Locus

To all our clients, partners, and friends –

As the holiday season approaches, we’re sending warm wishes from our entire Locus family – our team members and their furry friends!

For many, 2024 has been a year of challenges and uncertainties, and our thoughts are with those looking ahead to new opportunities in 2025. We’ve been able to support some of you on your journey, especially by helping you stay connected and up to date with Software's FME. Please know that we’re always here to lend a hand.

At Locus, we’re incredibly proud to work alongside such talented clients. Your trust and support mean everything to us, and we never take it for granted. Watching you achieve amazing things with FME – and seeing these innovations showcased at our Roadshow events – continues to inspire us. We’re excited to see what 2025 will bring.

Our Locus Australia team, led by Ruby Donaldson, has had an incredible year and we’re thrilled to have welcomed Hamish Kingsbury to the team.

One of the privileges of success is the opportunity to give back. This year, we’ve continued our support for National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges (Safe Night), I Am Hope Foundation NZ, and Pet Refuge NZ – organisations doing vital work to provide safety, hope, and care for those in need. While we wish these services weren’t necessary, we acknowledge their unwavering dedication.

To our amazing clients, suppliers, and our partners at Safe Software – thank you for being part of our journey. You help make Locus what it is today!

We hope this season brings you time to relax, connect, and make wonderful memories with your loved ones – and to recharge with some well-deserved moments for yourself.

Our offices will be closed from 24 December to 6 January, but as always, urgent support is just an email away at [email protected]

When disaster strikes, rapid response is everything. Following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, with roads impassable and rail tracks cut off, KiwiRail’s frontline teams captured hundreds of photos during helicopter surveys—valuable but overwhelming data. The solution? Software's FME and ArcGIS Online, a combination that transformed this data into actionable intelligence.

✅ Processed and organised hundreds of geotagged images in record time
✅ Converted GPS coordinates, reformatted dates, and verified metadata for accuracy
✅ Resized large files for integration into ArcGIS Online
✅ Flagged and documented data issues for communication with field teams

The result? A precise, scalable workflow that enabled KiwiRail to visualise the cyclone’s impact and respond effectively, saving months of work and enhancing safety across treacherous terrain.

Thank you to Andrew Shakes and the KiwiRail team for sharing their story.
Read more - https://locusglobal.com/customer_stories/how-kiwirail-used-fme-for-rapid-cyclone-gabrielle-response/

When our colleague Chris Morris combined his two passions—Artificial Intelligence and Software's FME - magic happened; he created a Gemini AI custom transformer! 🚀

In his latest blog post, Chris shares how he went beyond FME 2024.2’s built-in ChatGPT transformer to connect with Google Gemini using FME’s HTTPCaller. From deciphering API docs to configuring inputs, outputs, and user-friendly parameters, Chris turned a one-off solution into a reusable custom transformer.

Want to know how he did it, check out the full story - https://locusglobal.com/building-a-gemini-ai-custom-transformer-in-fme/

🚀 We’re super excited to announce our latest Locus FME Utility Meet-Up on Wednesday 4 December, 1 – 2pm (NZDT). Join us for an interactive 60-minute session packed with insights and live Q&A for data professionals in the utility sector across New Zealand and Australia.

Here’s what’s on the agenda:
🔹 Big Things in Small Packages – Trent Bradley, Unison Networks Ltd. Learn how Unison uses Safe Software's FME for both complex analysis and small tasks, like Flow apps, to boost efficiency
🔹 FME for ComCom Information Disclosure Schedule 9c Overhead Lines - Shane Libeau, Unison Networks Ltd. Discover how Safe Software's FME helps calculate overhead network lengths for NZ Commerce Commission reports
🔹 ICP Addressing Challenges – Dayna Plimmer, CoreLogic
🔹 What's New in FME 2024.2 – LOCUS. Enjoy some highlights from the latest FME release

For more details register for our Locus FME Utility Group and we’ll send you a meeting invite - https://locusglobal.com/fme-utility-meet-up/

At Locus, we’re super lucky to have Hamish Kingsbury on the team – an absolute FME powerhouse! Whether he’s turning hours of data entry into minutes, helping visualise earthquake recovery in 3D, or streamlining powerlifting meet logistics, Hamish is always looking for inventive ways to make FME do more.

Thank you Danielle Leroux and the team for profiling Hamish in your latest FME Community Spotlight – great read!

https://community.safe.com/user-spotlights-62/fme-community-user-spotlight-hamish-kingsbury-35238

🔍 Ever thought about automating your PDF map generation?

In our latest blog from Pip Norris, we break down how combining Safe Software FME and Python makes it possible to generate countless PDF maps without the repetitive work. From defining map extents to applying custom symbology in ArcPy, this approach allows for customised, scalable map production with just a few steps.

🔗 Check out the full blog here: https://locusglobal.com/map-generation-with-fme-and-python/

🎸 What makes a rock hit legendary? 🎶

We took a deep dive into The Rock 2000 (The Rock radio station) with a little help from Safe Software's FME and Power BI.

Using data from ’s top 2000 tracks, Chris Morris and Pip Norris crunched the numbers on tempo, energy, and the rise (or fall) of rock icons. 🤘

From Ozzy Osbourne’s plunge to Foo Fighters' climb, our analysis shows how unpredictable the world of music can be. Sound interesting? Then why not roll over to our latest blog and check out how we combined data science and rock legends.

https://locusglobal.com/rock-legends-and-data-rhythms/

Juggling FME Python between different environments? Want a more streamlined experience with debugging and autocompletion? Then you need to read our latest blog post from Hamish Kingsbury!

In this step-by-step guide you’ll learn how to integrate FME Python into Visual Studio Code (VSC) delivering benefits including:

- Enhanced productivity: Enjoy smoother dev with code completion and debugging
- Consistent environment: Use a familiar IDE for all your FME Python tasks
- Customisation: Tailor VSC to your preferences with various extensions and themes

Give it a try and let us know your thoughts!
https://locusglobal.com/fme-python-in-visual-studio-code/

Locus is pleased to sponsor and support the 2024 Space, Spatial and Surveying Inclusive Employer Index Survey. This survey is a crucial tool for understanding the state of diversity and inclusion across the Space, Spatial, and Surveying Industry.

A joint effort between peak-organisations and business leaders across Australia and New Zealand, the survey is organised by the SSSDLN: Space, Spatial & Surveying Diversity Leadership Network and in partnership with the Diversity Council Australia Ltd.

The survey is anonymous, takes 10-15 minutes, and is open to everyone. By adding your experience to the data, the organisers can track industry progress since 2021 and identify areas where we can improve.

Thanks to GCA, survey participants can also go in the draw to win a ticket to Locate 25 (brought to you by the Geospatial Council of Australia).

To find out more, and take the survey, open until 30 September see - https://www.sss-inclusion.report/

The results of the survey will ultimately help the industry better understand current diversity and inclusivity; what is being done well and where are the opportunities to improve.Let’s all help grow a more inclusive industry by participating. Responses are being sought from individuals who work, study or participate in the Space, Spatial or Surveying sectors – regardless of your job title or your background. The more that participate, the more data there is and the greater the impact of those findings!

https://www.sss-inclusion.report/