QGIS Topics

I. Familiarization of QGIS interface

II. Add Data
III. File interchangeability
IV. Georeferencing
V. Downloading satellite image
VI. Reprojection
VII. Inserting satellite image in AutoCAD
VIII. Digitization
IX. Attribute editing
X. Symbology
XI. Add Labels
XII. Create Map Layout

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 1

DAY 1

Familiarization of QGIS interface

Menu Toolbar / Toolbars

The processing tools can be accessed in the Menu Toolbars. For easier access, you can turn on the
Toolbars of the most used sets of tools into buttons above. If the set of tools you needed is not visible,
right-click on the top portion, then a checklist of toolbars will be available.

Layer Panel

In the Layer Panel, you can see a list of all the available layers that you imported for the project.

Recent Projects

Upon opening the QGIS program, you can immediately get back to your previous project in the Recent
Projects portion.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 2

News

Announcements and news regarding QGIS are shown in the top right portion on the start page. If you
are interested in joining the conferences held relating to GIS, you can click the links in this portion.

Project Templates

If you have a standard template in your work, you can save it in QGIS and start a project with that
template. The default template is a blank template.

Status Bar

It displays the basic information of the current map. It shows the scale, coordinates, and the
reference system.

Map Canvas

After opening a template/project, you can view the Map Canvas, where all layers are loaded and the
map itself.

Browser Panel

The Browser Panel is used to navigate through your files without opening another Windows Explorer.

TRY!

Explore the buttons and tools of QGIS. Experiment with the use of these tools.

Try to find these buttons and learn its intended use.

1. 2. 3.

Start a New Project

There are different ways to start a new project.

1. Click the New Project button ( ).

2. Double-click the New Empty Project in the Project Templates.
3. Navigate to Project > New.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 3

Add Data
1. Add Vector Data
▪ From Menu Toolbar
• Layer > Add Layer > Add Vector Layer

• Click the Browse button ( ) in the Source section.

• Select the *.shp file.
▪ From Manage Layer Toolbars

• Find the Add Vector Layer button

▪ From Browser Panel
• Add your project folder directory to Favorites for easy access.
• Right-click on your file, then click Add Layer to Project
▪ From Windows Explorer
• You can directly drag your data into the Map Canvas as long as it is a
compatible file.
2. Add CSV data
▪ Layer > Add Layer > Add Delimited Text Layer.

▪ Click the Browse button ( ) in the File name section.

▪ Select the *.csv file.
▪ In Record and Fields Option, check the following:
• First record has field names
• Detect field types
▪ In Geometry Definition
• Select Point coordinates
• In X field, select lon
• In Y field, select lat
• In Geometry CRS, select EPSG: 4326 – WGS 84
▪ Click Add.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 4

 3. Add GPS data
▪ Layer > Add Layer > Add GPX Layer.

▪ Click the Browse button ( ) in the GPX dataset.

▪ Select the *.gpx file.
▪ In the Feature types, check the Tracks.
4. Add Online Data
▪ Geoportal
• Geoportal is a collection of maps in the Philippines.
• You can access these maps using their official website. Or you can
also integrate it into your QGIS Project.
• Layer > Add Layer > Add WMS/WMTS Layer.
• Click New.
• Edit the following:
o Name: Geoportal
o URL:
https://geoserver.geoportal.gov.ph/geoserver/ows?service=w
wm&version=1.1.1&request=GetCapabilities
• Click OK.
• Click Connect.
• From the table, select a data you want to add. For example, scroll to
the layer with Title: National Road (Number of Lanes).
• Click Add.
▪ Online Basemap
• Web > QuickMapServices > Google > Google Satellite
• NOTE: If QuickMapServices is not yet available, go to Plugins >
Manage and Install Plugins… > Search for QuickMapServices >
Install and Check

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 5

File interchangeability
1. From AutoCAD
▪ To Google Earth
• Use the command MAPEXPORT
• Change the Files of Type to Google KML (*.kml, *.kmz).
• In Selection tab, click Select all.
• Always check the Options tab for the Coordinate conversion.
• Then click OK.
▪ To QGIS
• Option 1: Save as DXF
• Option 2: Use the command MAPEXPORT
• Change the Files of Type to ESRI Shapefile (*.shp).
• In Selection tab,
o Select the Object type: Line.
o Click Select all.
• Always check the Options tab for the Coordinate conversion.
• Then click OK.
• The coordinate system of AutoCAD is not recognized by QGIS. After
opening the shapefile in QGIS, change the coordinate system.
• Right-click the layer > Layer CRS > Set Layer CRS.
• Search for PRS92 / Philippines zone 3 (EPSG:3123).
• Click OK.

