QGISTrainingManual - Part1 - QGIS 3.16 - 10292021

QGIS 3.
16 Training Manual Part 1: Basic GIS
INTRODUCTION
About the QGIS Software
Formerly known as Quantum GIS, QGIS is a free and open-source cross-platform

geographic information system (GIS) software that allows users to display, manage,
manipulate, analyze, and present geospatial data. Its development started in 2002 and
was eventually adopted as an incubator project of the Open-Source Geospatial
Foundation (OSGeo) in 2007. QGIS is fast developing as it is being periodically updated
by GIS experts around the world. It is also a user-friendly software which provide
common functions and features that are easy to learn and understand by its users. QGIS
is also available on multiple platforms as you can have it installed in Windows, Mac, and
Linux OS. Furthermore, QGIS also has a wide range of plugins that you can install to
customize it depending on your needs. Lastly, QGIS supports a wealth of raster and vector
data formats, with new format support easily added using the plugin architecture.
About the Training Manual
The QGIS Training Manual: A Comprehensive Introduction to QGIS was primarily

developed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)
thru the Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Bureau
(ELUPDB) to serve as a reference guide for DHSUD trainers who shall train and assist
technical staff from local government units (LGUs) in preparing their Comprehensive
Land Use Plan (CLUP) and other related plans required by various national government
agencies (NGAs). In addition, the Manual can also be used as a resource material by
DHSUD Planners from Central and Regional Offices and LGUs in performing their tasks
that involve the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in the land use planning
process.
The Manual is composed of two parts which are divided into several chapters:
• Part I: Basic GIS aims to introduce the fundamental concepts of GIS and the
common functionalities of the QGIS software and equip its users with basic
knowledge and skills on map preparation. Part I covers topics such as
georeferencing, reprojecting layers, digitizing features, applying map symbology,
feature labelling, and creating a basemap layout.
• Part II: Advance GIS seeks to provide QGIS tools and GIS methods and techniques
that can assist its users in performing spatial analysis to address various
planning-related concerns that have spatial context. Part II includes topics such as
using attribute tables, creating choropleth maps, preparing hazard maps, using
geoprocessing tools, and creating a land use map. In addition, it also contains
supplementary chapters on using Google Earth Pro, adding Google Map layers in
QGIS, and exploring the GPS Essentials mobile application.
1|P age
QGIS 3.16 Training Manual Part 1: Basic GIS
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Installing QGIS 3.16 .................................................................................................................4

Chapter 2: Getting Familiar with QGIS 3.16 and Spatial Datasets .....................................10
Adding a Raster Layer in the Map View .............................................................................................. 12
Using Map Navigation Tools .................................................................................................................... 14
Removing a Raster Layer in the Map View/Layers Panel ......................................................... 15
Adding a Vector Layer in the Map View ............................................................................................. 16
Opening the Attribute Table of the Layer .......................................................................................... 19
Working with Layer Properties .............................................................................................................. 20
Saving the QGIS Project .............................................................................................................................. 23
Chapter 3: Georeferencing a Raster Image with Known Coordinates ............................24
Chapter 4: Georeferencing a Raster Image Based on a Georeferenced Layer ..........36
Capturing Control Points/Tick Marks ................................................................................................. 40
Checking if the Georeferenced Map Fits the Source ..................................................................... 46
Chapter 5: Reprojecting a Georeferenced Raster Layer .........................................................49
Chapter 6: Creating a New Vector Layer ...........................................................................................54
Creating a Point Vector ............................................................................................................................... 54
Creating a Line Vector ................................................................................................................................. 58
Creating a Polygon Vector ......................................................................................................................... 60
Chapter 7: Digitizing .....................................................................................................................................61
Configuring the Snapping Options ........................................................................................................ 63
Digitizing a Point Feature .......................................................................................................................... 62
Digitizing a Line Feature ............................................................................................................................ 69
Digitizing a Polygon Vector ...................................................................................................................... 71
Deleting Vector Features ........................................................................................................................... 75
Chapter 8: Editing an Existing Polygon .............................................................................................78
Detecting Topology Errors ....................................................................................................................... 81
Editing Boundary Edges ............................................................................................................................. 85
Adding a Vertex on a Selected Feature ............................................................................................... 87
Inserting Another Feature Inside an Existing Feature ................................................................ 89
Automatically Tracing the Boundary of Existing Features ........................................................ 92
2|P age
Chapter 9: Applying Map Symbology ..................................................................................................95

