Question

Lyr/mxd to SLD

  • 6 October 2012
  • 8 replies
  • 89 views

Badge +9
Is it (or when is it) possible to read the style like color or pattern from a ESRI Lyr/Mxd file and export it to a Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) for publishing in GeoServer or a SLD complience service? Wouldn't that be pretty useful?

8 replies

Badge +2
ESRI uses ArcObjects to create Lyr/Mxd files which contain the symbology.

 

 

Although it would be useful and has been sought after by many, FME doesn't seem to be able to read symbology from them very well in my experience and cannot write to them (likely due to the complexity or secret of ArcObjects?).

 

 

FME can read mxd files so you could be lucky, depending on what you wish to extract specifically. FME cannot read lyr files though.
Badge +5
Have you tried using ESRI ArcGIS Layer format to read Lyr files? You cannot find it by searching for lyr in Format Gallery. Try layer or arcgis_layer instead.

 

 

I would also need FME to write SLD files. Only way I can think of, is using XMLTemplater and Text File format for writing SLD. Basically SLD is XML, and with XMLTemplater, you can create any kind of XML. Though, it would be really handy, if FME could straightly write SLD.
Userlevel 4
Badge +25
I see there are two enhancement requests filed already for this subject.

 

PR#18133: Convert MXD to SLD

 

PR#34277: SLD reader/writer

 

 

Do you think this item is of high importance for you (and other users)? It's close to when we decide items for FME2014 and so I can increase the priority of these PRs and see what happens. No guarantees, but more user requests will help an enhancement request make the cut.
Badge +9
Well, the importance is moderate right now but I can surely see the use of it. If I have to wote for a PR I'll go for the PR#34277: SLD reader/writer.

 

 

There's a range of products out there to create SLD The challenge is in the .lyr format though, most of the tools mentioned use ArcObjects to read the .lyr - http://arcmap2sld.geoinform.fh-mainz.de - http://QGis.org - http://geocat.net/bridge - http://en.geopublishing.org/AtlasStyler - http://Udig.org
Despite of the fact that since 2012 there are two enhancement requests it seems that this feature is not yet available. As pvangenuchten said there are many other products, but some of them are no longer working (arcmap2sld) others are quite expensive (geocat bridge, or arc2earth) other are just "new" editors like QGis Udig or AtlasStyler. The point here is interoperability between ArcGis and OGC standards, so in my opinion a SLD reader/writer is strongly needed.
I see there are two enhancement requests filed already for this subject.

 

PR#18133: Convert MXD to SLD

 

PR#34277: SLD reader/writer

 

 

Do you think this item is of high importance for you (and other users)? It's close to when we decide items for FME2014 and so I can increase the priority of these PRs and see what happens. No guarantees, but more user requests will help an enhancement request make the cut.
Hi Mark,

 

 

Has there been or will be any support for lyr to sld in the near future?

 

 

Badge +8
ArcMap2SLD should be the tool.

 

Please read

 

https://pvanb.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/converting-an-arcmap-project-file-into-an-sld-document/comment-page-1/

 

 

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