Announcing the SBS ArcGIS Utility Network Plugin for FME
SBS is pleased to announce the availability of the SBS ArcGIS Utility Network (UN) Plugin for FME, a purpose-built integration layer designed to simplify and harden data exchange between FME workflows and Esri ArcGIS Utility Network feature services.
This plugin was developed to address a common challenge faced by utilities and GIS teams: reliably synchronizing complex Utility Network data while respecting ArcGIS rules, subtypes, associations, and versioning. The result is a robust, production-ready toolset that allows FME to operate as a first-class citizen within ArcGIS Utility Network environments.
Built for Real-World Utility Network Workflows
The SBS ArcGIS UN Plugin supports both reading and writing ArcGIS feature data and fully leverages Utility Network capabilities, including subtypes, associations, connectivity, and rules. It is designed for organizations that need to integrate data from multiple GIS or external systems while maintaining the integrity of their Utility Network model.
Key capabilities include:
- Native support for ArcGIS feature services, enabling secure, service-based data access
- Creation and management of Utility Network associations, including attachment, containment, and connectivity
- Change detection to identify differences between a selected branch version and Default
- Automatic handling of subtype and domain values – Read and write support for both coded values and text values
- Read and write support for file attachments
- Cascade delete support from container features to contained features
Enhanced FME Transformers for ArcGIS Utility Network
To simplify complex interactions, the plugin includes custom FME Transformers that extend standard ArcGIS functionality. These transformers are designed specifically for synchronized updates and Utility Network-aware processing, reducing the need for brittle custom scripting.
Custom transformer functionality includes mid-translation support for:
- Applying feature edits
- Retrieving association information
- Resolving subtype and domain values
- Deleting features directly from the UN
- Performing complex queries against UN feature services
- Validating subtype and domain values, contingent values, and associations
- Generating a new token
Template-Driven Feature Creation from ArcGIS Pro
The UN Plugin Writer also supports creating Utility Network features using ArcGIS Pro Templates, ensuring that new features adhere to established modeling standards and editing rules.
To support this workflow, SBS provides the ArcGIS Pro Template Exporter Add-In, which can be installed directly into ArcGIS Pro. This add-in allows GIS teams to export templates authored in ArcGIS Pro for direct consumption within FME workflows, bridging the gap between desktop configuration and automated processing.
Enterprise-Ready Architecture
The SBS ArcGIS UN Plugin is developed in Java and deployed as a set of JAR files with supporting Java property and FME plugin configuration files. This architecture supports enterprise deployment models and aligns with IT standards commonly used by utilities and large GIS organizations.
Designed for Utilities, Built by Utility Experts
By combining FME’s data orchestration strengths with deep Utility Network awareness, the SBS ArcGIS UN Plugin enables utilities to automate complex data synchronization workflows without sacrificing data quality or network integrity.
The plugin reflects SBS’s continued investment in tools that help utilities modernize GIS workflows, reduce manual effort, and confidently operate within advanced ArcGIS Utility Network environments built on Esri technology.
For more information or to discuss how the SBS ArcGIS Utility Network Plugin fits into your GIS and data integration strategy, contact us here.