FME 2019 Beta now available – Here’s what’s coming

Buckle up! There’s a lot on the roadmap for FME 2019, from an embedded FME Data Inspector to a web-based Workbench. These updates have been years in the making and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you. Read on to find out what our developers have built so far.

• Try out FME 2019.0 Beta
• See what was new in FME 2018.1

FME Workbench Updates

Interface enhancements:

• Visual Preview (embedded FME Data Inspector) is turned on. Combined with Feature Caching, this will make it quick and easy to view data features at each point along a workspace. Configure it in FME Options. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think so far!
• Cosmetic changes, including ports and bookmark color palettes.
• Improved dockable windows, with easy dragging and more locations to place them.
• Annotation improvements – automatically set color based on contents, alignment, styling, easy “undo”.
• Automatic transformer resizing based on text length.

Transformer and format updates:

• Date-time work: added options to AttributeValidator and Tester, and continued to harmonize database formats (MSSQL, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Simplified CoordinateReplacer interface.
• ShortestPathFinder performance improvements.
• Matcher transformer has a lenient geometry matching mode and parameter mapping.
• ChangeDetector has gained functionality from the UpdateDetector and has an “updated” port. It also has a tolerance parameter and better lenient geometry matching.
• CenterLineReplacer has a new “Approximate Center Line” mode (very fast, a little less accurate). This also supports areas, e.g. text areas and rectangles.
• Dissolver is getting some updates to make it faster (disclaimer: in the meantime, it might get slower before it gets faster).
• New, simplified Tester dialog (our top-used transformer, so let us know what you think!)
• MicroStation DGN 3D reading.

FME Server Updates

FME Server is getting some interface facelifts and exciting new functionality to make your job easier. We’re laying the groundwork for better token management, a robust web-based FME Workspace Viewer, easier Notification workflows, and more. Stay tuned for when this will be ready to try out.

If you deploy FME Server in the cloud, see also: upgraded instance types for FME Cloud.

Suggestions for what we should include in the next release? Add your ideas and vote on your favourites in Ideas Exchange on the FME Knowledge Center.