Mastering QGIS - Second Edition: Go beyond the basics and unleash the full power of QGIS with practical, step-by-step examples - Softcover

Menke, Kurt; Smith Jr., Dr. Richard; Pirelli, Dr. Luigi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1786460378 ISBN 13: 9781786460370

Publisher: Packt Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Go beyond the basics and unleash the full power of QGIS with practical, step-by-step examples

About This Book

• This book is your one-stop solution to all of your GIS needs using the open source QGIS
• Master QGIS by learning about database integration, geoprocessing tools, Python scripts, advanced cartography, and custom plugins
• This example-rich, practical guide will help you create sophisticated analyses and maps

Who This Book Is For

If you are a GIS professional, a consultant, a student, or perhaps a fast learner who wants to go beyond the basics of QGIS, then this book is for you. It will prepare you to realize the full potential of QGIS.

What You Will Learn

• Create and manage a spatial database
• Get to know advanced techniques to style GIS data
• Prepare both vector and raster data for processing
• Add heat maps, live layer effects, and labels to your maps
• Master LAStools and GRASS integration with the Processing Toolbox
• Edit and repair topological data errors
• Automate workflows with batch processing and the QGIS Graphical Modeler
• Integrate Python scripting into your data processing workflows
• Develop your own QGIS plugin

In Detail

QGIS is an open source solution to GIS. It is widely used by GIS professionals all over the world. It is the leading alternative to the proprietary GIS software. Although QGIS is described as intuitive, it is also by default complex. Knowing which tools to use and how to apply them is essential to producing valuable deliverables on time.

Starting with a refresher on the QGIS basics, this book will take you all the way through to creating your first custom QGIS plugin. From the refresher, we will recap how to create, populate, and manage a spatial database. You'll also walk through styling GIS data, from creating custom symbols and color ramps to using blending modes. In the next section, you will discover how to prepare vector, heat maps, and create live layer effects, labeling, and raster data for processing. You'll also discover advanced data creation and editing techniques.

The last third of the book covers the more technical aspects of QGIS such as using LAStools and GRASS GIS's integration with the Processing Toolbox, how to automate workflows with batch processing, and how to create graphical models. Finally, you will see how to create and run Python data processing scripts and write your own QGIS plugin with pyqgis.

By the end of the book, you will understand how to work with all the aspects of QGIS, and will be ready to use it for any type of GIS work.

Style and approach

This step-by-step comprehensive guide will let you dig your teeth into working with spatial databases, creating your own QGIS plugins, and creating your own custom graphical models.

About this title

About the Author

A former archaeologist, Kurt Menke is a Certified GIS Professional (GISP) based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received a Master's degree in Geography from the University of New Mexico in 2000. Along with conservation, his other focus areas are public health and education. He is an avid open source GIS proponent, recently authoring Discover QGIS for Locate Press. In 2015 he became an OsGeo Charter Member. He is an experienced FOSS4G educator and is a co-author of the GeoAcademy. In 2015 he was awarded the Global Educator of the Year Team Award by GeoForAll as part of the GeoAcademy team.

Dr. Richard Smith Jr. is an assistant professor of geographic information science at the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. He has a PhD in geography from the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Science in geographic information science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. Richard actively does research in cartography, systems integration, and the use of geospatial technology for disaster response. Richard is an advocate of FOSS4G and building the FOSS4G curriculum.

Richard has collaborated with other writers in his field, but Mastering QGIS is his first book.

Dr. Luigi Pirelli is a freelance software analyst and developer with an honors degree in computer science from the University of Bari. He worked for 15 years in Satellite Ground Segment and Direct Ingestion for the European Space Agency. Since 2006, he has been involved with the GFOSS world, contributing to QGIS, GRASS, and the MapServer core, and has developed and maintained many QGIS plugins.

He actively participates in QGIS Hackmeetings. He now lives in Spain and contributes to this GFOSS community. During the last few years, he started teaching PyQGIS by organizing training from basic to advanced levels and supporting companies to develop their specific QGIS plugins.

He is the founder of the local hackerspace group Bricolabs.cc that is focused on open hardware. He likes cycling, repairing everything, and training groups on conflict resolution. Besides this book, he has also contributed to Lonely Planet Cycling Italy.

Dr. John Van Hoesen is an associate professor of geology and environmental studies at Green Mountain College in rural west-central Vermont. He earned an MS in 2000 and a PhD in geology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2003. He is a certified GIS Professional (GISP) with a broad background in geosciences and has been using some flavor of GIS to evaluate and explore geologic processes and environmental issues since 1997. He has used and taught some variant of FOSS GIS since 2003, and over the last 3 years, he has taught graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education courses using only FOSS GIS software.

Edition details

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1786460378
• ISBN 13: 9781786460370
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 486