial infrastructure data from a SQL Server

database and to create SDF fi les for our intranet MapGuide® application. We’ve also used raster transformers to optimize our orthophoto imagery for our next generation intranet mapping application.

Do you have any tips or tricks for using FME? The Feature Connections Window is really helpful when you have many input feature

types to connect to a transformer or an output feature type.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I love spending time outdoors with my family, friends and pets. Some call me an adrenaline junky while others describe me as “an accident waiting to happen!” I have also created a wicked recipe for an Indian Pale Ale but I don’t make it often enough.

Using FME in Helicopter SimulationsRheinmetall Defence Electronics of Bremen, Germany, a customer of Safe Software reseller con terra, has recently used FME to bring data together for use in a helicopter fl ight simulator! Who would have imagined such an innovative use of FME?

To create a realistic virtual reality for fl ight simulation, the company needed to bring data together from four different countries and various sources – line, surface and point data including ground contours, 3D models, image textures and more – into a single visual systems database. Beyond the task of data integration with FME, much of the vector and elevation

data included a granular level of detail not required to make the simulations realistic. To overcome this challenge, they used FME’s transformers to generalize data. They also used FME’s capabilities for data cleanup and fi ltering to ensure that their resulting dataset contained only the information they wanted, and was of high quality.

Their result is truly inspiring: a complete, three-dimensional virtual reality for helicopter fl ight simulations, covering a 500 x 500 kilometer training area mostly representing the northern part of Germany. For further information about this project, contact heiner.thiel@rheinmetall.com.

Result

Source Dataset Generalized Dataset

Images copyright Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH

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Hot Topic: 3D InteroperabilityInterest in 3D data models and formats is growing dramatically and nowhere was this more evident than at a recent URISA seminar. Safe co-founder Dale Lutz spoke at the event which was held in Vancouver, entitled “A New Dimension in GIS – 3D Analysis.” When seminar attendees were asked if they currently used 3D data, only a few raised their hand; however half of these same people said they would likely use 3D data within two years. Dale summarized it best when he said “the tsunami of 3D is coming and people need to get ready.”

In one of the presentations, Dan Campbell from the City of Vancouver talked about how people often try to force their 3D world into a 2D abstraction. With a 2D model, users must pretend they are looking from above, which Dan says is like trying to read hieroglyphics, often resulting in misinterpretation or lost data. In contrast, true 3D models more closely represent the three dimensional reality of our world, so not as much interpretation is involved. Dan concluded that “3D is easy; it’s 2D that’s hard.”

Surrey, BC is already riding the 3D wave. Sean Simpson and Stuart Jones shared how Surrey is leveraging 3D to provide an intuitive planning environment. Developers are required to submit their proposals to the GIS department in a 3D SketchupTM model, for placement into the city’s 3D data model. This allows key stakeholders and the general public to easily visualize how the proposed development affects the surroundings. If city staff notice any problems, they can extract the relevant portion of the model and send it to the developer along with their concerns.

As 3D models begin to be used for new scenarios and incorporate more data types, the need for 3D interoperability will only grow. The fact that users have varying needs for data only heightens the need. FME stands out by allowing users to translate data into their desired format and restructure it as required for seamless integration into a unified model.

Over the last few years, we here at Safe have witnessed a steady growth in the popularity of 3D data, which Dale calls “a beautiful marriage of raster and vector.” Based on customer feedback, we’ve introduced support in FME for 3D data types in ESRI and Oracle, and other 3D formats including IFC, CityGML, Wavefront OBJ, Autodesk 3ds and Adobe 3D PDF – which itself offers significant interoperability benefits. Write support for this format has enabled end users to view 3D models using the free application Adobe Reader. They can then turn layers on and off and move throughout the model with ease.

Our developers are continuing to extend support for 3D formats in FME, so stay tuned for future announcements. To find out more about 3D interoperability read the whitepaper developed by V1 Research in collaboration with Safe Software. Visit: www.vector1media.com/3Dwhitepaper.

FME users gain insights from co-founders Don Murray and Dale Lutz at the regional user meeting in Calgary early this year.

FME Training UpdatePlanning on registering for an upcoming FME training course? Act soon! Earlier this year we began offering complimentary bonus workshops for some FME Desktop training courses. They’ve proven to be extremely popular, so space is filling fast. Each optional workshop places a focus on a specific topic, equipping users with a third day of specialized training.

