How to add support for FileGDB (Esri file gdb API) driver in fiona?

Question

There has been a tons of questions on that but none of them solved my problem.

I have a machine with:

• Windows 7 x64
• Python 3.4.3 x64
• gdal installed: gdalinfo --version --> GDAL 1.11.4, released 2016/01/25; gdal was installed from a wheel GDAL-1.11.4-cp34-none-win_amd64.whl from here

The GDAL is installed into C:\Python34\Lib\site-packages\osgeo. There I have a bunch of .exe files for gdal and ogr and .pyd files.

• fiona installed: was installed from a wheel Fiona-1.6.3-cp34-none-win_amd64.whl, from the same website.

I am able to run this code and it executes successfully:

import gdal
import ogr
from gdalconst import *

shp = r"C:\Data\GIS\PTS.shp"
driver = ogr.GetDriverByName('ESRI Shapefile')

dataset = driver.Open(shp)    
layer = dataset.GetLayer()
layer.GetFeatureCount()    
schema = layer.schema
fields = [field.GetName() for field in schema]    
feature = layer.GetNextFeature()

I am also able to get OGR formats: ogrinfo --formats prints a bunch of them in the Windows cmd (with no FileGDB there though).

I am able to run this code and it executes successfully:

import fiona
with fiona.drivers():
  with fiona.open(path=r'C:\Data\GIS\TemplateData.gdb', driver='OpenFileGDB') as source:
    print(source.meta)

However, this code won't run:

with fiona.drivers():
    with fiona.open(path=r'C:\Data\GIS\TemplateData.gdb', driver='FileGDB') as source:
        print(source.meta)

Because I don't have Esri File GDB compiled libraries which are required.

I have downloaded and unpacked FileGDB_API_VS2012_1_3.zip from the Esri downloads page. As I understood, there is no need to compile anything as the .dll is already there.

What is the correct procedure to register the dll of the Esri File GDB API to be able to use them in fiona in my environment?

---

UPDATE: (based on Luke's answer)

I have downloaded the File Geodatabase API 1.4 version for Windows (Visual Studio 2010) from the Esri downloads page. I copied the FileGDB_API_VS2010_1_4\bin64\FileGDBAPI.dll to the C:\Python34\Lib\site-packages\osgeo. Now I have two files in here, ogr_FileGDB.dll and FileGDBAPI.dll.

I have created a Windows variable GDAL_DRIVER_PATH : C:\Python34\Lib\site-packages\osgeo\gdalplugins. In the PATH variable, I don't have anything Python specific except the C:\Python34\Lib\site-packages\osgeo.

Now when running the ogrinfo --formats I get -> "FileGDB" (read/write) and am able to use the Python code for working with the FileGDB driver.

Answer 1

The Gohlke GDAL/OGR wheel includes the FileGDB driver compiled as a plugin.

To get the FileGDB driver working:

1. Copy the Esri bin64\FileGDB.dll to [python install/virtualenv dir]\Lib\site-packages\osgeo (use bin\FileGDB.dll if using 32bit python). Do not copy the FileGDB.dll to the gdalplugins directory.
2. Set GDAL_DRIVER_PATH environment variable, either:
   • manually; or
   • edit [python install/virtualenv dir]\Lib\site-packages\osgeo\__init__.py and uncomment line 10.
     # uncomment the next line to enable plugins
os.environ['GDAL_DRIVER_PATH'] = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'gdalplugins')

Opening a GDB with the FileGDB driver should now work.

>>> import fiona
>>> with fiona.drivers():
...     with fiona.open(path=r'C:\Temp\Default.gdb', driver='FileGDB') as source:
...         print(source.meta)
...
{'crs': {'init': u'epsg:4326'}, 'driver': 'FileGDB', 'crs_wkt': u'GEOGCS["WGS 84",DATUM["WGS_1984",SPHEROID["WGS 84",6378137,298.257223563,AUTHORITY["EPSG","7030"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","6326"]],PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],UNIT["degree",0.01
74532925199433,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],AUTHORITY["EPSG","4326"]]', 'schema': {'geometry': 'MultiPolygon', 'properties': OrderedDict([(u'SHAPE_Length', 'float'), (u'SHAPE_Area', 'float')])}}
>>>

Note:

Using Python 2.7 I could only get FileGDB plugin to work with the FileGDB API v1.3 (MSVC 2008). as v.1.4 segfaults python. I assume this is because python and the GDAL and Fiona libraries provided by Gohlke are compiled with MSVC 2008 and v. 1.4 is compiled with MSVC 2010 (and later).

