I won't go into all the details (you can find it here, a live blog account, and watch James Fee & company discuss it here) but I did enjoy 4 big things:
1) Better Labeling, via the MapTextLabeller.
Even though it's an extra cost add-on, you can't deny that adding better labeling transformers are really going to help those customers with limited GIS budgets. This helps fill that void somewhat. Maplex in ArcGIS covers a lot of the same (if better) functionality, but if you don't have access to that resource, this will do nicely if you aren't tied into the Autodesk/ESRI stack. And definitely helpful for guys like Jonathon McIntyre making those high quality floor plan PDF's from FME.
2) Uploading and testing your CAD files right to FME server, to QA/QC those pesky as-built drawings from contractors.....! Geometry validation is going to be very useful for our infrastructure GIS guys here in the office.
3) Real-time tracking. Watching Dale's TESLA in real-time was pretty cool, and pulling the City of Vancouver's data via FTP into FME's workbench was just as awesome.
4) Reading ZIP files! Writing to ZIP files! Damn, wish I had this when I was revamping the scripts for our Open Data site. No biggee, Python helped out on that regard.
Thankfully, I've got 2013 installed at work now so I'm excited to try out the new stuff right away!
Yes, Soup for me! heh, heh, heh.....
