Using the GML simple features profile

Note:

To use the GML Simple Features Profile (GML-SF) and WFS in ArcGIS, you need to ensure that the optional Data Interoperability extension is installed. This software enables capabilities to work with GML simple features and WFS services based on this profile.

You do not need to purchase the extra capabilities contained in the Data Interoperability extension to use Simple Features GML and its support in WFS. However, the Data Interoperability extension software must be installed for you to access and use WFS and GML data sources.

The Data Interoperability extension has a separate installation.

Once you have installed this extension, you can access and use GML simple features and WFS in ArcGIS Desktop applications by enabling this extension as follows.

If you want to access more advanced GML and WFS capabilities beyond the simple features profile, you'll need to enable the Data Interoperability extension.

Accessing datasets in the GML Simple Features Profile

ArcGIS Desktop includes the ability to directly use the GML simple features profile for mapping, as geoprocessing inputs, and to convert between this and other GIS data formats.

Steps

Here are the steps for adding the GML simple feature format to ArcGIS:

1. In ArcCatalog, add a new interoperability connection by double-clicking Add interoperability connection:
2. Click the button for Format to open the Formats Gallery.
3. Select GML simple features and click OK.
4. Next, choose a GML dataset and begin using GML simple features in ArcGIS.

Almost any place in ArcGIS where you can use a feature class, you can select and use your simple features GML files, for example, as a map layer in ArcMap or as an input feature class in geoprocessing.