qgis open source desktop gis

GISCO – Spring, 2015

QGIS Open Source Desktop GIS

Dave Murray, GISP

GIS Coordinator

City of Westminster

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Introduction

• Scope of Presentation

• Why consider QGIS

• Benefits

• Obstacles

• Training materials

• Next steps

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GISCO – Spring, 2015

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QGIS Use

• Who has used QGIS?

• I’m here to learn from YOU!

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QGIS?

• Not trying to sell you anything

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QGIS?

• More Tools In our Toolbox

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QGIS?

• Linkedin Discussion Kevin Hone

– we typically use the tool to learn the

concepts instead of the other way

around

– I may know how to create a convex

hull polygon with one tool, but if I had

to do it with a different tool, I wouldn't

know where to start because I didn't

learn to do it with this other tool.https://www.linkedin.com/groups/what-is-best-GIS-software-

49657.S.5994554822773272579?view=&item=5994554822773272579&type=member&gid

=49657&trk=eml-b2_anet_digest-hero-1-hero-disc-disc-

0&midToken=AQFqIVLI2OXPRQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=25qGCidJBNzmI1

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QGIS

• Limits

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Disclaimer

• We are currently not using QGIS at the

City of Westminster

Why?• Many reasons but the business case does

not demand it at this time

• May change in the future?

• Data lock-up is one reason

• Training is another big issue –I’m working

on it

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Why Consider QGIS?

• Even with an Enterprise Licensing

Agreement (ELA) there are limits

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How to Approach FOSS4G

• Commercial Vendors

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How to Approach FOSS4G

• Commercial Vendors

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How to Approach FOSS4G

• Open Source

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Rob Pitts of Newlight Tech

• What is

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How to Approach FOSS4G

• Import Revolution of the 60s

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How to Approach FOSS4G

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My Story

• Began using workstation ArcInfo on DG

UNIX in 1993

• Have only used commercial products

during my career

• Instructed GIS courses in commercial

technology for 12 years at the University

of Colorado at Denver

• Currently instructing a FOSS4G course at

UCD

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My Story

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My Story

• Attended my first FOSS4G conference in

2007 – Victoria, B.C.

– Still focused on the code

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FOSS4G Ecosystem

• Initial investigations

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My Story

• Just too much of a headache

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My Story

• Limits

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My Story

• 2011 – FOSS4G International in Denver

• 2013 – FOSS4G NA – Minneapolis

• 2014 – FOSS4G International in Portland

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My Story

• A new opinion of FOSS4G

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My Story

• Not one source for solutions

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QGIS

• Limits

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QGIS Journey

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What I am?

• A mapper

• I remember the moment when I knew

• I like to map while on Vacations

• Mapping when the internet is not available

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QGIS the Obvious Answer

• An opportunity to develop new skills

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What is QGIS?

http://www.qgisforum.org/qgis-tutorial/introduction

– QGIS (formerly known as Quantum GIS) is a

free, opensource desktop GIS program

– The project started in 2002. It has more than

35 developers and an estimated 300,000+

users around the world today

Gary Sherman

QGIS Creator

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What s QGIS?

• Community Driven Project

– The work of the QGIS project is managed by a

Project Steering Committee (PSC) made up of

an international team of developers and GIS

users who each have a specific area of

responsibility.

– The steering committee is divided into four

basic roles: Development, Release

Management, Community Resources and

Finance & Marketing.

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Who Supports QGIS?

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QGIS

QGIS is Free software and you are under no obligation

to pay anything to use it - in fact we want to

encourage people far and wide to use it regardless of

what your financial or social status is - we believe

empowering people with spatial decision making tools

will result in a better society for all of humanity.

http://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/visualchangelog28/index.html

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What is QGIS?

• QGIS runs on:

– Windows, Mac

– Android (smartphone and pad)

– Linux and Unix

– QGIS reads and writes e.g. ESRI, AutoCAD

MapInfo and MicroStation files

– Reads ArcGIS GDBs … but not the indexes

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What is QGIS?

• QGIS latest version @ www.qgis.org

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What is QGIS?

• QGIS License

– QGIS is open source software available

under the terms of the GNU General

Public License

– This guarantees end users (individuals,

organizations, companies) the

freedoms to use, study, share (copy),

and modify the software.

– The GPL is a “copyleft” license, which

means that derived works can only be

distributed under the same license

terms.

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Who Is Using QGIS?

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Who is using QGIS?

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3D Plug-in to QGIS?

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Who is Using QGIS?

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Who is Using QGIS?

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Who is Using QGIS?

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Who Is Using QGIS?

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GIS Requirments?

• Display and symbolize geographic features

• Save symbology for other maps

• Query databases

• Join Tables

• Create custom map products in electronic

formats

• Create Web map services

• Conduct spatial analysis in vector or raster

format

• Hyperlinking

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GIS Requirments?

• Edit geospatial data using topology

• Versioned database editing (POSTGIS)

• Display 3D data

• Use standard scripting languages (Python)

to automate processes

• Visual scripting tools

• Consume web mapping services

• Use Plug-ins to extend the range of

capabilities

• Mobile application

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QGIS Interface

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QGIS Toolbars

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Vector Tools in QGIS

A Subset to Vector Tools

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Raster in QGIS

• Raster Analysis is built in.

