FME ESRI Compatibility
From fmepedia
This page is intended to provide information on compatibility between FME Desktop Readers and Writers, and ESRI-supported data formats.
If you have any further questions or concerns please contact the Safe Software support team (http://www.safe.com/support/contact/form.php).
| Table of contents |
Available Formats
FME supports a number of readers/writers for SDE and Geodatabase. Which to use depends on the platform you are running on, and what your needs are.
- Personal (MDB) Geodatabase
- File Based Geodatabase
- File Based Geodatabase Raster Dataset
- XML Geodatabase
- ArcSDE Geodatabase
- ArcSDE Geodatabase Raster Dataset
- ArcSDE
- ArcSDE Raster
- ArcSDE Raster Map
- ArcSDE Raster Catalog
In the case of ALL ESRI Geodatabase formats you need an install of ArcGIS (or equivalent) on the same server as FME and an appropriate ArcGIS license (see below). FME uses the ArcGIS ArcObjects API and this must be both accessible and licensed.
Reader and Writer Compatibility
FME supports a number of readers/writers for SDE and Geodatabase. Which to use depends on the platform you are running on, and what your needs are.
| FME Format Name | FME Short Name | Output Type | Comment |
| ESRI Geodatabase (MDB) | GEODATABASE_MDB | Personal Geodatabase Feature Types |
|
| ESRI Geodatabase (File-based) | GEODATABASE_FILE | File Geodatabase Feature Types |
|
| ESRI Geodatabase Raster Dataset (File-based) | GEODATABASE_FILE_RASTER_DATASET | File Geodatabase Raster Maps |
|
| ESRI Geodatabase (ArcSDE) | GEODATABASE_SDE | Enterprise SDE Geodatabase Feature Types |
|
| ESRI Geodatabase Raster Dataset (ArcSDE) | GEODATABASE_SDE_RASTER_DATASET | Enterprise SDE Geodatabase Raster Maps |
|
| ESRI Geodatabase (XML) | GEODATABASE_XML | - |
|
| ESRI ArcSDE | SDE30 | SDE Tables |
|
| ESRI ArcSDE Raster | SDERASTER | ArcSDE Raster Maps and Catalogs |
|
Version Compatibility
This section is intended to help identify which versions of FME are compatible with which versions of ArcGIS and ArcSDE.
Supported Versions
FME support is likely to extend for an ArcGIS version as long as ESRI consider it still active.
Public documents that contain ESRI Product Life Cycle information can be found at:
http://downloads2.esri.com/support/product%20life%20cycle/ao_/584ArcGIS_PLC.pdf http://support.esri.com/knowledgebase/relatedDocs/ProductLifeCycle.pdf
According to these, ArcGIS 8.3 was retired on the 1st September 2008, and ArcGIS 9.0 in December 2008.
ArcSDE Writing
This table provides a simple overview of which version of FME is required if you are WRITING to ArcSDE or Enterprise Geodatabase.
-
= supported
-
= supported but see comments
- - = not supported
| FME Version | ArcSDE 9.1 | ArcSDE 9.2 | ArcSDE 9.2 SP5+ and 9.3 | ArcSDE 10.0 | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FME 2006GB | ArcSDE Vector/Raster | |
- | - | - | |
| Geodatabase | |
- | - | - | ||
| ArcGIS 9.1 DataInterop | Import Tool | |
- | - | - | |
| ArcGIS 9.2 DataInterop | Import Tool | |
|
- | - | |
| ArcGIS 9.3 DataInterop | Import Tool | |
|
|
- | |
| ArcGIS 10.0 DataInterop | Import Tool | |
|
|
|
|
| ArcGIS 9.1 Extended with FME | |
|
- | - | Depends on the FME version | |
| ArcGIS 9.2 Extended with FME | |
|
|
- | Needs FME 2008 or higher available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads) | |
| ArcGIS 9.3 Extended with FME | |
|
|
- | ||
| ArcGIS 10.0 Extended with FME | |
|
|
|
Requires FME 2010 SP2 available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads) | |
| FME 2007 | ArcSDE Vector | |
|
|
- | See instructions on ArcGIS 9.3 and 9.2 SP5 Update (http://www.fmepedia.com/index.php/ArcGIS_9.2_SP5/6_and_ArcGIS_9.3_Update) |
| Geodatabase | |
|
|
- | ArcGIS/ArcEngine Client needs to be compatible with the Geodatabase | |
| ArcSDE Raster | |
|
|
- | ||
| FME 2008 | ArcSDE Vector | |
|
|
- | See instructions on ArcGIS 9.3 and 9.2 SP5 Update (http://www.fmepedia.com/index.php/ArcGIS_9.2_SP5/6_and_ArcGIS_9.3_Update) |
| Geodatabase | |
|
|
