Wikipedia talk:Graphics Lab/Resources/QGIS/Get ready

Archive: Wikipedia talk:Graphic Lab/Resources/QGis lesson : Archives

For later update

 * Resources
 * http://downloads.cloudmade.com/ - some OSM layers
 * http://wiki.3maisons.org/index.php?title=Logiciel/Quantum_GIS - French tutorial for QGis 1.5, and Nantes.
 * http://www.geodata.gov/ - Administrative boundaries, USA
 * http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles2010/main - direct download
 * http://gadm.org/country - Global Administrative Areas, all countries of the world

(* Fiches_QGIS v1104.pdf > page 7. ) * ( A palette creator * [Tutoriels http://sig974.free.fr/?p=198] )
 * Mapcolors
 * French resources
 * http://qgis.formationsig.com/pdf/2D3DGIS_QGIS_niveau1.pdf
 * QGis feedback
 * http://qgis.org/en/community/qgis-case-studies.html

Copy-editing + improvement
I've edited the introduction and broke up the article into sections that should make it easier to navigate. I'm going to go ahead and download QGis and use it to get a better idea of what the rest of the tutorial is talking about. A suggestion I already have: it would be good to have either (1) a section that has screenshots of just the icons/toolbar explaining what each icon is (making it easier for someone to find an icon when it's referenced in the tutorial) or (2) an obvious highlighting of an icon in a full window screenshot when it's being referenced in a step. If (1) is implemented, it could be a "Get to know the interface" step, and could also include the buttons in the properties window (since it's later used to load color). -MissMJ (talk) 23:34, 10 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Almost done! Just need to deal with the "Print composer" section. Hopefully by the end of this week! (FYI: I can translate from French to English, if needed, once I'm done copyediting.) -MissMJ (talk) 23:14, 15 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Right ! The topbar is organized in subsets. And the QGis 1.7 is just out (some days ago), so that's the perfect moment to shoot the topbar, the subset, and add numbers to them. So these images may be reuse. within the tutorial. Thanks for your topbar screenshoot, good addition ; ) Yug (talk)  04:35, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Mapcolors
Okay, so I have a minor nitpick about the mapcolors section. Mainly: what it's describing isn't actually loading color maps (although that's part of it) but loading layer styles. Color maps can be part of a layer style file, but I think a layer style file can also include information for the other tabs in the Layer Properties window. If we really want to be correct about what we're saying there, we really should be showing people how to load color map files, which are .txt (I'm not sure what format the data take in that txt though). In the Colormap tab, there's two icons in the top right: Load color map from file, and Export color map to file. Those are technically what need to be used to load in and save mapcolors. -MissMJ (talk) 23:14, 15 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Miss, I spent too much time on it, I'm exhausted with QGis. I take a break of it for some times. Good luck~ Yug (talk)  12:33, 18 June 2011 (UTC)
 * Hello MissMJ, thanks for your eagle eyes.
 * I found what you are talking about. I was not aware of this possibility. The differences between mapcolor such:

INTERPOLATION:DISCRETE 0,110,168,115,255,Custom color map entry 4000,138,108,82,255,Custom color map entry
 * 1) QGIS Generated Color Map Export File
 * and complex layer style files. I think it's still worth to rather teach to load layer style file, since vector layers have complex styles & style files, but not these easier 'map color'.
 * The tutorial currently just work with raster using mapcolor, that's true. But I'm collecting on my PC a nice, wikipedia friendly set of GIS vector files (see our GIS sources) and layer styles to output location maps within 5 minutes. So learn how to load a layer style is still very need. Seems it is need to change our wording from colormap to layer style. You are right. Yug (talk)  04:20, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

Pathway style
MissMJ, I think it's better to keep the action's pathway directly such : GIMP > Layer > Duplicate layer (Ctrl+Shift+D). Convert them into English is I think confusing, since the user will have to translate back into the real-strict pathway "GIMP > Layer > Duplicate layer (Ctrl+Shift+D)". Yug (talk)  15:09, 21 June 2011 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure what you mean? In most places I did use the GIMP > Layer > Duplicate layer (Ctrl+Shift+D) style. The only times where it's described is when it's helpful to tell the user if s/he should be looking for a menu, or button, or tab, or icon, etc., since sometimes there's a lot of options and what the user should be clicking on is not very clear. -MissMJ (talk) 20:04, 21 July 2011 (UTC)

Feedbacks ?
Dear readers / learners, MissMJ, Bourrichon, Otourly, can you share here your work using QGis ? So we can see where you are. : ]

Yug (talk)  11:12, 19 July 2011 (UTC)


 * I've only created one map so far that was requested. Mostly I've been focusing on other images.


