Custom formats

Available with Data Interoperability license.

Custom formats are transformation workspaces persisted to .fds files that are recognized as reader formats in the formats gallery. Custom formats can be used in the same way as any other format and shared between compatible installations of Data Interoperability.

You can create a custom format in the following ways:

• In FME Workbench, author a workspace that creates file geodatabase features. Then click File > Export as Custom Format on the main menu.

• In FME Reader Gallery, click the New button and click Create Custom Format Wizard.

Usage

Creating a custom format adds the format to the FME Reader Gallery list. Once created, subsequent uses of the gallery allow you to edit the format in FME Workbench or delete it from the list. Deleting a custom format removes the .fds file from your desktop.

It is recommended that you use custom formats in the following scenarios:

• When multiple transformation workspaces must use the same base data and apply the same transformations

• When multiple, possibly remote, users must use the same base data and apply the same transformations

• When you want to condense workspaces sections or abstract them out of the canvas, but you also want to retain the ability to centrally manage them

Where to find custom format files

By default, custom formats are saved in the following locations:

Operating system	Folder location
Windows 11	C:\Users\<login name>\Documents\FME\Formats