Symbolizing Polygon Features ................................................................................................................ 95
Symbolizing Point Features ..................................................................................................................... 97
Applying Proper Symbology to Different Point Classes ............................................................. 99
Adding Feature Labels ............................................................................................................................. 101
Chapter 10: Preparing A Basemap Layout Template ............................................................ 104
Renaming the Layers ................................................................................................................................ 106
Applying Proper Symbology to Each Layer ................................................................................... 107
Adding Labels to the Map ....................................................................................................................... 111
Creating the Map Layout ......................................................................................................................... 112
Adding the Border ..................................................................................................................................... 113
Adding the Map Subject .......................................................................................................................... 116
Setting the Map Scale ................................................................................................................................ 116
Adding the Grid ............................................................................................................................................ 117
Adding the North Arrow ......................................................................................................................... 122
Adding the Scale Bar .................................................................................................................................. 122
Adding the Logo .......................................................................................................................................... 125
Adding the Legend ..................................................................................................................................... 126
Adding an Image as a Locator Map .................................................................................................... 128
Adding Other Map Information ............................................................................................................ 129
Saving the Basemap as a Layout Template ..................................................................................... 130
Exporting the Map as a PDF File .......................................................................................................... 131
References ........................................................................................................................................................134
3|P age
Chapter 1
INSTALLING QGIS 3.16
Introduction
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) refers to a set of computer-based systems

designed to aid the acquisition, management, display, analysis, and modelling of
geographic data which can be used for solving real-world spatial problems (Rhind,
1989). Throughout the years, various GIS tools and techniques have been developed that
can be utilized for environmental, land use, and urban planning applications. For
instance, GIS can be used by planners in mapping land cover and natural resources, in
designating these land resources to different land use activities, in conducting Climate
and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA), in identifying suitable sites for housing projects,
and in predicting future urban growth and expansion.
Currently, there are several GIS software that can be used by planners in undertaking
their tasks. In this training manual, we will use the QGIS software because it is free, open
source, user-friendly, and compatible with other operating systems such as macOS and
Linux. QGIS installers can be downloaded from
https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html. As of May 2021, the latest long-term
release (LTR) version of the software is QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to install the QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ software
which will be explored and utilized in the succeeding exercises.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will be provided the following (depending on the
computer/laptop):
• QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ installer for Windows with 64-bit processor: QGIS-
OSGeo4W-3.16.7-1-Setup-x86_64.exe
• QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ installer for Windows with 32-bit processor: QGIS-
OSGeo4W-3.16.7-1-Setup-x86.exe
• QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ installer for macOS: qgis-macos-ltr.dmg
The installers above will be updated when the latest version of QGIS 3.16 ‘Hannover’
becomes available for download and installation.
1. In the C:\QGIS Training Data\QGIS Installer folder, locate the executable file
QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.16.7-1-Setup-x86_64.exe.
4|P age
Figure 1.1 QGIS installer
Note: Use the appropriate installer depending on your operating system (i.e.,
Windows, macOS, Linux) and processor (i.e., 32-bit, 64-bit).
2. Double-click the file to launch the QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ Setup Wizard. Click
[Next] to continue the installation process.
Figure 1.2 QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ Setup Wizard window
Note: There might be a prompt asking for administrative privileges on the

