Introduction to FME Workbench

Let's take a closer look at FME Workbench, firstly how to start it. To start Workbench - besides double-clicking an fmw file - locate Workbench in the Windows start menu:

Major Components of FME Workbench

The FME Workbench user interface has a number of major components:

Canvas

As we've seen, the FME Workbench canvas is where to define a translation. It is the primary window within Workbench:

By default the workspace reads from left to right; data source on the left, transformation tools in the center, and data destination on the right. Connections between each item represent the flow of data and may branch in different directions, merge together, or both.

Menu/Toolbar

The menubar and toolbar contain a number of tools: for example, tools for navigating around the Workbench canvas, controlling administrative tasks, and adding or removing readers/writers:

Navigator

The Navigator window is a structured list of parameters that represent and control all of the components of a translation:

Transformer Gallery

The transformer gallery is a tool for the location and selection of FME transformation tools.

The number of transformers (above, 497) will vary depending on the version of FME and any optional custom transformers installed.

Translation Log

The translation log reports on translations and other actions. Information includes any warning or error messages, translation status, length of translation, and the number of features processed:

Parameter Editor Window

The Parameter Editor window is for editing parameters for objects on the canvas window:

As the next section will show, you can open or close these windows at will, or rearrange them into any configuration that you like.