Table of Contents

Introduction to QGIS

Getting started with QGIS ......................................................................................................................3

1.1 Download QGIS software from website .....................................................................................3
1.2 Install QGIS Chugiak and Plugins ................................................................................................3
1.3 Understanding User Interface ....................................................................................................4
1.4 Exploring Spatial Data ................................................................................................................6
1.4.1 Loading Datasets .................................................................................................................6
1.4.2 Loading Background Maps ..................................................................................................7
1.4.3 Coordinate Reference System .............................................................................................8
1.4.4 Map navigation....................................................................................................................8
1.4.5 Identifying features .............................................................................................................9
1.4.6 Viewing attributes data .......................................................................................................9
1.4.7 Understanding scale of map..............................................................................................10
1.5 Selection and Measurement tools ...........................................................................................11

Spatial Data Creation and Editing ........................................................................................................12

2.1 Geo Referencing .......................................................................................................................12
2.2 Feature Creation/Digitizing ......................................................................................................14
2.3 Adding/Editing/Deleting attributes data..................................................................................17
2.4 Editing vector geometries ........................................................................................................18
2.5 Data conversion re-projecting..................................................................................................18
2.6 Data Queries .............................................................................................................................19
2.7 Field calculator .........................................................................................................................20

Spatial Analysis .....................................................................................................................................21

3.1 Geo processing tools ................................................................................................................21
3.2 Spatial query.............................................................................................................................22
3.3 Working with DEM ...................................................................................................................24
3.4 Geo-tagging of photos ..............................................................................................................26

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Composing Maps ..................................................................................................................................28
4.1 Styles and Labelling ..................................................................................................................28
4.2 Map tips....................................................................................................................................29
4.3 Compose manager – Design print maps ..................................................................................30

Raster Mosaicing, Clipping, Styling and Analysis ................................................................................33

5.1 Raster Mosaicing ......................................................................................................................33
5.2 Raster Clipping..........................................................................................................................34
5.3 Raster Styling ............................................................................................................................35
5.4 Raster Analysis .........................................................................................................................37

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 Chapter 1

Getting started with QGIS

1.1 Download QGIS software from website

The QGIS software, tutorials and related documents are available in www.qgis.org and
software can be downloaded using link below.
http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html

1.2 Install QGIS 2.4.0-1 Chugiak and Plugins

Downloaded software for 64bit and 32bit systems shown below. It can be installed in
windows computers directly by double clicking.

QGIS-OSGeo4W-2.4.0-1-Setup-x86_64.exe (64 bit)

QGIS-OSGeo4W-2.4.0-1-Setup-x86.exe (32 bit)

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Many tools are added to QGIS by using QGIS plugins. We activate some must-have plugins
by navigating to Plugins | Manage and Install Plugins. Plugins are activated by ticking the
checkbox beside their name.

1.3 Understanding User Interface

QGIS main page screenshot is given below. The basic layout contains Layers list, Map
canvas, Status bar and tool bars as shown.

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Next, there are multiple toolbars to explore. If you arranged them as shown in the previous
section, you'll find the following toolbars in the top row:

File: This toolbar contains tools to create, open, save, and print projects
Manage Layers: This toolbar contains tools to add layers from vector or raster files,
databases, web services, text files, or create new layers.

Database: Currently, this toolbar only contains DB Manager, but other database-related
tools will appear here when they are installed

Help: This points to the user manual download

The second row of toolbars contains the following:

Map Navigation: This toolbar contains pan and zoom tools

Attributes: These tools are used to identify, select, open attribute tables, measure, and so
on

Label: These tools are used to add, configure, and modify labels

Vector: This is currently empty, but will be filled by additional Python plugins

Web: This is currently empty, but will be filled by additional Python plugins

Finally, on the right screen border, we find the following:

Digitizing: These tools enable editing, basic feature creation, and editing

Advanced Digitizing: This toolbar contains undo/redo, advanced editing tools, geometry
simplification, and so on

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1.4 Exploring Spatial Data

1.4.1 Loading Datasets

Vector data or shapefiles (.shp) can be added using Add vector layer button

Raster data can be added using Add raster layer button

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Excel data or .csv can be added using Add Delimited Text Layer button. By selecting X-field
and Y-field for Longitude and Latitude values.

1.4.2 Loading Background Maps

Background maps are added using open layers plugins.

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1.4.3 Coordinate Reference System
Layer’s coordinate system can be viewed using layer properties button and coordinates are
shown on the fly at the bottom of page.

1.4.4 Map navigation

Using options like pan, zoom in, zoom out and zoom to selection we can navigate through
the map.

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1.4.5 Identifying features
Using the identify tool, we can click on any part and identify its properties as shown below.

1.4.6 Viewing attributes data

Right click on the Wards and select open attribute table. All the data can be viewed
accordingly.

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1.4.7 Understanding scale of map
The scale of the map can be viewed by using the scale in the status bar

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1.5 Selection and Measurement tools
Features can be selected using select features button; here options are available to select
features in multiple ways

Distance, area and angle measurements are possible using measure button.

