ArcGIS Data Interoperability FAQs

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Which formats does ArcGIS Data Interoperability support?

See the ArcGIS Data Interoperability Supported Formats.
[PDF-88.8 KB, 2 pages]

Which transformers are included with ArcGIS Data Interoperability?

See ArcGIS Data Interoperability—Transformers.
[PDF-100 KB, 2 pages]

What is an example of why you would define your own data format?

You may define your own data format if you want to use a GPS log saved as a text file. You could create a data format that displays the ASCII coordinates in the file as features. Points with the same attributes could be displayed as lines, and polygons could be displayed from lines that close. You could also define external data that automatically joins to these features. All the feature construction and joining would happen behind the scenes, allowing anyone using this data format to use the GPS log in ArcGIS just like any other data format.

What types of transformations can you do when creating your own data format?

The extension supports numerous transformations for assembling data and joining attributes.

Can I edit data supported via this extension?

No, data accessed from this extension is read-only. However you can select and export the features you want to edit to a geodatabase, then after editing, convert the features back to the source format.

Is annotation supported from other formats?

At the 9.0 release, annotation is not directly supported from data accessed through the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension. However, the text of the annotation is accessible as an attribute, allowing you to label the features in a map.

Is there support for raster data formats?

At this time, there is only one available raster format for export—PNG/GIF. All other formats are vector formats.

What happens if you open an MXD in ArcGIS with Data Interop-supported formats and you don't have the extension installed?

The data sources will appear as broken data links with a red exclamation point (!) next to the name in the Table of Contents, exactly as if you had a data source that was moved to a different location.

Is there an ArcGIS Data Interoperability API?

No, there is no ArcGIS Data Interoperability application programming interface (API). The direct format use is available via the plug-in data source in standard ArcObjects. The extension just adds functionality to this data type. The transformation capabilities are not available outside the user interface and Geoprocessing environment. Find more information on the plug-in data source.

Is the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension supported for ArcGIS Server?

No. But a future release for ArcGIS Server is planned.

I have a license of the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension, but I need to download the software. What should I do?

If you have received a license of ArcGIS Data Interoperability, you can download the software at www.esri.com/agdidownload.

I have an evaluation copy of ArcGIS Data Interoperability. What do I need to make it a fully licensed version?

You can turn the evaluation copy of ArcGIS Data Interoperability into a full version of the software by contacting ESRI Customer Service to purchase a license. Users with a single use license of ArcGIS Desktop will receive a registration number that can be inserted using the registration wizard in the ArcGIS Desktop Administrator. Users with a concurrent use license will receive an updated license file that can be added using the Update License tool on the license manager server.

I have a license of the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension, how do I enable support for additional data formats?

Contact Safe Software at sales@safe.com to inquire how to upgrade your ArcGIS Data Interoperability license to support additional data formats.

What is new for ArcGIS 9.1 Data Interoperability with the release of ArcGIS 9.1 Service Pack 1?

ArcGIS 9.1 Service Pack 1 updates ArcGIS Data Interoperability to use Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 2005, which includes additional formats and transformers as follows:

Format
Autodesk AutoCAD 2004		Write
Autodesk AutoCAD DWF		Read/Write
GML 3.x		Read
Microsoft Excel		Read/Write
SEG-P1		Read
Text File		Read
Z-MAP		Read/Write

New Transformers

2DEllipseReplacer

AngleConverter

AttributeAccumulator

AttributeExposer

AttributeFileReader

AttributeFileWriter

CRCCalculator

CoordinateConcatenator

DMSCalculator

DecimalDegreesCalculator

EnvironomentVariableRetriever

GMLFeatureExtractor

GMLFeatureReplacer

NullAttributeReplacer

StatisticsCalculator

TextStroker

Is ArcGIS Data Interoperability based on FME2005?

Yes. Starting with the release of ArcGIS 9.1 Service Pack 1, ArcGIS Data Interoperability is based on FME2005, which includes additional formats and transformers as follows:

Format
Autodesk AutoCAD 2004		Write
Autodesk AutoCAD DWF		Read/Write
GML 3.x		Read
Microsoft Excel		Read/Write
SEG-P1		Read
Text File		Read
Z-MAP		Read/Write