Geographic

Resources

Analysis

Support

System

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Raster in QGIS

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Raster in QGIS

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QGIS Plugins

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QGIS Plugins

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QGIS Data Sources

• QGIS uses the OGR library to read and write

vector data formats

– ESRI shapefile

– Mapinfo File

– ArcInfo Binary Coverage

– Delimited text file

– OpenStreetMap Vectors

– PostGIS layers

– SpatiaLite database

– MSSQL Spatial data

– Oracle Spatial Layers

– GPX

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Raster QGIS Data Sources

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OGC Data Sources

• Important OGC specifications supported by QGIS

are:

– WMS — Web Map Service (WMS/WMTS Client)

– WMTS — Web Map Tile Service (WMS/WMTS

Client)

– WFS — Web Feature Service (WFS and WFS-T

Client)

– WFS-T — Web Feature Service - Transactional

(WFS and WFS-T Client)

– WCS — Web Coverage Service (WCS Client)

– SFS — Simple Features for SQL (PostGIS Layers)

– GML — Geography Markup Language

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QGIS Graphic Modeler

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Limits to QGIS

• Text and annotation are not advanced

• 3D interfaces is not tightly integrated

• Editing is not as advanced as commercial

products

• Cartographic refinement, making a pretty

map is much harder

• Finding the right tool

• Non-USA centric - Foreign

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Limits to QGIS

•HELP!!!

•Coders Code

&

Helpers Help

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QGIS Help Resources

• Desktop Help

– http://www.qgis.org/en/docs/index.html

• Planet QGIS

– http://plugins.qgis.org/planet/

• GIS Stack Exchange

– http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/qgis

• Digital Geography –

– http://www.digital-geography.com/

• QGIS Mailing Lists– http://www2.qgis.org/en/site/getinvolved/mailinglists.html#qgis-mailinglists

– http://boundlessgeo.com/solutions/solutions-software/qgis/

• Boundless– http://boundlessgeo.com/solutions/solutions-software/qgis

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QGIS Training Resources

• You tube Search - About 20,900 result

• QGIS 2.6 intro -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QIYZmysDNM

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QGIS Training Resources

• FOSS4G Academy

• https://foss4geo.wordpress.com/• The five courses were derived from a two year long effort, that

engaged 50 geospatial educators from US colleges and

universities nationwide who reviewed the GTCM (KSAs). These

KSAs were all ranked upon importance and sequenced into a

coherent curriculum that includes these five GIS courses:

• GST 101 Introduction to Geospatial Technology Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 102 Spatial Analysis Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 103 Data Acquisition Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 104 Cartography Using QGIS 2.8 & Inkscape

• GST 105 Remote Sensing Using QGIS 2.8 & GRASS 7.0

– $49.00 per class

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QGIS Training Resources

• FOSS4G Academy

• https://foss4geo.wordpress.com/• The five courses were derived from a two year long effort, that

engaged 50 geospatial educators from US colleges and

universities nationwide who reviewed the GTCM (KSAs). These

KSAs were all ranked upon importance and sequenced into a

coherent curriculum that includes these five GIS courses:

• GST 101 Introduction to Geospatial Technology Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 102 Spatial Analysis Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 103 Data Acquisition Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 104 Cartography Using QGIS 2.8 & Inkscape

• GST 105 Remote Sensing Using QGIS 2.8 & GRASS 7.0

– $49.00 per class

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QGIS Training Resources

• FOSS4G Academy on Github

• https://github.com/FOSS4GAcademy

• GST 101 Intro to Geospatial Technology using

QGIS 2.8

• GST 102 Spatial Analysis Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 103 Data Acquisition Using QGIS 2.8

• GST 104 Cartography Using QGIS 2.8 & Inkscape

• GST 105 Remote Sensing Using QGIS 2.8 & GRASS

7.0

– Free tutorials

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QGIS Training Resources

• https://www.packtpub.com/application-development/learning-qgis-20

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QGIS Training Resources

• https://www.packtpub.com/application-development/mastering-qgis

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QGIS Training Resources

• QGIS Tutorials http://www.qgistutorials.com/en/ Ujaval Gandhi

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QGIS Training Resources

• http://www.qgis.org/en/site/about/case_studies/antarctica.html

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QGIS Training Resources

• http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/geoportal/practicum/

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GEOG 4091/5091 - FOSS4G

Thank you

Dave Murray, GISP

dmurray@cityofwestminster.us

(303) 658-2140

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QGIS Abstract

• QGIS is a popular Open Source desktop GIS program that is

rapidly gaining popularity across the globe.

• Many GIS professionals are using this program but many others

have shied away thinking it is too difficult or doesn’t have the

functions they need.

• This presentation will run through a number of arguments why

you should consider learning GIS and applying it in your work or

outside activities.

• The program will be evaluated for the strengths and weaknesses

to the ArcGIS suite of software.

• Attendees will get a good idea if it makes sense for them to try it

out as well as spend time learning a “New” GIS program.