Especially since many FME use cases are becoming increasingly complex, intuitive interfaces are key to achieving good user acceptance. Luckily, the FME Server REST API can be used to build web applications tailored to your specific needs. In this presentation, we will discuss recurring web components and how we have integrated FME into various web applications.

1. FME-ing Your Web Map
Custom Applications for a Better User
Experience

2. Presenter
The
Peak
of
Data
Integration
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Dennis
Wilhelm
Consultant
con terra GmbH

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Agenda
• Why do we need custom applications?
• Common map features
• Challenges

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Let's start with
FME Flow Apps

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But what about maps?
🤔

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🥰

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Flow Apps - Functionality Overview
• Clean and easy to use websites / apps
• Published Parameters
• Data Streaming,Data Download, Job Submitter
• Custom design
• Optional authentication
• Galleries

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What's missing?
• Flow apps only provide means to draw simple
geometries
• No interaction with existing data
• Context is important for drawing geometries
• Often, existing geometriesare required as input
• No visualization of results

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Common map requirements
• Display data from various formats/sources
• Use data uploads
• Choose processing parameters
• Choose colors / symbology
• Work with layers
• Start processes for specific features
• Selection on the map, or via attributes

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Connect FME to
Map Applications

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FME can do so much more
● IntegrateFME into an existing
application
○ Provide input data directly from this
app
○ Use results directly where it needs to
be
● Create multi-step workflows
○ Upload
○ Edit
○ Download
● Custom UX

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Our Approach
● Provide template Workspaces to import/export map data
○ Idea: Workspaces can be changed more easily than Code
● We've built upon the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript

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Displaydata
● Use Data Streaming Workspaces
● Map input/output is done using EsriJSON
● EsriJSON-Writer can only write one geometry type at a
time

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Create EsriJSON

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ProvideRenderer
● Esri providescomplex
renderingoptions via JSON
configuration
● Define styles based on the
input data
Source: https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/latest/api-reference/esri-renderers-Renderer.html

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Read EsriJSON and exportgeneric formats
💪

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How to integrate the Workspaces?
● JavaScript implementation to start FME Workspaces
● User Interface
○ Map interaction
○ Widgets to display published parameters

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Workspacesand REST
● Automatically create UI elements from Workspace
information

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Parameter REST Example

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Parameters
● Mapping for most
important
parameter types

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Upload widgets
● Validations
○ File type / extensions
○ File size

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File validationbefore processing
● Test data before long
running processes
● Are all requirements met?
○ Geometry type
○ CRS
● Validation is a
Workspace too
● Which contents should be
used
○ ZIP-File contents
○ FGDB Feature Classes

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The boring stuff
(according to other people)

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Backend Service
● Use authentication methods of existing app
○ Backend service is required to handle FME requests
App Backend
FME
Flow

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Handle timeouts
● Data streaming servicesare often used as API endpoints
○ Many network infrastructures have timeouts
● Use asynchronousjob submitter
○ Write data to the data download directory manually with a UUID
$(FME_SHAREDRESOURCE_SYSTEM)/temp/engineresults/$(uuid).j
son
=>
https://<fme server>/fmedatadownload/results/$(uuid).json

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Demo

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Demo
• Uploadfile
• Analyze contents
• Which Feature Classes are available in a FGDB
• Validate CRS
• Available Attributes
• Convert to JSON
• Edit in map
• Downloadedited data with format conversion

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FME
User
Conference

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FME
User
Conference
Conclusion
• Geodata is most valuable when used in
context with other data and good
visualizations
• FME can provide the necessary backend
components through Workspaces and the
REST API
• Web interface heavily depends on the
destination (which existing app, portal, etc.)
but a common set of functionalities and UX is
often required!

30. Thank You!
d.Wilhelm@conterra.de