- | ArcGIS/ArcEngine Client needs to be compatible with the Geodatabase | |
| ArcSDE Raster | |
|
|
- | ||
| FME 2009 | ArcSDE Vector | |
|
|
- | See notes below |
| Geodatabase | |
|
|
- | Needs build 5670 or higher available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads) | |
| ArcSDE Raster | |
|
|
- | See notes below | |
| FME 2010 | ArcSDE Vector | |
|
|
|
Requires SP2 available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads) |
| Geodatabase | |
|
|
|
Requires SP2 available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads). ArcGIS/ArcEngine Client needs to be compatible with the Geodatabase |
|
| ArcSDE Raster | |
|
|
|
Requires SP2 available from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads) |
See Safe Software (http://www.safe.com/formats) for additional information on the FME Desktop editions (license levels) that work with ESRI data formats and products.
FME 2010 and ESRI ArcSDE (SDE30) Compatibility
FME 2010 has no known compatibility issues other than those identified for FME 2009 below, relating to the distribution of the ArcSDE libraries.
FME 2009 and ESRI ArcSDE (SDE30) Compatibility
This section relates to accessing native ArcSDE with the SDE30 Reader and Writer.
It does not apply to FME's Geodatabase Readers and Writers; these access SDE via ArcObjects and have always required an appropriately-licensed version of ArcGIS software to be installed.
Q) Does FME 2009 work with ArcSDE 9.3?
In order to avoid problems of version incompatibility, as of FME2009, FME no longer installs the required libraries for reading and writing ArcSDE.
You should instead obtain these libraries from an ESRI product to ensure compatibility between FME and your SDE database.
There are three methods for obtaining the required libraries:
1) Install ArcGIS Desktop 9.3
OR
2) Install the SDE C SDK (available on your ArcGIS Server 9.3 DVD) and set up the environment variable described below
OR
3) Install ArcEngine and check for the environment variable described below
For options 2 or 3 you will need to set up a system environment variable as follows:
Variable Name - ARCGISHOME Value - <ArcGIS Directory>\arcsde\ (i.e. pointing to whichever folder contains the bin folder which contains the SDE .dlls)
Q) Does FME 2009 work with ArcSDE 9.2?
Yes - however the same requirements exist as described above for ArcSDE 9.3. Install a 9.2 product and ensure that the system environment variable ARCGISHOME has been set as described above.
Q) Does FME 2009 work with ArcSDE 9.1?
A) Yes. However you will need to download and install some other ESRI product with newer versions of the dlls than are available in an ArcGIS 9.1 install. The simplest solution is to download and install ArcGIS Explorer and then add the ARCGISHOME variable as described above.
Q) Does an ArcGIS 9.x installation make FME compatible with ArcSDE 8.3?
A) Yes, but for reading features only. An FME installed along with ArcGIS 9.x libraries can, at most, only read features from ArcSDE 8.3.
For more information see this ESRI knowledgebase article (http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=knowledgebase.techArticles.articleShow&d=28928)
FME 2009 and ESRI ArcSDE (GEODATABASE_SDE) Compatibility
This section relates to accessing ArcSDE with the Geodatabase (ArcSDE) Reader and Writer.
Q) Does FME 2009 work with ArcSDE 9.1?
A) Yes - using the Geodatabase reader (ArcGIS 9.1 desktop on the client) to access an ArcSDE 9.1 Geodatabase - PR#19557 has been resolved in build 5670 or higher of FME 2009. This is available for download from Our Download Site (http://www.safe.com/support/downloads)
General Q+A
Q) How do I tell FME which type of ESRI license to use when writing geodatabase data?
A) There isn't an ESRI license selector in FME and we have no plans to add one. The way this is done is through the ESRI Desktop Administrator.
Direct Connect Issues
See this fmepedia page for issues related specifically to Reading and Writing to SDE Geodatabases using Direct Connect.
