GIS tutorials

Welcome to the first tutorial in the GIS for Landcare series!

Topics covered in this video include:
•Navigating to the downloads page on QGIS website (http://www2.qgis.org/)
•Understanding the different file download options
•Checking the system type of your computer (32bit or 64 bit)
•Selecting the right download file for your computer
•Downloading QGIS
•Installing QGIS

Notes:
•At the time of recording, the latest version of QGIS was 2.6. Please download the latest version.
•You can optionally download some sample GIS data as part of the QGIS installation. This step is skipped over in the video because there is no local data available. Future tutorials will demonstrate downloading data for Victoria.

In this video you will continue on and explore the QGIS user interface. Topics covered include:
•Introduction to the map canvas
•Introduction to the layers panel
•Exploring the main menu
•Exploring toolbars and tool descriptions
•Repositioning toolbars
•Turning toolbars on and off
•Understanding active and inactive tools

Topics covered in this tutorial:
•Navigating to the Victorian Government Data Directory
•Searching for GIS data
•Viewing and understanding metadata
•Selecting data extent, file format and coordinate system
•Placing data orders
•Downloading data using links sent to your email
•Unzipping file downloads
•Processing and sorting GIS data downloads

Notes:
•Additional GIS data is available to Nillumbik Landcare Network member groups. Please contact us for more information: http://www.nillumbiklandcare.org.au/contact

Topics covered in this tutorial:
•Understanding QGIS Projects
•Setting the coordinate system
•Adding Shapefiles to QGIS
•Changing style properties of map layers
•Labelling map layers
•Rearranging map layers
 

Topics covered in this tutorial include:
•Using the Planning Maps Online website http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/pmo.jsp
•Turning map layers on or off
•Understanding the trade-off between image resolution and extent
•Saving high and low resolution geo-referenced images
•Unzipping and cleaning up downloaded aerial photos
•Adding aerial photos to QGIS
•Understanding Vector and Raster GIS data formats

Notes:
•Additional GIS data including high-resolution aerial photography is available to Nillumbik Landcare Network member groups. Please contact us for more information: http://www.nillumbiklandcare.org.au/contact

Topics covered in this tutorial include:
•Opening the attribute table
•Optimising the display of the attribute table and map windows
•Selecting and unselecting rows within the attribute table
•Zooming to selected features
•Selecting and unselecting features on the map
•Understanding the relationship between features on the map and rows in the attribute table
•Exploring different ways to filter the display of data in the attribute table

Topics covered in this tutorial include:
•Understanding Shapefile geometry types
•Creating new Shapefile layers, specifically to record the location of weeds
•Adding and removing attributes
•Creating point, line and polygon features
•Entering attributes of new features
•Optimising the appearance of new layers
•Improving the readability of labels by adding a high-contrast buffer

Topics covered in this tutorial include:
•Using a shortcut to quickly add Shapefiles to QGIS
•Renaming layers to improve map presentation and usability
•Removing polygon fill colour to show only the outline of Parcel boundaries
•Using layer transparency settings to improve map readability
•Rearranging the stacking order of layers to prioritise the display of your most important data
•Understanding Road labels better

Links to GIS data download pages:
•Parcel boundary layer: https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/parcel-view-vicmap-property
•1-5m Contour layer: https://www.data.vic.gov.au/data/dataset/metro-contour-1-5-metre-vicmap-elevation

Topics covered in this tutorial
•Introduction to the QGIS Print Composer
•Defining the Composition settings such as page size and orientation
•Understanding items and item properties
•Adding items to the print composer including Map, Title and Legend
•Understanding and adjusting map zoom and page zoom
•Panning the map content
•Adjusting the map scale
•Exporting draft map as a JPG image for printing or distribution

Topics covered in this tutorial
•Understanding and using the “composer manager”
•Adding and configuring scale bars
•Organising image files and setting up a templates folder
•Adding images such as a logo and north arrow
•Understanding and reviewing the functionality of a map legend
•Overriding the “Auto update” settings to manually remove layers from the map legend
•Optimising the appearance of the map legend
•Simplifying and refining the aesthetic and functional design of the map layout