A space for news, notes and introductions
Recently active
Where in the world are you adventuring this summer/winter?Whether you're exploring a new city, hiking a mountain trail, or enjoying a staycation in your own backyard - we’d love to hear about it! Bonus points if you share a map or photo to show us where you're headed.New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our June Questions of the Week by June 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.
Mark your calendar and get ready for a great morning with the FME community in Denver!Join Safe Software and fellow data professionals on July 31 at 8:30-11:30 MDT for FME Breakfast of Champions at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. Whether you're a longtime user or just getting started, this is your chance to connect with peers, hear real stories from local users, and enjoy a great breakfast on us. What to Expect:Breakfast & Networking: Meet and chat with data professionals, and connect directly with Safe Software Customer Solutions Team Lead, Christian Berger. Get the Latest on FME: Hear about recent updates, tips, and insights from the Safe team. Knowledge Sharing: Exchange ideas and insights with other attendees and Safe Software staff. Customer Stories: Hear from a local user and see how they use FME to drive their business forward. Plus, you’ll get a look into our Winner's Circle, featuring customer success stories. FME Swag: Walk away with some exclusive
A collaborative space where your voice helps shape the future of FMEWe’re excited to officially open applications for our new Early Adopter Program (EAP), a structured initiative designed to bring together engaged, forward-thinking FME users like you.As an EAP member, you’ll be part of a handpicked community of forward-thinking professionals helping us drive innovation and create solutions that truly meet user needs.Program StructureBy joining the EAP, you’ll get early access to in-development features, direct lines of communication with our product teams, and opportunities to share your insights and help shape the FME roadmap.The program supports two levels of participation: everyone has access to early features and can share feedback, while some participants may also engage more deeply through usability tests and direct sessions with our product teams.What’s in it for you? Exclusive Access: Test new features before they’re released Collaboration: Join usability tests, feedback sessio
Welcome to our June FME Community User Spotlight! Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a user in the community whose active participation and helpful contributions have been invaluable to the community. We’re excited to highlight their experiences and insights!User Spotlight: Liam Ferraby @liamfez What company do you currently work for? Charter CommunicationsWhat’s your current job role and title? GIS AnalystTell us more about what you do and how you use FME? I work in the telecom industry and deal with large databases and data from various sources, some of which are spatial and plenty of which are not. FME has been a crucial tool for integrating data from all of the various sources and outputting files for engineers, other GIS users, and executives. I also rely on FME Server (we are not yet using FME Flow) to automate various export tasks and create scheduled reports.Why did you join the FME Community?I joined to both increase my knowledge of FME and to connect with other FME users. Wh
We're still buzzing from the energy of Peak of Data and AI last week in Seattle! The insights, innovations, and inspiring speakers gave us a lot to think about.Now we're turning it over to you:If you could see any speaker - real or fictional - give a keynote at a conference, who would it be, and why?Drop your pick in the comments below!New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our May Questions of the Week by May 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.
Welcome to our June FME Community User Spotlight!Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a user in the community whose active participation and helpful contributions have been invaluable to the community. We’re excited to highlight their experiences and insights!User Spotlight: Matt Smillie @virtualcitymatt What company do you currently work for? Virtual City SystemsWhat’s your current job role and title? Project Manager of FME Workflows (aka FME Guy)Tell us more about what you do and how you use FME? I currently work in the 3D city model/digital twin space. The company I work for (Virtual City Systems) has built an out-of-the-box solution on top of CesiumJS for visualizing a 3D city scene.Along with the front end visualization, we also have a back end component, which handles conversion from typical formats (e.g., CityGML) into Cesium supported formats (3D Tiles, QMesh Terrain, etc). In addition to conversions, the back end also acts as an interactive configuration platform, from which t
On the Tuesday evening of the Peak of Data & AI 2025 that took place in May, over 75 FME users came together for an evening of innovation, collaboration, and pure data-fuelled fun at the FME Hackathon!Participants had the chance to remix real-world datasets (including testing out the newly announced FME Realize and Data Virtualization), get guidance from Safe Software experts, and fuel their creativity with pizza and drinks.On Wednesday, five teams shared what they built - and wow, it was a close race! A huge congratulations to all the participants, and especially to our winning teams:People’s Choice Award and Best Overall Project Judge’s Choice: Courtney Maxson @courtney_m, Erik Bodewitz @erik_jan, and Reed Whittington @reedwhit with their project FME Rocks.Tied for Second Place Judge’s Choice: Rick Klöpping @rickklopping. Michiel Schram @michielschram, and Caner Akin @canerakin with their project Cut costs in ArcGIS Online by identifying unused items.Tied for Second Place J
Inspired by a recent Reddit post, this week’s Question of the Week: What is your most prized automation in FME?Drop your pick in the comments below!New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our May Questions of the Week by May 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.