Already this year we’ve led workshops focusing on spatial databases, KML, raster, and GE Smallworld which have all been very well received by attendees. One Canadian attendee, Carlos Silva, remarked that “having a third day to do database transformations was an excellent addition.” Workshops planned for later this year include FME for ESRI, FME Objects, and more. To see a list of upcoming courses and to register, visit www.safe.com/2009training.

World Travels: Connecting with our CustomersWe’ve been collecting frequent flyer miles in earnest this year, meeting up with FME users. The first two weeks of April were especially busy as we gathered together with 115 users at the UK User Group, co-hosted by partner Dotted Eyes. The following week saw a team of Safers – including co-founders Dale & Don – travel across Canada, stopping at four cities and meeting a further 200 FME users. To see where we’ll be next, check out www.safe.com/Events.

We appreciate every user interaction as your feedback allows us to make FME even better. A great example of the difference our users make happened in March at a training course in Denver: a user requested read support for the EXIF standard and by the end of that week the FME 2010 beta had already added support for it. Please share your feedback with us by emailing support@safe.com.

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FME is a registered trademark of Safe Software Inc. All other product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Printed in Canada.

Web: www.safe.comE-mail: info@safe.com

Suite 2017, 7445 - 132nd StreetSurrey, British Columbia Canada

Tel: 604-501-9985Fax: 604-501-9965

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About Safe SoftwareSafe Software powers the fl ow of spatial data with its software platform, FME. The recognized standard in spatial ETL (extract, transform and load), FME is the only complete solution for data conversion. It delivers the most extensive format support for data translation and integration, and provides unlimited fl exibility in data model transformation and data distribution.

FME is used by thousands of customers worldwide in a variety of industries including government, utilities, and petroleum. Its powerful data access technology also makes FME the choice of leading GIS, CAD, and database vendors for integration into their own solutions. Designed for true data interoperability, FME unleashes spatial data so people can use it where, when, and how they want to. For more information, visit www.safe.com.

Safe in the NewsThe recent release of FME received a lot of media attention. FME 2009 is our best release yet, enabling faster access to spatial data, introducing support to new and emerging formats, and improving the ability to perform complex data conversions. It’s a signifi cant update over 2008 but don’t just take our word for it. Visit www.safe.com/PressRoom today to read articles from GeoInformatics, GIS Café, Vector1Media, Geospatial Solutions and more.

New Blog Announcement: It’s All About Data

Michael Weisman: Product Support SpecialistJoined Safe Software in December 2007

especially rewarding as I get to see fi rsthand how our customers use FME.

Please tell us about an interesting experience you had in the GIS fi eld prior to joining Safe. I was involved in research at the University of British Columbia where I examined the level to which public transit networks accommodate people with disabilities. The overall goal was to improve accessibility.

Safe just launched a new blog, and you’re one of the new contributors! Yes, I’ve enjoyed contributing my thoughts on matters I hope others fi nd interesting. My parents actually found

out about my work and are regular readers of the blog even though they say they don’t really understand it.

We’ve heard that you really enjoy coffee. Could you elaborate? I’m very particular about my coffee. One day I skipped my

morning cup and when I came into the offi ce my coworkers said it looked like I’d been hit by a bus. They were right − a bus ran a

red light and hit me as I attempted to cross the street. I’ve never gone without coffee since!

What do you do here at Safe? In a few words, my role is to help people. If a

customer has a question, I become involved and attempt to resolve their challenge. I also lead some of our training courses which I fi nd

If you want to share FME with your friends and colleagues, why not send them to our new blog – It’s All About Data. Each week you’ll hear directly from us on issues and emerging trends from the world of spatial data interoperability. It’s All About Data is a collaborative effort of four Safers: co-founders Don Murray and Dale Lutz as well as staffers Paul Nalos and Michael Weisman. With four bloggers, you can be assured that you’ll fi nd thoughts on a wide range of topics.

Check it out today at blog.safe.com.

with its software platform, FME. The recognized standard in spatial ETL (extract, transform and load), FME is the only complete solution for data conversion. It delivers the most extensive format

solutions. Designed for true data interoperability,

Joined Safe Software in December 2007

how our customers use FME.

out about my work and are regular readers of the blog even though they say they don’t really understand it.

We’ve heard that you really enjoy coffee. Could you elaborate? I’m very particular about my coffee. One day I skipped my

morning cup and when I came into the offi ce my coworkers said it looked like I’d been hit by a bus. They were right − a bus ran a

red light and hit me as I attempted to cross the street. I’ve never gone without coffee since!

What do you do here at Safe?