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QGIS Python Programming Cookbook

By : Joel Lawhead

3.8 (6)

QGIS Python Programming Cookbook

3.8 (6)

By: Joel Lawhead

Overview of this book

If you are a geospatial analyst who wants to learn more about automating everyday GIS tasks or a programmer who is responsible for building GIS applications,this book is for you. The short, reusable recipes make concepts easy to understand. You can build larger applications that are easy to maintain when they are put together.

Preface

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Sections

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

1. Automating QGIS

1. Automating QGIS

Introduction

Installing QGIS for development

Using the QGIS Python console for interactive control

Using the Python ScriptRunner plugin

Setting up your QGIS IDE

Debugging QGIS Python scripts

Navigating the PyQGIS API

Creating a QGIS plugin

Distributing a plugin

Creating a standalone application

Storing and reading global preferences

Storing and reading project preferences

Accessing the script path from within your script

2. Querying Vector Data

2. Querying Vector Data

Introduction

Loading a vector layer from a file sample

Loading a vector layer from a spatial database

Examining vector layer features

Examining vector layer attributes

Filtering a layer by geometry

Filtering a layer by attributes

Buffering a feature intermediate

Measuring the distance between two points

Measuring the distance along a line sample

Calculating the area of a polygon

Creating a spatial index

Calculating the bearing of a line

Loading data from a spreadsheet

3. Editing Vector Data

3. Editing Vector Data

Introduction

Creating a vector layer in memory

Adding a point feature to a vector layer

Adding a line feature to a vector layer

Adding a polygon feature to a vector layer

Adding a set of attributes to a vector layer

Adding a field to a vector layer

Joining a shapefile attribute table to a CSV file

Moving vector layer geometry

Changing a vector layer feature's attribute

Deleting a vector layer feature

Deleting a vector layer attribute

Reprojecting a vector layer

Converting a shapefile to KML

Merging shapefiles

Splitting a shapefile

Generalizing a vector layer

Dissolving vector shapes

Performing a union on vector shapes

Rasterizing a vector layer

4. Using Raster Data

4. Using Raster Data

Introduction

Loading a raster layer

Getting the cell size of a raster layer

Obtaining the width and height of a raster

Counting raster bands

Swapping raster bands

Querying the value of a raster at a specified point

Reprojecting a raster

Creating an elevation hillshade

Creating vector contours from elevation data

Sampling a raster dataset using a regular grid

Adding elevation data to line vertices using a digital elevation model

Creating a common extent for rasters

Resampling raster resolution

Counting the unique values in a raster

Mosaicing rasters

Converting a TIFF image to a JPEG image

Creating pyramids for a raster

Converting a pixel location to a map coordinate

Converting a map coordinate to a pixel location

Creating a KML image overlay for a raster

Classifying a raster

Converting a raster to a vector

Georeferencing a raster from control points

Clipping a raster using a shapefile

5. Creating Dynamic Maps

5. Creating Dynamic Maps

Introduction

Accessing the map canvas

Changing the map units

Iterating over layers

Symbolizing a vector layer

Rendering a single band raster using a color ramp algorithm

Creating a complex vector layer symbol

Using icons as vector layer symbols

Creating a graduated vector layer symbol renderer

Creating a categorized vector layer symbol

Creating a map bookmark

Navigating to a map bookmark

Setting scale-based visibility for a layer

Using SVG for layer symbols

Using pie charts for symbols

Using the OpenStreetMap service

Using the Bing aerial image service

Adding real-time weather data from OpenWeatherMap

Labeling features

Changing map layer transparency

Adding standard map tools to the canvas

Using a map tool to draw points on the canvas

Using a map tool to draw polygons or lines on the canvas

Building a custom selection tool

Creating a mouse coordinate tracking tool

6. Composing Static Maps

6. Composing Static Maps

Introduction

Creating the simplest map renderer

Using the map composer

Adding labels to a map for printing

Adding a scale bar to the map

Adding a north arrow to the map

Adding a logo to the map

Adding a legend to the map

Adding a custom shape to the map

Adding a grid to the map

Adding a table to the map

Adding a world file to a map image

Saving a map to a project

Loading a map from a project

7. Interacting with the User

7. Interacting with the User

Introduction

Using log files

Creating a simple message dialog

Creating a warning dialog

Creating an error dialog

Displaying a progress bar

Creating a simple text input dialog

Creating a file input dialog

Creating a combobox

Creating radio buttons

Creating checkboxes

Creating tabs

Stepping the user through a wizard

Keeping dialogs on top

8. QGIS Workflows

8. QGIS Workflows

Introduction

Creating an NDVI

Geocoding addresses

Creating raster footprints

Performing network analysis

Routing along streets

Tracking a GPS

Creating a mapbook

Finding the least cost path

Performing nearest neighbor analysis

Creating a heat map

Creating a dot density map

Collecting field data

Computing road slope using elevation data

Geolocating photos on the map

Image change detection

9. Other Tips and Tricks

9. Other Tips and Tricks

Introduction

Creating tiles from a QGIS map

Adding a layer to geojson.io

Rendering map layers based on rules

Creating a layer style file

Using NULL values in PyQGIS

Using generators for layer queries

Using alpha values to show data density

Using the __geo_interface__ protocol

Generating points along a line

Using expression-based labels

Creating dynamic forms in QGIS

Calculating length for all selected lines

Using a different status bar CRS than the map

Creating HTML labels in QGIS

Using OpenStreetMap's points of interest in QGIS

Visualizing data in 3D with WebGL

Visualizing data on a globe

Index

Index

Preface

The open source geographic information system, QGIS, at version 2.6 now rivals even the most expensive commercial GIS software in both functionality and usability. It is also a showcase of the best geospatial open source technology available. It is not just a project in itself, but the marriage of dozens of open source projects in a single, clean interface.

Geospatial technology is not just the combined application of technology to geography. It is a symphony of geography, mathematics, computer science, statistics, physics, and other fields. The underlying algorithms implemented by QGIS are so complex that only a handful of people in the world can understand all of them. Yet, QGIS packages all this complexity so well that school children, city managers, disease researchers, geologists, and many other professionals wield this powerful software with ease to make decisions that improve life on earth.

However, this book is about another feature of QGIS that makes it the best choice for geospatial work. QGIS has one of the most deeply-integrated and well-designed Python interfaces of any software, period. In the latest version, there is virtually no aspect of the program that is off limits to Python, making it the largest geospatial Python library available. Almost without exception, the Python API, called PyQGIS, is consistent and predictable.

This book exploits the best features of QGIS to demonstrate over 140 reusable recipes, which you can use to automate workflows in QGIS or to build standalone GIS applications. Most recipes are very compact, and even if you can't find the exact solution that you are looking for, you should be able to get close. This book covers a lot of ground and pulls together fragmented ideas and documentation scattered throughout the Internet as well as the results of many hours of experimenting at the edges of the PyQGIS API.

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