 * There was one problem I ran into in the process of making the map, which was incompatible map scales. One map layer would have one scale, and another map layer would be on a smaller or larger scale, making the layers not line up. The smaller layer would be teeny tiny and I would need to zoom in to see it. And zoom out to see the larger layer. I couldn't find of a way to change the scale/size of the layers so that they would match up. I don't know if there even is a way? Maybe the tutorial needs a lesson on working with vector layers, how to change their colors, how to get labels to show up in the right size and the right spot, etc. -MissMJ (talk) 04:50, 20 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Abstract: 1. Layers scales were incompatible, tips ? ; 2. labels don't show up, wrong size, tips ? Yug (talk)  10:13, 21 July 2011 (UTC)


 * No, the labels aren't a problem. I know how to get them to show up and how to deal with their size, placement, and everything. I meant, for other people, who may not be able/might not have the patience to figure it out themselves, it would help to have a lesson explaining how to turn on labels, how to change their positions, how to change the color of a layer that's not topography, etc. -MissMJ (talk) 19:31, 21 July 2011 (UTC)


 * MissMJ, 2 questions :
 * 1. can you explain or upload a screenshoot of your incompatible map scales, so I can understand better. By example : was a/ the layer 1's USA bigger than the layer2's USA (layer scale issue), OR b/ was the lines widths of one layer1 large enough, and lines widths of layer2 too small and not visible (style issue).
 * 2. Why didn't you include a topographic background (PNG or SVG), was there a style choice or technical trouble ? -> PNG is already in the tutorial ; I have to complete Lesson 3#Raster to vector part so you can do maps like mine. Yug (talk)  10:13, 21 July 2011 (UTC)
 * It was A: layer 1 was bigger than layer 2. When I zoomed out to see layer 1, layer 2 was on such a small scale that it didn't show up at all. If I zoomed in to see layer 2, layer 1 would be so big as to not show up. And I couldn't figure out how to resize the layers so that they would have the same scale and line up.
 * A topographic background wasn't needed for this map. It would just be a layer of unnecessary information. -MissMJ (talk) 19:31, 21 July 2011 (UTC)
 * Hello Miss, I also met this strange layer incompatibility case when... importing a bitmap. So I asked on the forum (don't need to click, just: I'm working to solve learners' problems). I will try soon. Yug (talk)  21:28, 21 July 2011 (UTC)

Tutorial is currently quite helpful, but
only for finding the programs and data and recoloring the content. That's most of it, absolutely, but you forgot to walk through how to crop the image to the relevant section of the world data. Zoom is easy enough to find, but QGIS is still user-unfriendly enough that crop is nowhere obvious to be found in the toolbars or menus. The so-called "help" command is completely inoperative on the toolbars and menus and merely informs a user the map is "Map Canvas" which is something like the opposite of help. — LlywelynII  04:14, 21 October 2011 (UTC)

Needs advanced lessons
Sorry, I'm finding I'm not getting any joy from these tutorials, apart from knowing what software to use there just isn't enough detail to guide me on producing maps like File:Washington_topographic_map-fr.svg, for those of us who want to. Am also finding some of the steps just don't work at all, with QGis 1.7.3, and information on GIMP but not Photoshop. The SVGSimple plugin described in lesson 2 isn't available, and the Shaded Relief plugin just gives Python errors. I tried exporting ting a raster but it is pixelated nothing on the level of detail as that map I linked. I have tried converting a TIFF to SVG in Adobe Illustrator, but still no joy. Maybe I'm wanting to delve into advanced steps too fast, but for the sake of making a map from time to time, don't want to spent weeks playing about and learning to use it. Just wanting to get from A to B in easy steps, with enough instructions for Photoshop/Illustrator users, rather than free GIMP/Inkscape software. Not sure if anyone has the time to produce such a tutorial, but I think it might help, as some people like to do things like this themselves rather than ask around. I fully realise this is complex and involved software, needing a number of programs and lots of time to produce detailed map like that. Cheers,  Ma &reg;&copy; usBr iti sh &#91;chat] 20:50, 7 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Woow ! so much troubles. Need a big fix ! Yug (talk)  16:09, 25 January 2012 (UTC)
 * I can't get simple SVG to work either. It's available for QGIS 1.7.4 (Mac) but unresponsive. Secretlondon (talk) 00:22, 18 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Rewriting ongoing. Some layers (OSM, SVG additions) were not in the tutorial. Coming soon. Yug (talk)  11:56, 4 August 2012 (UTC)
 * This map and layer division will be the new outline of the tutorial. Yug (talk)  12:24, 4 August 2012 (UTC)

Upgrade of this tutorial series
Thanks to your feedbacks, I'm now aware of a noticeable weakness and missing content. Following talk with fr:user:Bourrichon who adapted this tutorial into French and pushed further, we decided to divide the tutorials in smaller "One layer, one part" approach (previously was "One lesson, 2 hours" approach). The new division and learning flow is displayed there:

Status are visible with the (almost empty) to  (finished) icons. For those who want to learn GIS Map making: great works need a big deal of time and learning. Great map too. Attack this if you have some days to read, fight for solutions, and win. Yug (talk)  16:14, 25 January 2012 (UTC)
 * Status:


 * Upgrading ongoing. New outlined by layer implemented. But note: I'm will not be able to write this turorial alone. Help welcome ! Yug (talk)  13:29, 11 August 2012 (UTC)