Synergy Between Oracle Spatial and FME Safe Software

 Oracle Spatial’s strength lies in storage and querying not in transforming or integrating data across disparate systems. That’s where FME steps in.

Oracle Spatial supports a variety of data types:

• SDO_GEOMETRY: For vector data like roads, boundaries, and points.
• GeoRaster: For raster data such as satellite imagery or elevation maps.
• Point Clouds: For 3D modeling of terrain or structures.

FME IS  The Data Integration Maestro. For extracting, transforming, and loading (ETL) spatial and non-spatial data. FME’s ability to handle over 345 formats and its library of transformation tools make it the perfect partner for Oracle Spatial. And it is no-code 👍

This connection is bidirectional: FME can also write data into Oracle Spatial from external sources, enabling data ingestion from formats like CAD files, spreadsheets, or IoT feeds. The result is a fluid pipeline that extends Oracle Spatial’s reach far beyond its native environment.

👉Set Up Oracle Connection in FME:

✹Ensure that the Oracle Client is on the system running FME. The bit version of the Oracle Client must match that of FME.​

In FME Workbench, add an Oracle Spatial Object Reader:​

👀 Reading Data from Oracle Spatial

1. Open FME Workbench and create a new workspace.

2. Add an Oracle Spatial Object Reader:

   • Format: Select Oracle Spatial Object as the format.

   • Database Connection: Click Edit and enter:

     • Username and Password: Credentials for the Oracle database.

     • Service Name/SID: The Oracle database name or TNS alias.

     • Host & Port: If using a direct connection, specify the hostname (or IP) and port (default is 1521).

   • Schema Selection: Choose the schema that contains the spatial data.

   • Table Selection: Select the tables or views with SDO_GEOMETRY data.

   • Spatial Filtering (Optional): Use spatial queries (e.g., bounding box filters) to improve performance.

✍ Writing Data to Oracle Spatial

1. Add an Oracle Spatial Object Writer:

   • Format: Choose Oracle Spatial Object.

   • Connection Settings: Use the same database credentials as in the reader.

   • Target Schema & Table:

     • Define the schema where the spatial data will be stored.

     • Choose an existing table or create a new one.

   • Geometry Column: Specify the column that will store spatial data (SDO_GEOMETRY).

   • Primary Keys and Indexing:

   • Set a primary key to maintain data integrity.

   • Ensure spatial indexing (R-tree indexes) is enabled to optimize spatial queries.

📥Load Data into Oracle Spatial

You can Preview the transformed data in FME Data Inspector before committing changes.

SELECT geometry FROM my_spatial_table 
WHERE SDO_RELATE(geometry, SDO_GEOMETRY(2003, 4326, NULL,
 SDO_ELEM_INFO_ARRAY(1,1003,3), SDO_ORDINATE_ARRAY(-122.4, 37.8, -122.3, 37.9)), 
'MASK=ANYINTERACT') = 'TRUE';

👉Some TIPS about  Data Transformation Workflows

Once the connection is established, data transformations can be performed before inserting data into Oracle Spatial.

• Coordinate System Re-projection: Use the Reprojector transformer to align different coordinate systems (e.g., converting WGS84 to EPSG:3857).

• Attribute Calculations: Use the AttributeCreator transformer to add or modify attribute values.

• Geometry Manipulation:

  • Generalization: Use the Generalizer transformer to simplify complex geometries.

  • Buffering: Use the Bufferer transformer to create spatial buffers around features.

• Topology Validation:

  • Use the TopologyBuilder and GeometryValidator transformers to check for gaps, overlaps, or self-intersecting geometries.