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How does FME detect that GPSBabel is installed?

helmoet
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Hi, 

We are trying to distribute FME Workbench through Microsoft Virtualization and for that we would like to know how FME detects that GPSBabel is installed. In our current setup GPS-like readers and writers and their feature types are correctly placed in the workspace, however, running the workspace  fails, telling: 

FME API version of module 'NULL' matches current internal version (3.8 20160224)Creating reader for format: TomTom POITrying to find a DYNAMIC plugin for reader named `TOMTOM_POI'

Loaded module 'TOMTOM_POI' from file 'E:\App-V_5\D52C8804-9F50-4D7B-A695-142DCEFE7A5E\87B5596E-AF57-4FA1-B219-EA631F902A79\Root\VFS\ProgramFilesX64\FME\plugins/GDAL.dll'

FME API version of module 'TOMTOM_POI' matches current internal version (3.8 20160224)

TOMTOM_POI reader: Opening file 'Z:\Temp\Webfleet\gulocPlStr16.ov2'

TOMTOM_POI reader: Could not create process gpsbabel -i tomtom -f Z:\Temp\Webfleet\gulocPlStr16.ov2 -o gpx,gpxver=1.1 -F C:\Users\ex19111\AppData\Local\Temp\13\16688_0

TOMTOM_POI reader: Could not create process gpsbabel -i tomtom -f Z:\Temp\Webfleet\gulocPlStr16.ov2 -o gpx,gpxver=1.1 -F C:\Users\ex19111\AppData\Local\Temp\13\16688_0

TOMTOM_POI reader: Failed to open the dataset 'GPSBABEL:tomtom:Z:\Temp\Webfleet\gulocPlStr16.ov2'. Please ensure source data is valid and correct reader is selected

A fatal error has occurred. Check the logfile above for detailsFME Session Duration: 1.3 seconds. (CPU: 0.2s user, 0.4s system)

There seems to be not very much documentation on this except that FME needs GPSBabel to read/write GPS-like formats.

We are trying to install FME 2016.1.2.1 (20160929 - Build 16674 - WIN64) on 

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition 64-bit Service Pack 1 (Build 7601). 

We are using app-V 5.1, however, we're not stuck to FME 2016 and even planning to skip this and use FME 2017.1. 

Looking at the logging, I would say FME does a blind call to GPSBabel executable, that fails. Anyone has experience in this kind of setups?

Best answer by helmoet

Hi, I found a solution. The problem was that FME just calls gpsbabel.exe and apparently leaves it to the operating system to find the correct location of the program. So I created a .bat file that starts FME and prior to that extends the PATH environment variable with the path to GPSBabel.exe (which in our case is a bit complex since it is in an App-V bubble, nevertheless, it works).

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7 replies

david_r
Celebrity
  • david_rCelebrity
  • October 17, 2017

Just a hunch, could it be that GPSBABEL is only supported on 32-bit FME? I had a look at the GPSBabel project website, and it looks like it's only available on Windows as a 32-bit version.

david_r
Celebrity
  • david_rCelebrity
  • October 17, 2017

I just did a bit of research, it seems 32-bit FME is looking for the following registry key on 64-bit Windows:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{1B8FE958-A304-4902-BF7A-4E2F0F5B7017}_is1

The key might be slightly different for 64-bit FME on 64-bit Windows.

Search the registry for "{1B8FE958-A304-4902-BF7A-4E2F0F5B7017}_is1" and see what you can find, both on the machines where it works and where it doesn't work.

david_r
Celebrity
  • david_rCelebrity
  • October 17, 2017
david_r wrote:

Just a hunch, could it be that GPSBABEL is only supported on 32-bit FME? I had a look at the GPSBabel project website, and it looks like it's only available on Windows as a 32-bit version.

Hm. That shouldn't be the case, according to the supported formats list, I see now.
erik_jan
Contributor
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  • erik_janContributor
  • Contributor
  • October 17, 2017

As far as I know, GPSBabel is no longer required to read and write the GPX format.

It used to be for older FME versions.

david_r
Celebrity
  • david_rCelebrity
  • October 17, 2017
erik_jan wrote:

As far as I know, GPSBabel is no longer required to read and write the GPX format.

It used to be for older FME versions.

It seems to still be required for the TOMTOM_POI format, however.

 

See: https://docs.safe.com/fme/html/FME_Desktop_Documentation/FME_ReadersWriters/tomtom_poi/tomtom_poi.htm

 

helmoet
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  • helmoet
  • Author
  • October 20, 2017

Thanks @erik_jan and @david_r for the response. It is especially the TomTom POI .ov2 format that we need, so I will have a look into the registry keys.

It works on my machine (64bit Windows 8, 64bit FME, 32bit GPSBabel), and at least, there is more people saying that GPSBabel runs on 64bit Windows, see

http://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct;=j&q;=&esrc;=s&source;=web&cd;=1&cad;=rja&uact;=8&ved;=0ahUKEwjx54b81f7WAhVOJFAKHS9FD00QFggmMAA&url;=http%3A%2F%2Fgpsbabel.en.lo4d.com%2F&usg;=AOvVaw2JVjKC9v9QWYSFZD986tp-

helmoet
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  • helmoet
  • Author
  • Best Answer
  • October 20, 2017

Hi, I found a solution. The problem was that FME just calls gpsbabel.exe and apparently leaves it to the operating system to find the correct location of the program. So I created a .bat file that starts FME and prior to that extends the PATH environment variable with the path to GPSBabel.exe (which in our case is a bit complex since it is in an App-V bubble, nevertheless, it works).

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