▪ NOTE: always check the units and coordinate system before proceeding.
Use EDITDRAWINGSETTINGS to change the units and coordinate system.
• Drawing units: Meters
• Angular units: Degrees
• Categories: Philippines
• Available coordinate systems: PRS92 / Philippines zone 3

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 6

 2. From Google Earth
▪ To QGIS
• You can directly import KML files in QGIS
3. From QGIS
▪ To Google Earth
• Export your layer as KML file
• Right-click the layer > Export > Save Features As.
• Change the Format to Keyhole Markup Language [KML].

• Click the Browse button ( ) in the File name section, then add the
file name.
• Click OK.
▪ To AutoCAD
• Export your layer as DXF file.
• Right-click the layer > Export > Save Features As.
• Change the Format to AutoCAD DXF.

• Click the Browse button ( ) in the File name section, then add the
file name.
• Click OK.
• Open the *dxf file in AutoCAD.
• Zoom > Extent.
• Save as *.dwg file.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 7

Georeferencing
1. Topo Map
▪ Open the Georeferencer window from Layer Menu.
▪ Load the image
• File > Open Raster

• Or click the first button ( ).

▪ Edit the Transformation Settings

• Settings > Transformation Settings ( )

• For this activity, use:
o Transformation type: Helmert
o Target CRS: EPSG: 4683 – PRS92
o Output file: (save output)
• Leave the rest as default
▪ For NAMRIA Topographic maps, there are coordinates in all corners.

▪ Edit > Add Point ( )

▪ Point the cursor to the corner of the map.
▪ Then input the coordinates accordingly.
▪ You need at least 3 points to run the Helmert Transformation.
▪ Check the Residual in the GCP Table. If you’re not satisfied with the result,
you can add more points, delete or move the previous points.

▪ To delete points, Edit > Delete Point ( )

▪ To move the points, Edit > Move GCP Point ( )

▪ Then, click Start Georeferencing ( ).

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 8

 2. Cad Map
▪ Unlike NAMRIA Topo Map, you need to figure out the cadastral map’s
coordinates using the map title (CM number).
▪ The CM number indicates the coordinate of the Lower Left Corner of the
Map.
▪ From there, you have to compute the 3 other corners’ coordinates. (Please
see attached reference file.)

Using the Georeferenced Image into Google Earth

• File > Import.

• Change file type to GeoTIFF (*tif).
• Select file, then OK.
• Click Scale.
• Then OK.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 9

DAY 2

Downloading satellite image

1. Open the SAS Planet application.
2. Zoom to the desired area.
3. Change the Map View to Satellite (Google maps).
4. Click Regular Selection.
5. Select area to be downloaded.
6. In Selection Manager, edit the following:
▪ Download Tab
• Map/Overlay layer: Satellite (Google maps)
• Zooms: 21
• Click Start
7. After completing the download, edit the following:
▪ Stitch Tab
• Output format: GeoTIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
• Save to: (select output file)
• Map: Satellite (Google maps)
• Zoom: 21
• Projection: Geographic (GoogleEarth) / EPSG:4326
• Click Start

Reprojection to PRS 92 (Zone 5)

1. Add the Satellite Image

▪ Layer > Add Layer > Add Raster Layer ( )

▪ Click Browse button ( )

▪ Select file, then click Open.
▪ Click Add.
2. Raster > Projections > Warp (Reproject).

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 10

 3. Select the satellite image in the Input Layer.
4. Change the following CRS:
▪ Source CRS: EPSG: 4326 – WGS 84
▪ Target CRS: EPSG: 3125 – PRS92 / Philippines zone 5
5. Scroll down to the Reprojected section. Click the Save to File.
6. Select output file.
7. Click Run.

