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mapschool / course

An introduction to the art and science of modern cartography
MIT License
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Introduction to QGiS #51

Closed pkd2512 closed 3 years ago

pkd2512 commented 4 years ago

A brief introduction to using Qgis for making custom maps with geographical datasets.

Download QGIS here A showcase of some maps made using the tool.

For avid readers, you can read the documentation which is a handy reference to understand a specific tool or process whenever you get stuck. (The session will cover the basics) The PyQGIS manual is useful if one wishes to get into analysis using the Python console in Qgis.

At the end of this session, you will be able to –

  1. Load different types of files (raster and vector) into Qgis and create a map.
  2. Understand how projections work and making informed choices for your next project.
  3. Add a data layer to your map and style it using attributes.
  4. Work with the toolbox and perform basic functions like editing shapes, basic analysis on vector and raster files
  5. Understand how to hunt for data and develop a streamlined workflow using Qgis, Google maps and OpenStreetMaps.
pkd2512 commented 4 years ago

Making maps is fun! Even though it may be a tedious job to hunt for "reliable" datasets, what you create with it once you find it is a joy to behold. Tim Meko explains the life hacks of making maps in a newsroom, but this I believe holds true for most general purposes. If you are a fan of command-line tools, check out this talk on Automated Mapmaking by K.K. Rebecca Lai and Denise Lu. Or you could read through Mike Bostock's 4-part series on Making thematic maps using d3-geo’s new command-line interface. P.S. You can watch some of the other interesting talks from NACIS 2019 conference for fun!

People around the world have been doing amazing things with maps, some of which you can keep track of on Twitter or even Reddit. Here's a list of cartographers I look for inspiration to, which you can follow (I will keep updating the list!)

For working with hillshades and 3D imagery, here are some references that can be of help depending on what kind of tools you wish to use –

Additional tools and resources mentioned in the session:

  1. SRTM Tile Grabber - This interface attempts to ease the pain of downloading elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, which can be used to apply hillshading to your maps.

  2. Indiemapper - A quick web-based mapping tool, for testing out projections and exporting quick SVGs of world maps.

  3. GeoJSON online editor - Quickly view/edit your geojson files or view them as tables for quick analysis. You can also edit shapes and create paths which will automatically populate in the Geojson code.

  4. Google map maker - Quickly make locator files, plot transit routes, measure distances and custom maps using Google maps and export as KML for use in a GIS application.

  5. Overpass Turbo - Extract and export OSM features using simple queries. Read the documentation for guides and examples.