North River Geographic Systems Inc

Geospatial Problem Solving

NAIP WMS Connection for QGIS

So my first foray into github……..I look forward to the day when I laugh over the difficulties I had in pushing and pulling and committing. If anything was committable it most likely is me.

I’m in the middle of enabling a client with GIS. They’ve had the capability but it’s just been one workstation and no roaming arcview license. So to help with the budget dollars we’re going QGIS. In doing that things need to be a tad bit easier. One of the problems was imagery and how to get them something more up to date. The typical mode of operation is download everything from the USDA Datagateway. This works – but it can be horribly inefficient. BUT – if you ever lose internet it can save your neck.

So I did a bit of digging and behold: http://gis.apfo.usda.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NAIP . It also has the WMS Services for the NAIP imagery by state. It’s current and no historical dates included but not everything can be perfect. So I started looking at ways to deploy the WMS to each workstation. There are probably a dozen different ways I can do this – but my chwen method was to make an xml and load it into QGIS. So I did one file:

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<!DOCTYPE connections>
<qgsWMSConnections version=“1.0”>
    <wms ignoreGetMapURI=“false” smoothPixmapTransform=“false” dpiMode=“7” password=“” ignoreGetFeatureInfoURI=“false” referer=“” username=“” url=“http://gis.apfo.usda.gov/arcgis/services/NAIP/Tennessee_2012_1m_NC/ImageServer/WMSServer?” invertAxisOrientation=“false” ignoreAxisOrientation=“false” name=“Tennessee_2012”/>
</qgsWMSConnections>
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I replicated this file for all available states while I was at it. I also felt the need to do something to help the general populous and it’s now up in github. So what does that mean to you? Well – for the github savvy you can help me maintain it. For those that aren’t – there is a wonderful “Download ZIP” button halfway down the right side of the page. Download it – unzip it. There you go!
In QGIS – here is what you need to do. Of course – First get the files.
1. On the Manage Layers toolbar (on your left assuming you haven’t moved it) there is a “Add WMS/WMTS Layer” Button
2. Click the Button.
3. Click Load. Select your favorite state as long as it isn’t Alaska or Hawaii.
4. Select the connection to import and apply.
5. View your favorite state.
So go forth: https://github.com/rjhale1971/NAIP_WMS
Let me know what I screwed up. There will be more info appearing up on this github site as I move along and learn.