North River Geographic Systems Inc

Geospatial Problem Solving

QGIS

QGIS Advanced Training Aug 31-Sep 2 2021

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The ‘QGIS Advanced Class” makes it’s first outing on August 31st through September 2nd 2021 virtually. We’ll be doing this over zoom.

So what are we doing in this class? I’m taking a deeper dive into:

  • Field Calculator
  • Processing Tools
  • Processing Models
  • Editing
  • Forms
  • SQL

We do this 4 hours a day for 3 days. Why? Because I’d prefer to break this up into digestible chunks. Since this is the first class I’m going to run this cheaper because I expect I’m going to be making a lot of notes.

Anyway – once more final class is coming on this – and I’ll have more or less a week full of QGIS goodness for the masses.

This class provides a certificate which means your participation benefits QGIS financially. Learn and make the software better!

Intro to QGIS Class – August 24-25th 2021

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I’m holding a virtual Intro to QGIS Class (Over Zoom) On August 24th and 25th 2021.

The class is 8 hours spread over 2 days and covers:

  • Interface
  • Editing
  • Data and symbology
  • Layouts

If you’ve considered adding This open source GIS Desktop to your software stack or replacing existing software this is a good introduction. This is also the lead-in class to the QGIS: Tools and Processing class.

  • Class is limited to 10 total participants
  • Cost is $175
  • Registration is here!
  • Class will be using QGIS 3.16 or QGIS 3.20

This class also benefits the Community. When you take it you receive a certificate from the QGIS Community and approximately 25 dollars flows back to help improve the software.

Also – if you’re part of a non-profit and can’t swing the fee – give me a shout.

QGIS Tools and Processing

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It’s ready….mostly.

The first class will be held August 31-Sept 2nd from 12 to 4 EST (12 hours). Cost is $200 dollars and you get a certificate from the QGIS Organization (so part of the money flows back to QGIS). This is an introductory price because the first class out of the gate will be a bit exciting.

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qgis-tools-and-processing-tickets-164362441487

Cost is $200 US

The Intro class covers 5ish basic things about QGIS: Interface, Data, Symbology, Editing, and Layouts. The whole goal is you aren’t scared of QGIS and stand a good chance at making a map at the end. You might even see a reason to use Geopackage OR you’re able to pull in some ESRI File Based Geodatabases. Easy Simple.

This one gets more complicated. We cover: Field Calculator, Processing tools, Models, Editing, Forms, and SQL/Virtual Layers. There is a good chance that by the end of August it will contain a section on Layouts. Right now I’m at 12 hours (so this class will be three 4 hour days) but you may end up with 16 hours worth of material.

The assumption is walking into the class you know:

  • Something about Geopackages and data formats in general (You could run this all with Shapefiles or Spatialite – but I’m running with Geopackages for now).
  • Are very familiar with the QGIS Interface
  • Aren’t scared of typing (but I’m giving you the option of copying and pasting code to cut down on confusion)
  • Projections aren’t scary
  • You can symbolize data

If you don’t please take the Intro class – Trust me you’ll have fun.

Essentially you are comfortable with QGIS and you aren’t someone developing plugins or programming QGIS. If you are doing that – you’re good unless you just want to take the class for fun.

The Goal of the Class:

  • Take a hard look at Field Calculator and look at Expressions and Functions.
  • Look at processing tools and building models.
  • We take a look at editing and setting up fields and how field calculator plays a role in this. We also look at data cleanup.
  • Forms come into play and you can set up small tools to help you create and more easily maintain data.
  • We end with virtual layers and dig into SQL
  • **Maybe Layouts and Atlas. Maybe.

What happens next? All good things come in 3s – so there is one more class in the works and it will probably be connecting QGIS up to PostGIS. There is also a good chance there will be a series of small one day classes centered around a few topics I get asked about frequently – like mobile data collection and data cleanup. Maybe. That’s a lot of training and I need to start making some plans on that end. I’m still working with clients and I can’t bog myself down in a ton of training.

QGIS Process Command

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I’m wrapping up the 2nd QGIS Class and have been digging hard into the python/scripting/programming side of QGIS. A programmer I am not and usually I have to pick some sort of path into the software that makes sense to me. Scripting has been coming up more and more as I dive back into the TN 911 Project.

I discovered something that’s been around for the last bit in qgis and I no doubt read the release notes on it……….and immediately forgot about it: qgis_process. You have a command line way to access QGIS Processing tools. My examples will be Linux oriented but it works on <fill in the blank>. Open a shell window and type qgis_process:

If I want a list of tools at my disposal: qgis_process list

If I want to know about a tool in particular: qgis_process help qgis:buffer

What if you want to run a command:

qgis_process run qgis:buffer –INPUT=parks_2274.shp DISTANCE=5000 –OUTPUT=parks_buffer.shp

….and if I check the output using QGIS:

Of course I did it all using shapefiles – I’ve got all the output file types I need at my disposal.

The nice thing is I have this uncomplicated way to access the processing tools and running them. Granted this isn’t Python but still – a command line way to access what you want to access. You could set up a very uncomplicated process to: Buffer -> Clip -> Merge -> Whatever you want without cracking open the desktop.

This points out two problems in my life:

  • Generally just keeping up. QGIS is an exciting side of life for me and one I enjoy. I really enjoy this because I started my life on the desktop with analysis and data cleanup. I’ll most likely end my career still enjoying that side of life – oh yeah Desktop GIS is dead I forgot.
  • Running a business is everything BUT the technical bells and whistles I enjoy. I need to make more time for that even if I have to block off a Friday morning for 2 hours and just buffer parks for no reason.

Intro to QGIS Class June 22- 23rd 2021

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It’s happening again:

Here is a bit more “behind the scenes” on training and life. When covid was causing me massive issues last year (and it still is – just to a much lesser degree), I was fighting the idea of teaching online. I had taken and had done online classes and it was (for me) harder than I wanted. Coming out of 2020 I made the decision to do 2 to 3 QGIS classes and see what would happen.

Overall it’s not been too bad. Any difficulties that have been encountered were just the normal human error on my part or the participants. I’ve gotten about 24 people trained and raised 560 dollars for the QGIS Organization. Which not that many people or not that much money BUT – this was never attainable holding in person classes. I did decide to bump the class up 25 dollars to cover certificates. Each QGIS certificate is 22 to 24.50 and having that little bit extra helps.

With that I’m in the middle of finishing up the next class with a “final” one being draft out. The problem with the next few classes is time. The Intro class is pretty much 7 hours and 45 minutes. The next one is looking like 16 hours or longer. The last class will be 8 to 12.

Anyway – all of that to say that training is actually going well. Come take a class!