To ensure that you're dealing with the right information you need a clear view of your data at every stage of the transformation process. Data Inspection meets this need: it is the act of viewing data for verification and debugging purposes, before, during, or after a translation.
A number of different facets to spatial data may be inspected, including the following:
- Geometry: Is the geometry in the correct spatial location? Are the geometry types correct?
- Symbology: Is the color, size, and style of each feature correct?
- Attributes: Are all the required attributes present? Are all integrity rules being followed?
- Format: Is the data in the expected format?
- Schema: Is the data subdivided into the correct layers, categories or classes?
- Quantity: Does the data contain the correct number of features?
- Output: Has the translation process restructured the data as expected?
Chef Bimm says…
‘I have a great recipe for loading CAD files into a Building Information Model. Previewing the ingredients… I mean data… lets me detect problems before they affect the translation.
Features in the wrong source layer could need the whole process to be repeated. Data Inspection saves me that hassle.’
Miss Vector says…
FME is so easy to use, it's hard to think up some difficult questions! But I'll try.
When you are inspecting schema, what are you trying to verify?
- The color and linestyle of features
- The number of features
- The layers (classes, tables, types)
- Where the nearest coffee shop is