Considerations
When generating very large datasets (typically over 10 GB), you may end up with a ZIP file that contains no data. This empty archive usually indicates that the process ran out of either disk space or system memory before writing any features.
Why This Happens
FME Form uses the Windows %TEMP% directory as a staging area when creating large ZIP archives. If the drive fills up or FME cannot allocate enough RAM during compression, the ZIP writer can fail silently, producing an empty file instead of reporting an error.
How to Resolve It
-
Ensure sufficient disk space
Verify that both your primary drive and the%TEMP%directory have ample free space before running large exports. -
Use a 64-bit FME Form build
Switch to the 64-bit installation of FME Form so the application can address more memory. -
Upgrade your operating system
On a 32-bit OS, move to a 64-bit OS to allow FME Form to leverage all available system RAM. -
Split large datasets
For very large images or other bulky data, consider tiling or chunking the output into smaller files before zipping.
Additional Notes
- Consider setting the
FME_TEMPenvironment variable to point to a different directory or drive with more free space. - Monitor system memory usage via the Task Manager (or an equivalent tool) during large exports to anticipate potential resource bottlenecks.