I find it very difficult to explain in a few sentences. I never know how to comprehensibly explain what FME does/can do, without giving a 20 minute monologue on all the possibilities I can remember at that moment. So what do you say when someone asks you what FME is?
Question
What do you guys say when you're asked: "What is FME?"
+40- Contributor
FME is a geospatial data manipulation software that uses a node-based interface for designing complex transformations rapidly without the need for coding.
+12- Contributor
I struggle with this too. I want to say it's an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) software, but it's so much more than that. Because it can do so much, I've almost started categorizing it as a programming language with the idea that each reader, writer and transformer is a snippet of code. Not sure if that's right, but it doesn't feel far off.
FME does all kinds of data transformations.
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The thing you're trying to do: sometimes it works instantly. Most of the time it doesn't and you spend hours fiddling around with bits and pieces called "transformers". (No, not the cartoon robots)
Eventually you give up and ask the FME experts on the Q&A forum for help.
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+62- Celebrity
The reason we're asking this is because we're trying to find a way to reach customers beyond the traditional GIS/CAD/Cartography bubble. People who manage data, run into problems, but would not necessarily know to start looking for FME as a solution (while it may be a very good solution to their problem).
We're seeing FME being used more often in a non-spatial role with local governments, places where the GIS department has been using FME for a long time already and is helping out other departments.
+62- Celebrity
Model Builder on steroids
I often say that too, but it really only works on people who know Model Builder 😅
+12- Contributor
The reason we're asking this is because we're trying to find a way to reach customers beyond the traditional GIS/CAD/Cartography bubble. People who manage data, run into problems, but would not necessarily know to start looking for FME as a solution (while it may be a very good solution to their problem).
We're seeing FME being used more often in a non-spatial role with local governments, places where the GIS department has been using FME for a long time already and is helping out other departments.
I agree with this. I work in GIS in local government, and we have been using FME for years and are continuing to expand our use of it as it grows. I know it can be a solution for so many other applications outside of just spatial. There are some outside of our GIS section that comprehend its power, but very few. I have been tasked with giving a 'lunch n learn' session about FME and how the rest of our IT department could use it, so I'm very interested to hear others answers to this question too.