Safe Software invites you to our FME Breakfast of Champions in Washington, DC on Friday, June 27 from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. Connect with fellow data enthusiasts, learn from industry experts, and discover the latest possibilities with FME.Here’s what you can expect:Breakfast and Networking: Kickstart your day with a delicious light breakfast while connecting with other FME users and data professionals.Get the Latest on FME: Our team will share the latest updates, enhancements, and give you a sneak peek into the future direction of Safe Software and FME.Share Knowledge and Insights: After the presentations, we’ll have additional time to mingle and discuss your data challenges and opportunities with other attendees and Safe staff. This is your chance to gain new inspiration for your data journey!Learn from Customer Stories: Hear directly from a local FME user about how they’re driving their business forward using FME. Plus, get an exclusive look at our Winner's Circle featuring success sto
Every month, we’re celebrating the energy and expertise that our community members continue to bring to the FME Community with our Community Leaderboard recap. Every question asked, answer shared, and idea submitted adds to the collective strength of our knowledge base - and we love seeing your efforts reflected in our monthly leaderboard!From helping others on the Forums to sharing product suggestions and earning new certifications, here's a look at the standout contributors from April. Let’s dive in and see who made the top of the charts this month!Top Contributors on the FME Community Leaderboard April 2025 Points Leaderboard We're excited to recognize the top 10 contributors from our April leaderboard, earning the most points last month:@danilo_fme: 2513 points @takashi: 1745 points @crutledge: 1356 points @nielsgerrits: 1019 points @hkingsbury: 961 points @virtualcitymatt: 779 points @redgeographics: 750 points @geomancer: 713 points @liamfez: 688 points @ebygomm: 680 po
Inspired by a fun comment from @redgeographics on a past Question of the Week about his toponyms playlist: What’s your favourite song that has a location in the title?New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our March Questions of the Week by April 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.
If you were an FME action figure, what would you look like? Inspired by ‘spatial data wrangler’ @mmccart LinkedIn post, this week’s Question of the Week is to create your own AI-generated action figure and share a photo below!Here’s one prompt ChatGPT suggested to create your action figure. Customize as you like! "Please create an image of a highly detailed action figure of a professional data integration specialist, posed heroically in front of computer screens with complex workspace diagrams. The figure wears a utility belt filled with FME icons like transformers, readers, and writers. Includes miniature certification badges, a laptop accessory, and a background of a futuristic tech lab. Realistic lighting, action figure packaging style, cinematic detail."
Earlier this year, we asked the FME Community to get creative and submit name ideas for a surprise appearance of the FME Lizard. In case you missed it, an incredible LEGO sculpture of the FME Lizard - created by artist Sean Kenney - made its debut at the Peak in Seattle! 🦎You delivered some amazing suggestions. We rounded the names up and asked both the FME Community and Peak attendees to vote on their favourite.We’re excited to announce that the winning name is… Daryl! 🎉 (Shoutout to “FME Lizard” for coming in a very close second.)Extra shoutout to @todd_davis for suggesting the winning name - expect a lizard-themed prize coming your way soon!So… what do we think? Are we officially calling the FME Lizard Daryl now? Or maybe that’s just its middle name?
@david_r and I took an FME trip on the Monorail then went up the Seattle Sky Needle
In the spirit of April Fools Day… Here’s our Question of the Week: If FME had a secret ‘Easter egg’ feature that no one knew about, what would it be?Would it be a hidden game? Secret functionality? A 'feature' like Connection Shapes? Or...? Let’s hear your most creative (or wishful) ideas!PS. If you’re looking for a laugh today, check out this video from @mark2atsafe. New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our March Questions of the Week by April 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.
Welcome to our May FME Community User Spotlight! Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a user in the community whose active participation and helpful contributions have been invaluable to the community. We’re excited to highlight their experiences and insights!In anticipation of the Peak of Data & AI 2025 coming up on May 6-8, we’ll be featuring speakers from the Peak over the next three months in our spotlights.User Spotlight: Jelle De Zwaef @jelle What company do you currently work for? NordendWhat’s your current job role and title? Founder, General ManagerTell us more about what you do and how you use FME? I work as a data and process consultant with a strong focus on spatial information. FME is my platform of choice to bring structure to complex data, automate repetitive tasks, and design clear, reliable workflows.I often work at the intersection of technical teams and decision-makers. FME helps me translate between those worlds by making data tangible and workflows transparent.
We're trying something new - a monthly community leaderboard recap! This will not only celebrate the users on the leaderboard but also highlight those who are active and contributing to the FME Community. Your engagement is what makes this community thrive, and we want to recognize everyone who plays a part.Top Contributors on the FME Community Leaderboard March 2025 Points Leaderboard We're excited to recognize the top 10 contributors from our March leaderboard, earning the most points last month:@crutledge: 1175 points @j.botterill: 904 points @nielsgerrits: 835 points @danilo_fme: 745 points @ebygomm: 653 points @redgeographics: 651 points @fmelizard: 550 points @geomancer: 502 points @hkingsbury: 447 points @david_r: 322 pointsWhen you ask questions, engage in conversations, and provide answers, you help strengthen our community knowledge base - and earn points. Learn more here.March 2025 Answers LeaderboardThese users provided the most answers to Forum questions in March
In the spirit of our recently announced FME Breakfast of Champions 2025 meetup series, we want to know: What is your breakfast of champions or favourite breakfast food? 🏆🍳In case you missed it, the FME Breakfast of Champions 2025 is an in-person event series hosted by Safe, bringing together industry professionals to discuss the latest FME features, industry trends, and real-world solutions - all over a delicious breakfast!Check out the event dates and join us.We can’t wait to hear about your breakfast favourites and hopefully see you at one of our events!