Inserting Satellite Image in AutoCAD

1. Use MAPIINSERT command.
2. Select the satellite image file. Then Open.
3. Check the Image Correlation details, then click OK.
4. Zoom > Extent.

Digitization
1. Create Vector Layer

▪ Layer > Create Layer > New Shapefile Layer… ( )

▪ Input File name (ex. Roads.shp)
▪ Change Geometry type to LineString (for this exercise, the geometry type for
roads is Lines)
▪ Change CRS to EPSG: 3125 – PRS92 / Philippines zone 5
▪ In the New Field section, add a field/column to record Road Name
• Name: RoadName
• Type: Text (string)
• Length: 80
• Then click Add to Fields List
▪ Click OK.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 11

 2. Check Toolbars
▪ Turn on the following toolbars
• Digitizing Toolbar

• Snapping Toolbar

3. Start Editing

▪ Click Toggle Editing ( )

▪ Click Add Line Feature ( )

▪ Enable Snapping ( )
• Turn on snapping on Vertex and Segment
• Turn on Enable Snapping on Intersection
▪ Trace/digitize the roads
▪ Right-click to confirm
▪ Add details of each Feature
4. Edit Vertex

▪ Click Vertex Tool – All Layers ( )

▪ Edit the vertices
5. Save the Layer

▪ Click Save Layer Edits ( )

▪ Click Toggle Editing to stop editing ( )

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 12

Attribute editing
1. Select the Road feature
2. Right-click, then select Open Attribute Table
3. Make sure the Toggle Editing is on
4. You can edit the RoadName to add details or for corrections

5. You can also add a New Field ( )

▪ Try adding Road Type
▪ Edit the following:
• Name: RoadType
• Type: Text (string)
• Length: 100
▪ Add data to each road (such as Highway, Avenue, Boulevard, Street, etc)
6. Save and Stop Editing.

Symbology
1. Select the Road feature
2. Right-click, then select Properties…
3. Under Symbology tab, you can change the color, the line width, etc.
4. You can also select from the default symbols.
5. Click OK.

TRY!

Try experimenting with the Symbology Type.

1. In the dropdown menu, change Single Symbol to Categorized.

2. Then change the Value to RoadType.
3. Click Classify button.
4. Click OK.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 13

Add Labels
1. Select the Road feature.
2. Right-click, then select Properties…
3. Under Labels tab, change No Labels to Single Labels.
4. Then change the Value to RoadName.

TRY!

Try experimenting with the Label Properties.

1. In Text tab, change the Font, Style, Size, and Color.

2. In Background tab, check the Draw background. Use white rectangle background.
3. In Placement tab, select Parallel as Mode and On line as Allowed positions.

Create Map Layout

1. Project > New Project Layout…
2. Input a map name or leave as default
3. Right-click on the page, then select Page Properties…
4. You can change the Size, Orientation, and Background color.
5. Start creating the map by adding items.
6. Add Item > Add Map
▪ Select position of map and its size.
▪ You can edit the Scale of the map in the Item Properties.
▪ To edit the content view, select the map then press C. You can pan to the
desired map view. Press V to go back to editing the layout contents.
7. Add Item > Add Label
▪ Select position in the map and its size.
▪ Edit text in the Item Properties. Delete the Lorem ipsum then input the Map
Title.
▪ Edit the Appearance.
• Click the Font to change the Font, Style, Size, and Color.
• Change the Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 14

 8. Add Item > Add Scale Bar
▪ Select Scale Style:
• Single Box
• Double Box
• Line Ticks Middle
• Line Ticks Down
• Line Ticks Up
• Stepped Line
• Hollow
• Numeric
▪ Edit the segments
• Change the number of segments
• Change the Fixed Width
9. Add Items > Add North Arrow
▪ In the SVG browser, select north arrow.
10. Add coordinate gridlines
▪ Select the Map
▪ Scroll down to the Grids portion of the Item Properties.

▪ Click Add a new grid ( )

▪ Click Modify Grid
▪ Edit Appearance, Frame, and Draw Coordinates.
11. Layout > Export as PDF.
12. Select output file.
13. Use default PDF Export Options. Then click Save.

GEP – GIS WORKSHOP 15