One of the main enhancements of Safe Software’s FME 2011 release (released today) is new functionality for manipulating point cloud data. Many people must deal with lidar point cloud data as part of their daily work, and they don’t know how to manage it. It’s awkward to deal with because it’s in huge data volumes.

Other features of the new release: during the authoring phase users can inspect the data. Historically you had to wait for the authoring to be over and then you could look at all the data at various stages. Now the whole authoring stage is interactive so now rather than make it batch as it was before, when authoring workbench scripts you can stop the transformation process to examine the current state of the data.

There is also new database support, and the ability to inspect point clouds.

“No matter what the data interoperability challenge, FME 2011 delivers extraordinary new data transformation powers to help users unleash their inner Spatial Superhero.”