Earlier this year, we asked the FME Community to put their creativity to the test in a Question of the Week and name the FME Lizard! We’ve rounded up the name suggestions from the community, and now it’s time to cast your vote (and yes, FME Lizard is one of the options!).The winning name will be revealed in the coming weeks, and the user behind it will receive a special prize from Safe - plus the honour of naming the lizard.VOTE HERE.New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our April Questions of the Week by April 30, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socia
The FME Lizard makes a return! 🦎 With the launch of our new AI-powered chatbot, we want to know - what do you think the FME Lizard’s name is? Drop your best name ideas in the comments!New to the Question of the Week? Every week, we’ll post a simple but thought-provoking question that could be about your FME journey, the power of spatial data, FME innovation, or the future of FME.Each weekly question you answer earns you an entry in our monthly draw for exclusive Safe swag ($50 value) and points toward badges! Answer our March Questions of the Week by March 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT to be entered in this month’s draw.Answer your first question and you’ll get the Socializer (Ice Breaker) badge. Answer five questions and you’ll get the Socializer (Talker) badge.Curious about the new FME AI Chatbot?We’re excited to introduce a new support feature to your toolbox for getting help with FM - our AI-powered chatbot! The FME Lizard is now active and ready to answer your questions in the FME Supp
Last week, we hosted our fourth FME Breakfast of Champions meetup in Phoenix, Arizona. Thank you to users @bo @jklatt @bobw @jmjanzen @sean_works @gregrothwell and many others who joined us for a morning of connecting on all things data! A special shoutout to @bo (Gistic Research) and @jmjanzen (Ak-Chin Indian Community) for sharing their FME user stories with us. We’re looking forward to our next FME Breakfast of Champions in Houston, Texas on April 10. Find the full 2025 schedule here. See you there!
Safe Software invites you to our FME Breakfast of Champions in London, England on Thursday, May 15 from 8:30 am to 11:00 am. Connect with fellow data enthusiasts, learn from industry experts, and discover the latest possibilities with FME.Here’s what you can expect:Breakfast and Networking: Kickstart your day with a delicious light breakfast while connecting with other FME users and data professionals.Get the Latest on FME: Our team will share the latest updates, enhancements, and give you a sneak peek into the future direction of Safe Software and FME.Share Knowledge and Insights: After the presentations, we’ll have additional time to mingle and discuss your data challenges and opportunities with other attendees and Safe staff. This is your chance to gain new inspiration for your data journey!Learn from Customer Stories: Hear directly from a local FME user about how they’re driving their business forward using FME. Plus, get an exclusive look at our Winner's Circle featuring success s
Welcome to our April FME Community User Spotlight! Every month, we’ll be spotlighting a user in the community whose active participation and helpful contributions have been invaluable to the community. We’re excited to highlight their experiences and insights!In anticipation of the Peak of Data & AI 2025 coming up this May, we’ll be featuring speakers from the Peak over the next three months in our spotlights.User Spotlight: Christoph Dittmann @chditt What’s your name?Christoph DittmannWhat company do you currently work for? Deutsche Telekom IT GmbHWhat’s your current job role and title? Data EngineerTell us more about what you do and how you use FME? I started to work with FME some 10 years ago. At the beginning, the tasks were about simple format transformation and some customized end user data ingestion workflows.Today, additionally to the good old ETL workflows, the tasks also involve job orchestration within our SDI, as well as data integration of various systems via cloud se
Congratulations to @davidmooney - the winner of our FME Community Peak of Data & AI Contest! David has scored two tickets to the Peak in Seattle, Washington this May 6 to 8. A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the contest and shared your favourite memories from past events and reasons for wanting to attend this year. We loved reading your responses and sharing them with the rest of the Safe team! Your stories and excitement are what make the FME Community so unique.We look forward to seeing you in Seattle! Conference passes are still available here.
Does the shape of connection lines in FME Workbench have an effect on the performance of the workspace? You bet!ALL PROOF IS in this video. With square corners, the data is slowed when it reaches the corner. It can become bunched up and affect the performance of each transformer it passes through.Curved lines have a similar effect, although not as severe because their corners aren't as sharp. However, they are longer lines, and so the data takes more time to pass through.Straight lines have the benefit of being the shortest line and having no corners. As you'll see in the video, they are by far the best way to speed up your workspaces.It's not mentioned, but also be careful not to cross connections. Features can collide at the crossing, knocking off some of their vertices or attributes.
