GIS in QGIS 3 for beginners

Explore origins of coordinated systems and geodesy as Erath Testiness of Sirene measures Earth's circumference using equinox shadow, a 7°12′ angle between Sirene and Alexandria, and an 800 km baseline.

Learn how coordinate systems locate points on Earth with spherical and rectangular coordinates, reference surfaces, and shape models, and explore projections such as azimuthal, conic, and cylindrical; WGS84 EPSG codes.

Compare raster and vector spatial data in GIS, where raster uses a grid of cells and vector uses coordinates for points, lines, and polygons.

Explore QGIS versions and downloads, choosing between the latest 3.6 and the long-term 3.4, understanding major and minor changes, and installing 64-bit Windows or 32-bit variants.

Install QGIS 3.6 with the wizard and destination folder. Then adjust control panel region settings to set the decimal symbol to dot for Python-based workflows.

Select the appropriate QGIS desktop setup for beginners by reviewing installed software, skip GRASS and SAGA, and default to Google Desktop 3.6 for everyday GIS work.

Organize project data in a dedicated data folder on a drive and name folders without spaces or special symbols to ensure Python and QGIS 3 run without errors.

discover how shapefiles comprise several accompanying files (shp, shx, dbf, prj, cpg) that store geometry and attributes; keep all files together in the same folder, or the data won't load.

Navigate the QGIS interface, focusing on the work area for spatial analysis, viewing and adding data, and using the layer panel, browser, and toolbars to manage tools.

Configure Qgis by applying the dark theme, set units to meters, square meters, and degrees, skip invalid geometry in processing, and use advanced digitizing toolbar to break or merge features.

Move around the map in QGIS 3 using pan, zoom, and select by expression or radius; edit data with the pencil in editing mode and undo with control z.

Turn on the on-the-fly transformation to automatically reproject data to the project coordinate system, such as UTM zone 11 north for Wyoming.

Learn to import vector layers in QGIS 3 using four methods: drag and drop, the import vector tool, layer add layer, and the vector dataset source dialog.

Adjust layer order in the layers panel to control what you see on the map, moving rivers or parks down to change visibility, as colors are assigned randomly on import.

Master rendering control, layer visibility, and scale in QGIS 3 by turning layers on and off, adjusting rotation, and using the magnifier and groups for focused viewing.

Explore selecting features on an active layer in QGIS, using polygon, freehand, and radius tools to identify power generation stations in Wyoming and view their primary and secondary fuels.

Delete diesel and coal points from a layer by entering edit mode. Use the select tool and trash bin (or delete key), and note that red pencil indicates unsaved changes.

Use the information tool to identify coal and diesel plants, then remove them with the select tool, ending with 38 objects that do not use coal or diesel.

Merge adjoining objects in the active layer by selecting features and using the merge tool; the first object's name is kept automatically, and you can rename the new object.

Learn how to merge all objects that share the same area into a single object in QGIS. Select these objects and apply merge, leaving automatic properties as is.

Use the vertex editing tool to highlight and remove extra points, repair geometry, and merge polygons into a single shape, while learning to add points and undo changes.

Enable edit mode and use the split features tool to divide a single object into multiple parts, starting outside the object, with selection rules, then merge when needed.

Save your work in QGIS by saving layer changes and the project to a data folder as a .qgz file, and always keep a backup of raw data.

Master the simple style in qgis 3 by adjusting fill, borders, and transparency for polygon data, and apply palettes and layer rendering for counties and boundaries.

Learn to enable and customize labels in QGIS by selecting a label field, adjusting placement and size, applying a text buffer, and managing colliding labels for readability.

Unpack the land cover analysis data, import the land cover shapefile, and apply the LGB RGB palette to aspen forests and wetlands; note two-code options HDL coat or GB coat.

Apply style classification in QGIS by using the categorized description method to assign colors to land cover types from the USGS Land Cover Gap Analysis Program, with single symbol rendering.

Apply the RGB palette in QGIS 3 with simple fill and no pen, using red, green, and blue values. Color active sand dunes and Aspen Forest accordingly.

Learn to use the color column and color pipetting tool to quickly assign color codes to map categories and apply them globally for a land cover map.

Learn to save and load symbol palettes as style files in QGIS, enabling reusable land cover classifications across projects while preserving value mappings and consistent colors.

Create size points in QGIS using population data and graduated classification to display only cities with 4000 or more people, and scale point sizes to reflect city size.

Learn how to apply double labeling in QGIS 3 by using rule-based labels to show city names and population, then adjust placement and offsets for clarity.

Master importing raster data in QGIS 3 by adding digital elevation model TIFFs using four methods: drag-and-drop, layer menu add raster layer, data options, and the ctrl+shift+a shortcut.

Learn to merge six raster files into one using the merge tool in QGIS, then save the result as a TIFF on disk.

Reproject vector and raster data into a new coordinate reference system by exporting as a different file and selecting EPSG 32611 (utm zone 11).

Discover how to style rasters in QGIS using single-band pseudo color, adjust color ramps, invert palettes, and set min/max values to reveal terrain with brown to green hues.

Learn to connect and view remote WMS data in QGIS by adding WMS servers, selecting layers such as roads and labels, and troubleshooting unstable connections.

Georeference raster data in QGIS 3 using the georeferencer tool, assign a target CRS such as WGS 84 UTM zone 11, and align with control points.

Georeference raster data in QGIS by coordinates using a UTM Zone 11 WGS 84 CRS, align wind speed rasters with four GCP points, and ensure coordinates to minimize conversion errors.

Clip the digital elevation model to the Wyoming state by clipping the raster by extent or by mask, converting coordinates to the target EPSG, for project preparation.

