Introduction to Digital Mapping Using QGIS

Navigate the browser panel to add layers in a new QGIS project, drag files in, and organize data like a file explorer, including shapefiles and Bing Virtual Earth.

Explore the QGIS workspace by managing the browser and layers panels, using top icons to control layers and their order, while zooming with the mouse and reading coordinates.

Learn to add vector and raster data in QGIS by dragging layers, zooming to layers, and using the data source manager to load shapefiles and digital terrain models.

Explore layer properties in QGIS by right-clicking layers to access options, duplicate layers for visualization, open attribute tables, export to new files, and adjust symbology, labels, and coordinate system.

Master zooming and panning in QGIS using the map navigation toolbar, mouse wheel, and layer awareness to quickly reframe focus on areas like Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Provincetown.

Explore project properties in QGIS, adjust general metadata, project home and title, tweak selection and background colors, manage metadata and project extent, and keep units in meters.

Explore coordinate reference systems in QGIS and how EPSG codes shape latitude and longitude into flat projections. Use Mercator, North American Albers Equal Area Conic, and WGS 84 for Massachusetts.

The identify tool in QGIS lets you click a feature to reveal its attributes from the attribute table, such as town name and population across years, quickly revealing key data.

Learn to use the screen measurement tool in QGIS to measure lines, areas, and angles, switch units between meters and feet, and view area calculations.

Select features from the map to pull out subsets of data and highlight towns for analysis, then save Plymouth as its own town with a darker color or halo.

Save and quickly return to precise map locations with spatial bookmarks in QGIS, using the bookmark editor to pin Plymouth Rock and revisit at the exact scale.

Explore how the attribute table powers digital mapping in QGIS, linking town-level data to map polygons and enabling sorting, editing, and visualizing big datasets.

Learn to use the statistics button in QGIS to extract key insights from a town's polygon, including count, minimum, maximum, mean, median, and standard deviation.

Master querying in QGIS with the query builder and SQL to filter Massachusetts towns by population, revealing Boston, Worcester, and Springfield.

Explore vector symbology in QGIS by adjusting polygon fills, stroke colors, and point symbols to create clearer, more expressive maps.

Master vector symbology in qgis by adjusting fills, strokes, and patterns for polygons, lines, and points, including category-based symbols with transparency and hatch options.

Learn to classify and symbolize map features by category using attribute data, illustrated with Nantucket lighthouses where non-controllable are shown in red and controllable in green in a legend.

Symbolize by values using graduated symbology, classify population data with equal count quintile, and adjust color ramps to compare Massachusetts towns.

Label points in QGIS by using the name column from the Nantucket lighthouse data, then customize font, size, color, spacing, alignment, and optional shadows, buffers, and placement.

Explore labeling polygons in qgis by using the polygon centroid for label placement, customizing fonts, colors, and shadows, and adjusting placement options to keep labels centered and readable.

Apply raster symbology to digital terrain models in qgis by choosing color ramps, shading, and contour intervals to visualize elevation and slope effectively.

Discover how QGIS plug-ins extend digital mapping by adding functionality, manage and install them, search descriptions, and use tools like data plot to enhance your project.

Install the quick map services plugin in QGIS, open its panel, and add base maps from open street map data and web map services while reviewing usage rights and credits.

learn how to install and enable the autosave plugin in qgis, configure it to autosave the current project every 10 minutes, and protect your work from loss.

Explore qgis plugins, including globe plug-in and gps tools, to build reference maps and visualize data with open source options like planet labs and Google Earth Engine using open layers.

Learn to create a new shapefile in QGIS, select the correct geometry (polygon), set an appropriate coordinate system, and add and save attribute fields like name.

Toggle editing mode to safely edit QGIS data, add point or polygon features with heads up digitizing, fill attribute table fields, and save changes to make edits permanent across projects.

Switch to geopackages in QGIS, a modern, faster alternative to shapefiles with unlimited column names and easy export back to shapefile when needed.

Master advanced digitizing tools in QGIS, using the snapping toolbar and advanced digitizing panel for precise x,y coordinates and distances, including polygon splits and donut holes.

Explore base maps as a background layer in qgis, streaming xyz tile basemaps and open street map data, while layering your own data on top.

Explore natural earth data, a free public-domain base map for small-scale world maps. Access raster and vector layers such as country boundaries, admin levels, coastlines, and terrain to build accurate maps.

Diva GIS is a free, open-source spatial data tool that provides country-level data sets, like Italy’s administrative areas, roads, and elevations, downloadable as compatible zip files for base maps.

Discover Robin Wilson's free GIS data list, a comprehensive, categorized resource linking physical and human geography data from country to regional levels.