installation after double-clicking the executable file. In such cases, just click [Yes].
3. Read the License Agreement and click [I Agree] in the License Agreement
window to proceed.
5|P age
Figure 1.3 QGIS License Agreement window
4. The Choose Install Location window will appear. We will install the program in
the default destination folder C:\ProgramFiles\QGIS 3.16. Click [Next] to
proceed.
Figure 1.4 QGIS Choose Install Location window
6|P age
Note: If you want to modify the destination folder, you may click [Browse] and
navigate to the folder where you want to install the QGIS software.
5. In the Choose Components window, click [Install] to begin the installation.
Figure 1.5 QGIS Choose Components window
Note: In this window, you are given an option to install additional components
composed of three (3) sample data sets. You may opt to tick off the boxes beside
these components, but these will incur additional space in your hard drive.
6. Wait for the installation process to finish. It may take some time depending on the
processor speed of your computer.
7|P age
Figure 1.6 QGIS Installation Progress window
7. When the installation is done, click [Finish] to close the QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’
Setup window.
Figure 1.7 QGIS Setup Completion prompt
8|P age
Note: You have the option to restart/reboot the system to give time for the system
to replace important .dll files in the registry.
END OF EXERCISE
9|P age
Chapter 2
GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE QGIS 3.16 SOFTWARE
AND SPATIAL DATASETS
Introduction
The QGIS software can accommodate two types of spatial data:
• Raster data represents continuous features as cells (pixels) in a grid and are
often used in scientific studies for various phenomena that vary continuously in
space (Penn Libraries, 2020). Examples of raster data are satellite images,
scanned maps, digital aerial photographs, and digital elevation models (DEM).
Some of the common raster file formats that are supported by QGIS include Geo
Tagged Image File Formats (.tif), Portable Network Graphics (.png), Arc/Info
ASCII GRID (.asc), Erdas Imagine Images (.img), and Joint Photographic Experts
Group (.jpg) (QGIS Development Team, n.d.)
• Vector data represents discrete features, which could have names or attributes.
It is made up of geometric primitives (i.e., points, lines, and polygons) that are
used to represent discrete objects in the real world (Penn Libraries, 2020).
Examples of vector data are GPS points, road shapefiles, building footprints, and
administrative boundaries shapefile. Some of the common vector file formats
that are supported by QGIS include ESRI Shapefile (.shp), Keyhole Markup
Language (.kml), GeoJSON (.geojson), GPS eXchange Format (.gpx), and Comma
Separated Values (.csv) (QGIS Development Team, n.d.).
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will navigate to the basic parts and tools of the QGIS
interface and learn how to load and explore the properties of some of the most common
raster and vector datasets encountered by land use planners, into the QGIS software.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will be provided the following:
• Scanned Topographic Map in JPEG format: topomap.jpg

• Existing Land Use Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: ELUM.shp
• Barangay Boundary Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: brgy_bnd.jpg
1. Open the QGIS 3.16.7 folder that was created on your desktop. Notice that six
applications were installed. Double-click on the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 shortcut
icon to launch the application.
10 | P a g e
Figure 2.1 QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 shortcut
Note: In such cases that there is no QGIS Desktop Shortcut created during the
installation, you can always navigate through your Start Menu or look it up
through the Search Bar.
2. The Untitled Project – QGIS window will appear. Familiarize yourself with the
basic parts of the default QGIS Interface that we will use in this training (Figure
2.2).
f
Figure 2.2 QGIS interface with default toolbars
a. The Menu Bar displays standard hierarchical menus containing various

QGIS tools and functions.
11 | P a g e
b. The Toolbars contain most of the functions that can be found in the Menu
Bar, including tools that can be used for navigating and interacting with the
map. Toolbars may be displayed or disabled by right-clicking on the area
where the toolbars are located and checking/unchecking the box beside
the name of the toolbar.
c. The Browser Panel may be used for browsing, searching, inspecting,

copying, and loading QGIS resources such as datasets, project files, and
Python scripts.
d. The Layers Panel or the Map Legend displays a list of all the loaded
datasets in the QGIS project and provides tools that may be used to manage
these layers.
e. The Map View or the Map Canvas displays the maps that are visible in the
Layers Panel, including its symbology, labels, and other features.
f. The Status Bar shows general information about the Map View such as the
map scale and coordinates of the cursor location.
Adding a Raster Layer in the Map View
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Add Layer → Add Raster Layer… to open the Data
Source Manager | Raster window.
Figure 2.3 Opening the Data Source Manager | Raster window
Tip: Alternatively, you may also try the following steps:

