Skip to main content

Hi, has the dockable help window been removed from 2016.0? Cant seem to find it in the same place as 2015 and previous versions - this was a really handy feature

The Help has become an independent application from Workbench. Press F1 key, click "Help" button in a dialog, or select a menu command (Help > FME Workbench etc.), then the new Help will be launched. You can scroll the help document while editing transformer parameters etc.


The Help has become an independent application from Workbench. Press F1 key, click "Help" button in a dialog, or select a menu command (Help > FME Workbench etc.), then the new Help will be launched. You can scroll the help document while editing transformer parameters etc.

You can also "pin" the help app to be on the top no matter what. While it is a surprize that it is gone (and I don't know how we could have softened that), it is nice to be able to scroll it up and down when in any modal dialogs, which was the main disadvantage of the old help window.


You can also "pin" the help app to be on the top no matter what. While it is a surprize that it is gone (and I don't know how we could have softened that), it is nice to be able to scroll it up and down when in any modal dialogs, which was the main disadvantage of the old help window.

The main advantage of the old Workbench Help was that it 'followed' the Transformer you selected in the Tranformer Gallery or on the Workbench. One of the key hurdles (if that's the right word) in FME - in particular for new users - is to work out which transformer to use for the task at hand. I'd normally search the transformer gallery, and then have a quick read through the Workbench Help window which of the found candidates is closest to my needs. Now, I need to go to a separate window, and find each of the candidates again.


The main advantage of the old Workbench Help was that it 'followed' the Transformer you selected in the Tranformer Gallery or on the Workbench. One of the key hurdles (if that's the right word) in FME - in particular for new users - is to work out which transformer to use for the task at hand. I'd normally search the transformer gallery, and then have a quick read through the Workbench Help window which of the found candidates is closest to my needs. Now, I need to go to a separate window, and find each of the candidates again.

It should still 'follow' the transformer. If you click on a transformer it will appear in the help as before, it's just that it's now in a separate window.


It should still 'follow' the transformer. If you click on a transformer it will appear in the help as before, it's just that it's now in a separate window.

Mark, you're right. I should have checked that better :-[


It's a bit annoying that the Help window isn't attached to the FME window so when you minimize the FME window it minimizes the help windows as well. Why change it in the first place and make it not able to be docked like every other version?


agree ...should've left it as it was.


It should still 'follow' the transformer. If you click on a transformer it will appear in the help as before, it's just that it's now in a separate window.

That was the case is 2016.0, but is no longer the case in 2016.1. Changing the focus on transformers in the workspace canvas does not change the help, although it still updates if you click on the transformer in the gallery.


Reply