An overview of the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension
Release 9.2 Last modified August 15, 2007	Print all topics in : "ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension"

Government agencies and other organizations around the world produce valuable spatial data in a wide variety of data formats (a data format is the internal structure of a file that enables computer use). These formats come in two varieties: native ArcGIS and non-native ArcGIS.

• Native ArcGIS formats are things like shapefiles, coverages, and any element in a geodatabase, such as a feature class or table.
  
• Non-native, or external, formats include CADReader, DLG, Danish UFO, S-57 Hydrographic Data Format, MicroStation Design, MapInfo MID/MIF, MapInfo TAB, to name but a few.
  

If you have a need to use data stored in non-native formats, then the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension is for you. This extension allows you to read and write data in over 70 different formats.

After installing this extension, four things happen:

• ArcGIS will recognize non-native formats and allow you to work with them directly, just like you would with native ArcGIS formats. Data files based on these non-native formats will appear in ArcCatalog, allowing you to add the data to ArcMap as a layer and use the data in geoprocessing. This capability is called Direct Read.
  



You cannot edit data that you are accessing via with Direct Read capability. To edit, you must convert the non-native data into a native ArcGIS format using the methods described below.


• A new geoprocessing toolbox, Data Interoperability Tools, is installed. This toolbox contains the Quick Import and Quick Export tools. Quick Import will read data in non-native formats and write it to an ArcGIS personal geodatabase. Quick Export does the opposite, reading native ArcGIS formats and writing it to a non-native format. This capability is called Quick Conversion.
  




• A new type of custom geoprocessing tool, called the Spatial ETL tool, is added to ArcToolbox. ETL stands for Extract, Transform, and Load. The ETL tool allows you to define sophisticated custom data transformations to both winnow out unnecessary spatial and attribute information and to enhance information by manipulating the attributes and spatial information. With the Spatial ETL tool, you can quickly and easily develop custom data transformations that would take a seasoned programmer weeks to accomplish. This capability is called Data Transformation.
  




• A new top-level Catalog Tree entry, named Interoperability Connections, is added, as shown below. Double-clicking the Add Interoperability Connection entry walks you through the process of creating a new interoperability connection. An interoperability connection not only allows direct read of a data source, but you can also specify your own sophisticated data transformations, using the same techniques used by the Spatial ETL tool described above.
  

The ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension is developed and maintained collaboratively by ESRI and Safe Software Inc., the leading GIS interoperability vendor, and is based on Safe Software’s popular Feature Manipulation Engine (FME®) product. The extension includes Safe Software's FME Workbench for building your custom data translators. When you create a geoprocessing Spatial ETL tool, or define a new custom format, you'll be working with FME Workbench, illustrated below.

Learning more

A great place to start is with the Data Interoperability tutorial. Click here to view the tutorial. If this link doesn't work, click here to visit the main tutorial page which gives further instructions on accessing tutorials.

FME Workbench comes with its own help system, which can be accessed from FME Workbench, as illustrated above. This help system provides help on both FME Workbench and the ArcGIS extension. You should consult this help whenever you are creating custom translators. Click here to view this help.

Learn more about the key concepts of the Data Interoperability extension

Learn more about using the Data Interoperability extension

Learn more about the details of using the extension

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