Introduction
FME is able to read KML datasets, including all of the spatial components, as well as items such as document properties, folders, and timestamp attributes.
FME can also convert KML datasets into various output formats. The following simple translation of KML to MapInfo TAB can be applied to a number of formats other than MapInfo TAB.
Video
See how to read KML data (including documents, folders, timestamps, cameras, and network links) and convert it to MapInfo. This video was recorded using an older version of FME, so the interface may differ, but the concepts remain the same.
Step-by-step Instructions
1. Open FME Workbench
In a blank workspace, add a KML reader to the canvas. This can be done by going to Readers > Add Reader on the top menu bar or by clicking on the Reader button. In the Add Reader dialog, enter Google KML as the Format, then browse to the Properties.kml file included in the downloads. Click OK to add the reader.
When adding KMLs to FME, several different KML layers can be added; in FME, these are referred to as feature types. After clicking OK to add the reader, a Select Feature Types dialog will appear; here, you can select any of the feature types (layers) that interest you. Typically, only one layer will contain the geometry features, and it will have a unique name.
For this dataset, the feature type we are interested in is LandParcels. Unselect all the other feature types and then click OK.
2. Inspect Data
Now that we have added the LandParcels feature type, we should inspect the data to see what we are working with. In older versions of FME, you can add an Inspector transformer and then run the workspace to view the data in FME Data Inspector.
For newer versions, ensure that Feature Caching is enabled and then run the workspace. Once the workspace has run, click on the green magnifying glass to view the data cache in Visual Preview.
There should be 10,840 rows in the table, and the coordinate system should be LL84. KML only supports the WGS84 datum, and the FME equivalent coordinate systems are LL84 and EPSG:4326.
Unexpected Input
The Unexpected Input Remover is a function that discards such data. It checks the input data against the structure (or schema) defined in the workspace. If the data doesn't have a matching feature type, it is discarded. If you encounter this pop-up or message in the translation log while reading in KML, it is safe to ignore it. For more information, please refer to the "Unexpected Input Remover" article or blog post.
3. Add a MapInfo TAB Writer
One final step is to write the data to a MapInfo TAB file. Add a MapInfo TAB (MITAB) writer to the canvas, then browse to a folder to save the file. Ensure that the Table Definition is set to Copy from Reader and then click OK.
Once the writer feature type is added to the canvas, connect it to the LandParcels reader feature type.
4. Save and Run Workspace
Before running the workspace, ensure that you save it. After the workspace has been run, you can view the output by clicking on the LandParcels writer feature type to open the pop-up menu and then clicking on View Written Data.
Data Attribution
The data used in this article originates from open data made available by the City of Austin, Texas. It contains data licensed under the Public Domain Dedication License, as provided by the City of Austin.