• In the Data Source Manager toolbar, click the Open Data Source
Manager button to open the Data Source Manager window. Then, select
Raster on the left panel of the window.
• In the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Data Source Manager to open the Data
Source Manager window. Then, select Raster on the left panel of the
window.
• On your keyboard, press CTRL + L to open the Data Source Manager

window. Then, select Raster on the left panel of the window.
12 | P a g e
2. In the Data Source Manager | Raster window, click the Browse button.
Navigate to C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data, then select the file
topomap.jpg and click [Open].
Figure 2.4 Opening a sample raster data from the training data folder
3. Going back to the Data Source Manager | Raster window, click [Add] to add the
raster layer to the Map View, then click [Close].
Figure 2.5 Adding sample raster data to the Map View
13 | P a g e
4. Your Map View should look like this.
Figure 2.6 Sample raster data loaded in the Map View
Using Map Navigation Tools
The Map Navigation toolbar is placed in default just beneath the Menu Bar.
Figure 2.7 Familiarizing with tools in the Map Navigation toolbar
Note: If the Map Navigation toolbar appears to be missing, right-click on the area where
other toolbars are located and click the checkbox beside Map Navigation toolbar from
the dropdown options that will be displayed.
1. Click the Pan Map icon. Place your mouse cursor on the Map View. While
holding the left mouse button, drag it either left or right; or up and down to move
the view of the raster layer.
2. Click the Zoom-In icon or the Zoom-Out icon. Place your mouse cursor on
the Map View. While holding the left mouse button, drag it diagonally
(upward/downward) to draw a rectangle, then release the left mouse button upon
reaching the desired extent. This action will zoom in or zoom out the Map window
view into the highlighted area. You may also simply click on any given area once
to zoom in or zoom out.
3. Click the Zoom Full icon to view the whole extent of the map.
14 | P a g e
4. Click the Zoom Last icon to go back to the last view setting of the map.
5. Click the Zoom Next icon to go to the next view setting of the map.
Tip: You may also use the scroll wheel in the middle of your mouse to zoom in or
zoom out on the Map View. Just simply scroll up to zoom in and scroll down to
zoom out.
Removing a Raster Layer in the Map View/Layers Panel
1. In the Layers panel, click to select the raster layer topomap. Right-click on the said
layer and select Remove Layer… from the dropdown options.
Figure 2.8 Removing a raster layer from the Map View
2. Click [OK] in the next window that will prompt to remove the raster layer.
Figure 2.9 A Confirmation Window Prompt which avoids deleting files accidentally
Tip: Alternatively, you may also remove layers by doing either of the following
after selecting the layers that you want to delete:
• Click the Remove Layer/Group button on the Layers panel.
• Press CTRL+D on your keyboard.
15 | P a g e
Adding a Vector Layer in the Map View
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Add Layer → Add Vector Layer… to open the Data
Source Manager | Vector window.
Figure 2.10 Opening the Data Source Manager | Vector window
Tip: Alternatively, you may try the following steps:
• In the Data Source Manager toolbar, click the Open Data Source
Manager button to open the Data Source Manager window. Then, select
Vector on the left panel of the window.
• In the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Data Source Manager to open the Data
Source Manager window. Then, select Vector on the left panel of the
window.
• On your keyboard, press CTRL + L to open the Data Source Manager