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 Chapter 2

Spatial Data Creation and Editing

2.1 Geo Referencing

Geo referencing of raster files or toposheets are possible in QGIS using Georeferncer tool
shown in raster button.

In Georerefencer open raster file and start inputting coordinates of known points as shown

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Then press start georeferencing button (choose transformation type and resampling
method), select output location and file name, by pressing OK button, georeferencing starts.

We now have the Geo-Referenced image.

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2.2 Feature Creation/Digitizing
Open base map which is geo rectified and create new shapefile layer using new shapefile
layer button

Select type of vector (point, line or polygon), specify coordinate reference system (CRS),
and add essential attributes, finally save file in required location by giving name.

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To add features to layer, select layer and toggle editing button, and then start digitising
features

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Right click and select open attribute table button to see attributes of created features in
row and column wise. Finally press save layer edits button to save feature creation or
changes

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2.3 Adding/Editing/Deleting attributes data
To add new column in attribute table, press new column button, en toggle editing mode,
specify type, width, precision, name etc.

Save edits is a must to save any changes either attributes or geometry

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2.4 Editing vector geometries
Geometries can be edited using digitization tools as shown for the vector feature.

2.5 Data conversion re-projecting

Shapefiles of point features can be converted in to .csv using Save as button and vice versa
is also possible. Similarly coordinate reference system also changeable.

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2.6 Data Queries
Complex queries of data is done in QGIS using select feature using expression button

The output of the query is displayed as:

Multiple mathematical, logical queries are possible and selected features can be saved
separately for further work.

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2.7 Field calculator
Area and length of polygon and line features are can be created using field calculator as
shown. Field calculator can also be used for mathematical calculations.

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 Chapter 3

Spatial Analysis

3.1 Geo processing tools

Many geo processing tools are available in QGIS, for example here clip and buffer tools are
demonstrated. Clipping features of one layer with other is carried out using clip tool under geo
processing tools.

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Buffers for point, line and polygon features can be formed using buffer tool, by inputting
buffer distance

3.2 Spatial query

Spatial query is used to select features from multiple layers following specific conditions, here for
example, point of interests (poi), within road buffers are queried.

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Selected features from spatial query can be exported as separated layer for further work.

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3.3 Working with DEM
Elevation data called DEM are opened in QGIS using add raster data button, and it can be
used to create contours, slope, relief maps etc.

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Contour creation

Contours are developed using contour tool as shown, contour interval need to be specified.

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3.4 Geo-tagging of photos
Photos can be attached to point features by specifying file location, photo name using QGIS
plugins called eVis

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 Chapter 4

Composing Maps

4.1 Styles and Labelling

Styling of layers is carried out using Style button in layer properties, layers can be styled
based on their attribute values also.

Labels button is used for labelling of features; here simple labelling of attributes and label
using expressions are also possible

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4.2 Map tips
Map tips are used for specific attribute viewing of features; here by simply moving cursor on
the map defined attributes are shown on the fly

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4.3 Compose manager – Design print maps
To prepare atlas or maps in QGIS Compose manager is used. It facilitates user to page setup,
layer setting, inserting map components (legend, title, north arrow, scale bar etc.),
exporting maps to pdf or image formats.

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 Chapter 5

Raster Mosaicing, Clipping, Styling and Analysis

5.1 Raster Mosaicing

The raster mosaicing involves the merging of individual images into a single mosaic imag
using the Merge button under Miscellaneous of Raster.

The Mosaiced Image is given as:

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5.2 Raster Clipping

Another Raster Operation which you can do is to subset or crop an image. We can use a
polygon from a vector layer to crop the raster to the exact shape using the Clipper button
under Extraction of Raster.

The Background black pixels can be removed setting 0 as an additional no data value under
the Transparency properties of the raster

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5.3 Raster Styling
The rasters are rendered in grayscale, where darker pixels indicate lower values and lighter
pixels indicate higher values

(Pl. Note: The a in the filename suggests that the Population counts were adjusted to match
the UN totals. We will use the adjusted grids for this tutorial.)

Each pixel in the raster has a value assigned. In the below example, this value is the
population density for that grid.

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To better visualize the pattern of population density, we would need to style it. The Raster
Styling is similar to Vector Styling.

Raster styling results in a heat map like rendering of the raster.

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 .

5.4 Raster Analysis

We can analyse two or more than two rasters using the raster calculator tool. Consider for
example, for our analysis, we would like to find areas with largest population change
between 1990 and 2000. The way to accomplish this is by finding the difference between
each grid’s pixel values in both the layers. This can be accomplished by utilizing the Raster
Calculator.

The output raster results in a grayscale visualization, but we can create much more
informative output by doing the raster styling

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We can style the layer so that pixel values in certain ranges get the same color. Before we
dive in to that, we need to look at the Metadata tab and look at the properties of the raster
and Note the minimum and maximum values of this layer.

The Styling is done by selecting the Singleband pseudocolor as the Render type under Band
Rendering. The Color interpolation is set to Discrete and 4 unique classes are created. The
way color map works is that all values lower than the value entered will be given the color
of that entry.

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A much more powerful visualization can be seen by with positive and negative changes of
population density.

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