Explore U.S. census tiger data as official shapefiles for building a cohesive base map in QGIS. Download coastlines, states, counties, roads, water, and boundaries that align across datasets.

Explore Mapbox baselayers and vector base maps built on OpenStreetMap data, and learn to sign up, obtain a token, and publish or share styled maps.

Open street map offers a worldwide, community generated interface with searchable places, layers, and downloadable data you can pull into your GIS project, edit, and contribute without copyright fees.

Obtain open street map data from the osm website and export it. Load buildings and roads into qgis using the quick osm plug in, using Nantucket as an example.

Use the quick osm plug in and overpass turbo to query open street map data. Export as json and import into QGIS as points, lines, and polygons for analysis.

Edit open street map data using the editor and perform heads-up digitizing to add buildings, roads, and other features. Tag features and save changes to the server for global visibility.

Access open street map data extracts for regional mapping with open data sources, using geo fabric to download, unzip, and work with shapefiles at country scales such as Ireland.

Explore vectors as points, lines, and polygons, and see how Cartesian coordinates, origin, latitude, and longitude convert to map data for digital mapping with QGIS.

Learn how to create buffers in QGIS using vector geoprocessing, set distance and segments, apply single or multi-ring buffers, and preview results with temporary layers and selected features.

Learn to clip railways within the town boundary of Sandwich, Massachusetts in QGIS, using input and overlay layers to create a focused, temporary clipped layer.

Use the intersect tool in QGIS to isolate Pembroke's drinking water protection zones by intersecting buffered wells with the town layer.

Use the dissolve tool to merge multiple features into a single boundary, such as outlining Massachusetts or a drinking water protection zone by removing interior lines.

Learn how the union tool merges overlapping buffers around wells into single features while preserving all boundaries, enabling identification of high-priority areas and simultaneous multi-town analysis.

Learn to calculate areas and lengths in QGIS using the field calculator, apply geometry functions, and perform advanced vector processing across large feature sets.

Learn raster basics by envisioning a grid of one-meter cells tied to an origin, compare rasters with vectors, and use cell colors to represent features like hydrants and rivers.

learn how to obtain digital elevation model data from the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway, select a study area, download, unzip, and merge 10-meter elevation tiles for use in QGIS.

Explore raster symbology in QGIS with a digital elevation model and a color infrared image, focusing on pixel values, elevation, and multiband rendering. Adjust brightness and gamma to refine display.

Create a hillshade from a digital elevation model using the raster analysis hillshade tool via the processing toolbox, adjusting azimuth and altitude to simulate an artificial sun and shadows.

Extract and display 10-meter contour lines from a raster to represent elevation with minimal map clutter, labeling lines with elevation values and optionally converting to feet for US audiences.

Map sun aspect with the raster analysis aspect tool on a digital elevation model to determine 0-360 degrees, identifying south-facing areas that receive more sun for microclimates and gardening.

Compute slope from a digital elevation model using raster analysis, adjust vertical exaggeration, and visualize with color gradients to support watershed analysis and 3d modeling of water flow.

Explore how the raster calculator in QGIS combines multiple rasters, writes expressions, and filters pixels by elevation, streams, roads, aspect, and vegetation to identify habitat areas.

Create and customize print layouts in QGIS by setting up the page size and orientation, then prepare a final layout with labels, colors, and map elements for export to pdf.

Set up a letter layout and align your map using grids and guides in QGIS. Snap to grid and adjust horizontal and vertical guides to create one inch margins.

Add a map to layout by inserting a map item, snapping to guides, and centering it. Use item properties to add a frame, rename map, and lock or hide it.

Navigate the print layout and map view, switch with back control, adjust the scale, and zoom using the mouse wheel or toolbar, refreshing to redraw changes such as lighthouse labels.

Add titles and text to map layouts in QGIS, adjusting fonts, sizes, alignment, and snapping to guides, then group, lock, or frame elements for clean, publish-ready maps.

Learn to add images to a QGIS layout by inserting raster or SVG images, setting millimeter width and height, positioning with X and Y, and applying fit, stretch, or clip.

Learn how to add and customize scale bars in QGIS, adjust units, styles, and positions on a Nantucket map, and understand automatic updates with map zoom.

Add and customize north arrows in QGIS with scalable vector graphics, resizing, moving, and choosing from default or online SVG options, and load custom arrows for consistent map branding.

Add and customize a legend for your map layout by selecting layers, removing unused items, renaming labels, and adjusting formatting and columns for a clean, readable display.

Export your map as PDF, image, or SVG, adjust the resolution from 75 to 600 DPI, and print with straightforward options to present your digital map with clarity.