Exercise 3a: Getting started with spatial ETL

Complexity: Intermediate Data Requirement: ArcGIS Tutorial Data Setup Data Path: C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\ Goal: Create a simple spatial ETL tool that reads MGE parcel data and loads it into a geodatabase.

Spatial ETL tools are capable of a wide range of processes and dataflows from simple format translations to complex transformations that restructure geometry and attributes.

In this exercise, you create a simple spatial ETL tool that extracts Intergraph Modular GIS Environment (MGE) parcel data and loads it into a geodatabase.

The MGE format uses standard MicroStation DGN files to store and edit the graphic elements of geographic data. The nongraphic elements, such as feature attributes, are stored in external database tables and linked to the graphic elements via pairs of entity and mslink numbers.

You begin by using the Create Translation Workspace Wizard to perform the following tasks:

• Choose the FME reader and specify multiple data sources.
• Specify the reader parameters for the external database.
• Choose the FME writer and start FME Workbench.

Using FME Workbench, you perform the following tasks:

• Prune the workspace so that it only processes the point and line features.
• Edit the destination parameter so that the path defaults to the tutorial folder.
• Save the workspace and close Workbench.
• Open and run the spatial ETL tool from the Catalog window.

After running the tool and generating the data, you add the dataset to ArcMap to verify your results.

Create a toolbox

Prerequisite:

The Data Interoperability extension must be enabled.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Click the Catalog Window button on the Standard toolbar.
3. Type C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels\ in the Location text box and press ENTER.

   The location is added to the Catalog tree under the Folders Connection heading.

4. Right-click the parcels folder and click New > Toolbox .
5. Right-click the toolbox, click Rename, then name it parcels.

Create the translation workspace

Starting the Create Translation Workspace Wizard

Steps:

1. Right-click the parcels toolbox and click New > Spatial ETL Tool.
   The Create Translation Workspace Wizard opens.

Choosing the FME reader

Steps:

1. Click the Format browse button.

   The FME Reader Gallery dialog box opens.

2. Type mge in the Search text box.
3. Click the row listing the Intergraph MGE format and click OK.

   The FME Reader Gallery dialog box closes.

4. Click Next.

Specifying the data source

Steps:

1. Click the Add (+) button.

   The Select Multiple Datasets dialog box opens.

2. Click the Add Directories button.

   A second navigation window opens.

3. Navigate to C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels\ and click Open.

   The Select Multiple Datasets dialog box is populated with the path and the standard (.dgn and .cad) file extensions defined for the Intergraph MGE format by FME Reader Gallery.

Specifying the file filter parameters

The next four steps edit the default File/Filter parameters to select the MicroStation DGN (.par) drawing files used in this exercise.

Steps:

1. Double-click the File/Filter field containing *.dgn and replace the contents with *.par.
2. Click the row specifying *.cad and click Remove.
3. Click OK.

   The Select Multiple Datasets dialog box closes.

4. Click Next.

Specifying the reader parameters

Specify the external database that contains the attribute tables.

Steps:

1. Click the Parameters button.

   The Intergraph MGE Parameters dialog box opens.

2. Click the Database Type arrow and choose MDB.
3. Click the Access MDB File browse button.
4. Navigate to C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels\parcel_attrs.mdb and click Open.
5. Click OK.

   The Intergraph MGE Parameters dialog box closes.

6. Click Next.

Choosing the FME writer

Steps:

1. Click the Format browse button.

   The FME Writer Gallery dialog box opens.

2. Type gdb in the Search text box.
3. Click the row listing ESRI Geodatabase (File-based) and click OK.

   The FME Writer Gallery dialog box closes.

4. Click Next.

Specifying the writer parameters

Accept the default parameters for the geodatabase.

Steps:

1. Click Next.

Creating the workspace

Steps:

1. Click Finish.

   The wizard processes the information and starts Workbench.

Prepare the tool

Workbench opens the workspace with an ETL model of the information you provided. Prune the workspace so that it only processes point and line features.

Modifying the model

Steps:

1. Right-click the source feature type named unlinked and click Delete from the shortcut menu.
2. Right-click its orphaned geometry filter and click Delete from the shortcut menu.

   You may need to drag GeometryFilter_3 out of your way.

3. Click and drag to create a selection box around the remaining orphaned destination feature types, right-click the selection, then click Delete from the shortcut menu.
4. Delete all destination feature types except for source feature types LOT_LINES and LOT_POINTS.

   The LOT_LINES source feature type LINE attribute is mapped to the LOT_LINES_line destination feature type, and the LOT_POINTS source feature type POINT attribute is mapped to the LOT_POINTS_point destination feature type.

Editing the destination parameter

Specify the default output geodatabase path and file.

Steps:

1. Confirm that Navigator is available.

   To open the Navigator window from the main menu, click View > Windows > Navigator.

2. Expand Published Parameters.
3. Double-click Destination ESRI Geodatabase (File-based).
   The Edit Published Parameter dialog box opens.
4. Click the browse button.

   The Select Destination ESRI Geodatabase (File-based) File dialog box opens.

5. Navigate to the C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels folder.
6. Type parcels_ETL.gdb in the Geodatabase text box to complete the path and click Open.
7. Click OK.

   The Edit Published Parameter dialog box closes.

Save and rename the tool

Steps:

1. Click File > Save to save the tool.
2. Click File > Exit to exit Workbench.
3. Right-click the new spatial ETL tool in the Catalog window, click Rename, then type Import MGE Parcels.

Open and run the tool

Steps:

1. In the Catalog window, expand the Parcels toolbox .
2. Double-click the Import MGE Parcels tool.

   The spatial ETL tool Import MGE Parcels dialog box opens.

3. Click OK.

   The tool executes the conversion in the background. A progress bar at the bottom of your map displays the name of the tool. When the tool is finished, a pop-up notification appears in the system tray. You can examine the details of the conversion in the Results window.

Add the data to ArcMap

Steps:

1. In the Catalog window, expand the parcels_ETL geodatabase and drag the feature classes LOT_POINTS_point and LOT_LINES_line into ArcMap and verify your results.

This completes the exercise.

Continue to the next exercise: Exercise 3b: Transforming data and verifying output.