Clip the raster by a mask layer in QGIS to Wyoming. Ensure input and mask share the same coordinate reference system, reprojecting if needed, then save the clipped raster.

Generate contours from a raster by clipping in QGIS, set contour interval to 50 meters, and save as a shapefile with an elevation attribute to label each contour.

extract the terrain aspect from a digital elevation model using raster analysis, save the output, and adjust transparency to reveal landform changes in the wyoming area for a beautiful visualization.

Model sun position, azimuth, and altitude in QGIS 3 to generate hillshade shadows, adjust 20 percent transparency, and analyze slopes using vector tools for digital elevation insights.

Compute and read a histogram in QGIS to see how many pixels have each height value, then zoom and box-select areas to inspect specific values.

Create and explore 3D map views in QGIS 3 by adjusting vertical scale and exaggeration, install and use the QGIS2threejs plugin, and export interactive 3D models for wind farm planning.

Learn to generate elevation profiles in QGIS 3 using the profile tool plugin; install it, select a digital elevation model, and draw lines to view, export, or save profiles.

Learners explore automatic digitalisation by converting raster data to vector polygons in QGIS, turning pixels into shapes, merging same-value areas, and recognizing water features.

Learn to use the union tool in QGIS to merge multiple vector layers into one, combining aquatic conservation areas, NPS boundaries, and USFS areas, while handling invalid geometry.

Learn to move features between layers in QGIS 3 by copying and pasting into a union layer, then combine into one object and adjust color and transparency.

Apply the vector clip tool in QGIS to intersect the identified oil and gas fields with environmental protection areas, yielding a clipped layer of oils located within protected zones.

Filter features to private lands, select private oil sites, and clip with the surface management agency. Create an oil private layer for Wyoming and compare to protected areas.

learn how to create a 50-kilometer buffer around census transportation routes in qgis to map areas within reach of the main roads, handling distance units and coordinate systems.

Compare clip and intersection tools in QGIS 3 for beginners by intersecting roads with oil depots to show how clip preserves clip attributes while intersection merges attributes from both layers.

Import the USGS transmission lines from the Wyoming folder, generate a 100-km buffer from these lines, and create two layers by clipping or intersecting oil depots with military installations.

Import the Wyoming transmission network and USGS lines, reproject to Google Maps Global Mercator, and create a 100 km buffer; verify oil depots do not lie in military installations.

Learn to create a new layer in QGIS 3 by choosing shapefile or geopackage, set geometry to polygon, use utf-8 encoding and wgc 84, and save as wind locations.

Enter edit mode, use the add tools to draw polygons, lines, or points, correct geometry errors with the delete key, and set an ID to create the new layer object.

Learn to fix geometry errors when creating objects in QGIS, including intersecting lines and duplicate vertices. Use the vertex editor to delete problematic vertices and merge objects to remove errors.

Explore snapping options in QGIS 3 for beginners, enabling vertex and segment snapping with advanced configuration to avoid overlap and ensure exact, connected vector geometries.

Identify three wind farm locations in Wyoming using 80-meter wind speed data, map comparisons with 30 meters, and wind location editing in QGIS.

Create and organize line and polygon layers for cross sections and wind farm locations, generate three digital elevation models, mask DEMs to proposed areas, and build three 3D views.

Create cross-section line layers and location polygons in QGIS 3, clip rasters to generate elevation models for wind farm locations, and build 3d visualizations with styles and 3d map view.

Explore attributes and database concepts for GIS. Learn about relational tables, records, keys, and data types to support spatial information systems.

Open the attribute table to work with land cover attributes, identify items by IDs and descriptions, and apply colors from the RGV palette while noting shape length and area.

Activate edit mode and use the red column to remove attributes such as shape length and shape area, then save changes and sort data by description.

Create an attribute in QGIS by adding a field named area, choosing decimal type with length and precision, and note that empty equals no and the type cannot be changed.

Calculate area, length, and perimeter using the field calculator, updating existing fields or creating new ones, and convert results to kilometers for polygon areas and line lengths.

Learn to apply the if conditional in QGIS 3 to compute perimeters only for features with area >= 1000 kilometers, by using the calculator to create a new perimeter attribute.

Apply the field calculator in QGIS to compute shrub perimeters for areas bigger than 100 km square, using and/or logic and the like operator on descriptions.

Master select by expression in QGIS 3 by practicing conditions to filter features with area and perimeter thresholds, view results in the attribute table, and refine queries.

Copy your QGIS table to Excel by selecting all, copying, and pasting, then clean up columns by removing geometry and empty rows, and create a pivot table to summarize area.

Label Wyoming places with at least 4000 inhabitants, and compute land cover, gap analysis, and wind turbine site statistics including area, perimeter, altitude, and border coordinates using vector tools.

Learn to filter places by population, compute protected and urbanized areas, and compare land cover and sites using QGIS 3 workflows, with wind power analyses and turbine counts.

Extract vertices from vector layers in QGIS to obtain x and y coordinates for border points, then export coordinates to Excel for multiple locations.

Join an Excel precipitation table to the stations layer by matching common fields, then view precipitation in inches and millimeters within the stations table.

Convert text to numeric values in QGIS using the field calculator to create real/double precipitation fields from inches and millimeters, including replacing commas with decimal points.

Create voronoi polygons from stations to interpolate mean annual precipitation across an area, linking each polygon to its central station and displaying results with a blue graduated color scheme.

Install the contour plugin, then use it to interpolate precipitation data from the stations layer. Set equal intervals with 15 categories, apply a blue color ramp, and click add.

Apply kriging to interpolate precipitation in QGIS 3 using the processing toolbox and the Saga integration, adjust block and cell size, and export a GeoTIFF of the predicted precipitation.