Pitney Bowes MapInfo Professional - Manual (Page 371)

For more specific instructions, see Importing and Displaying GML 2.1 Files in the Help System.
Using Universal Data Directly
You can open AutoCAD, Microstation Design, ESRI ArcSDE, Personal Geodatabase and Google Earth
KML data directly to avoid having to translate it separately and work with copies of the data in .tab format.
This functionality ensures that you will have more flexibility when working with your data.
Pitney Bowes Software Inc. and Safe Software's, a third-party partner, have worked together to provide
this direct way to open and display universal data in MapInfo Professional using a utility called the Feature
Manipulation Engine (FME). The FME opens a variety of Universal Data formats including:
• Autodesk AutoCAD (*.DXF, *.DWG)
• Bentley MicroStation Design (V7) (*.POS, *.FC1, *.DGN)
• Bentley MicroStation Design (V8) (*.POS, *.FC1, *.DGN)
• ESRI ArcInfo Export (*.E00)
• ESRI ArcSDE
• ESRI Geodatabase (*.MDB)
• Google Earth (*KMZ, *KML)
• Spatial Data Transfer Standard (*.CATD.DDF)
• Vector Product Format (VPF) Coverage NIMA/NGA (*.FT)
• Geography Markup Language (*.GML)
• Esri Geodatabase (File Geodatabase API) Reader/Writer (*.GDB)
Using the Open Universal Data feature of MapInfo Professional, you can open different types of data
stored in a variety of locations and:
• Combine data from multiple sources into a single output.
• Run and join data from incompatible systems
• Extend the use of legacy systems
• Exchange data between CAD-based systems and GIS systems
• Perform quality assurance tests on spatial data
Additionally, if you have the FME Suite, which is available from Safe Software, you can use this feature
to open almost 150 formats within MapInfo Professional.
You cannot open a SQL Server table through Open Universal Data. If you open an existing table
or workspace that references a SQL Server database, then an error message displays. If you Note:
purchased FME separately from Safe Software and it supports SQL Server, then tables using
SQL server open in MapInfo Professional. For more information, see Working with the FME Suite
in the Help System.
Opening Universal Data Directly
When opening universal data, you can select the data you want to open and specify the name of the
dataset you want to display.
The process for opening this data is the same regardless of the format.
To open the universal data directly:
1. Choose File > Open Universal Data.
2. In the Specify Data Source dialog box, beside the Format drop-down list, click Browse the gallery
.
371 MapInfo Professional User Guide
Chapter 14: Putting Your Data on the Map