The FileGDB API v1.4 works fine with Python 3.4 and the GDAL and Fiona libraries provided by Gohlke which are compiled with MSVC 2010.

Answer 2

The key information is here:

I am also able to get OGR formats: ogrinfo --formats prints a bunch of them in the Windows cmd (with no FileGDB there though).

This tells me that your GDAL_DRIVER_PATH environment variable is not set. See the instructions at https://trac.osgeo.org/gdal/wiki/FileGDB#Testingthedriver. Once "FileGDB" shows in ogrinfo --formats (or fio env --formats), you'll be good to go.

Answer 3

Copying files FileGDBAPI.dll into folder C:\Program Files\QGIS 2.18\bin and ogr_FileGDB.dll into folder C:\Program Files\QGIS 2.18\bin\gdalplugins does the trick for me. Here's a document that explains their use.

Answer 4

I just needed the right version of the FileGBD library. It depends on the way your GDAL and FIONA installers (*.wls in my case) were compiled (Visual Studio Version).

Besides copying FileGDBAPI.dll into the folder osgeo (as indicated in the previous post), I had to copy the file ogr_FileGDB.dll to the folder gdalplugins.

The __init__.py file located in (site-packages\osgeo\) is looking for GDAL system variables (GDAL_DATA, PROJ_LIB, GDAL_DRIVER_PATH). If the variables are NOT found in the system, it creates the variables at running time. So, if you have the variable GDAL_DRIVER_PATH already configured, python will use it to process the code. If you have the variables in the system, you may need to perform some changes in the variables or in the location of the files (ogr_FileGDB.dll, FileGDBAPI.dll)

The process described below is for a system without mentioned environment variables, or if configured, pointing to desired [python install/virtualenv dir]

Systems and versions information:

• Windows 10
• Python virtual environment (version 3.8)
• Install GDAL using: GDAL‑3.3.3‑cp38‑cp38‑win_amd64.whl
• Install Fiona using: Fiona‑1.8.20‑cp38‑cp38‑win_amd64.whl

Procedure:

1. Download the File Geodatabase API 1.5.2 version for Windows (Visual Studio 2019) from here. Copy the FileGDB_API_VS2019.zip\bin64\FileGDBAPI.dll to the [python install/virtualenv dir]\Lib\site-packages\osgeo]
2. Copy the file ogr_FileGDB.dll:

• From the folder [python install/virtualenv dir]\Lib\site-packages\osgeo\gdalplugins\disabled]
• To the folder [python install/virtualenv dir]\Lib\site-packages\osgeo\gdalplugins]

Note: The command ogrinfo.exe --formats will list the FileGDB driver even if a bad library version is installed. The real test is using the driver with OGR or FIONA, for instance:

ogr

from osgeo import ogr
driver_w = ogr.GetDriverByName("FileGDB")
ds_w = driver_w.Open(".\data\data.gdb", 0)
fc_counties_layer_w = ds_w.GetLayer("counties")

if fc_counties_layer_w is None:
    print("Could not open counties in .\\data\\data.gdb")

sr_w = fc_counties_layer_w.GetSpatialRef()
attributes_fc_counties_layer_w = fc_counties_layer_w.GetLayerDefn()

for i in range(attributes_fc_counties_layer_w.GetFieldCount()):
    print(attributes_fc_counties_layer_w.GetFieldDefn(i).GetName())

fiona

import fiona
with fiona.drivers():
    with fiona.open(".\data\data.gdb", driver='FileGDB') as source:
        print(source.meta)

Note 2: With Python, you can check the variables with the code below, but note that the result could be the value of the variables for the current Python environment or the value of the variables for the system. Check which Python environment are you using to run the next code.

from sys import version_info
import os
os.environ['GDAL_DATA']
os.environ['PROJ_LIB']
os.environ['GDAL_DRIVER_PATH']