window. Then, select Vector on the left panel of the window.
2. In the Data Source Manager | Raster window, click the Browse button. Then,
navigate to the C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data folder and select
ELUM.shp. Click [Open].
16 | P a g e
Figure 2.11 Opening a vector shapefile
Tip: To display the .shp file, select ESRI Shapefiles from the File Type dropdown
list beside the Filename input box.
3. Click [Add] and [Close] respectively to add the vector layer to the Map View.
Figure 2.12 Loading the vector file into the Map View
17 | P a g e
Note: Due to the differences with the default projection of the recently added
vector file with the default WGS 84, an error window may prompt, giving you an
option to transform the file. For this exercise, click [OK] to continue. (See Figure
2.11)
Figure 2.13 Coordinate Reference System (CRS) Conversion prompt
4. Your Map View should look like what is shown in Figure 2.14. Now, try navigating
through the vector shapefile by using the Map Navigation tools used earlier.
Note: Shapefiles consist of different files with various file extensions. When
downloading and/or copying vector files from a different source, always make
sure to copy all the files (i.e., .cpg, .dbf, .prj, .shp, and .shx) instead of just the .shp
file.
18 | P a g e
Figure 2.14 Loaded shapefile in the Map View
Tip: You may also add raster and vector data without using the Data Source Manager.
You may opt to do any of the following:
• In the Browser panel, navigate to the folder where you have saved the training
files. To add a raster or vector layer, double-click the file from the said panel.
• In the File Explorer, navigate to the training data folder. To add a raster or
vector layer, simply drag the file from the folder to the Map View.
Opening the Attribute Table of the Vector Layer
1. Navigate through the Layers panel and right-click on the vector layer named
ELUM.
2. In the dropdown selection, select Open Attribute Table. Explore the contents of
the attribute table.
19 | P a g e
Figure 2.15 Opening the attribute table of a vector layer
Working with Layer Properties
1. Add the brgy_bnd.shp from the QGIS Training folder located at C:\QGIS Training
Data\01_Vector Data into the Map View.
Figure 2.16 Loading the barangay boundary vector layer
2. In the Layers panel, click to select the layer named brgy_bnd. Right-click on the
said layer and select Properties… from the dropdown options to open the Layer
Properties window.
20 | P a g e
Figure 2.17 Navigating to Layer Properties from the Layer panel
Tip: You may also open the Layer Properties window by double-clicking the
layer on the Layers panel.
3. The Layer Properties window will pop out the screen. Notice the left panel of the
window, which consists of different properties of the layer such as Information,
Source, etc.
Figure 2.18 Layer Properties Window bearing the file information
21 | P a g e
Note: The following are the properties under the Layer Properties window.
There are some other advanced properties such as Mask, 3D View, Diagrams,
Attributes Form, Auxiliary Storage, Actions, Display, Rendering, Temporal,
Variables, Metadata, Dependency, Legend, Server, and Digitizing. For the
purpose of this exercise, we only need to familiarize ourselves with the following
(QGIS Development Team, n.d.):
Provides information from provider embedded in the file such as but not
limited to Name, Path, Storage Type, Encoding, Geometry, and the Total
Number of Features. It Also includes Identifications, Access, Attribute Fields,
Contact, Links, and History (provided that such information was included in
the said file itself).
Contains the layer information, such as Layer name, Source/Location, and

current Coordinate Reference System of the Layer. The Layer name could be
edited here.
The layer symbology such as color and rendering can be set here.
The layer can be labeled here.
This is where you can add and delete a column or field of the layer’s attribute
table and perform calculations, such as areas of the Polygon layer.
Used to join the Layer’s Attribute Table with tables in “dbf” or “csv” format to
perform some analysis.
22 | P a g e
Saving the QGIS Project
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Project → Save as. Look for the C:\QGIS Training Data
folder and name the file as “BasicGIS_Chapter2_Surname”.
2. Save the file as a QGIS file (*.qgs or *qgz) and click [Save].
Figure 2.19 Saving the QGIS Project
Note: The QGS format is an extensible markup language (XML) format that
stores your QGIS projects. On the other hand, the QGZ format is a compressed
(zip) file format containing the QGS file and the QGD file (auxiliary storage
database). As of QGIS 3.2, the default file type for QGIS projects is the QGZ file
format but you can still use the QGS format especially if you need to open it using
a QGIS 2 version.
END OF EXERCISE
23 | P a g e
Chapter 3
GEOREFERENCING A RASTER IMAGE WITH KNOWN
COORDINATES
Introduction
While collecting secondary datasets from various national government agencies and
other data sources, planners often encounter digital geographic data in the form of
scanned aerial photographs or paper maps. Hence, these raster datasets need to be
assigned with proper map coordinates to accurately represent the actual physical
location of map features. Georeferencing refers to the process of relating the internal
coordinate system of a spatial data with a known coordinate system in the real world
(USGS, n.d.). We can assign a geographic coordinate system (GCS) to a layer which
defines the location of a point on the Earth’s surface using latitude and longitude (in
decimal degrees or DMS format). In the Philippines, the GCS is often based on either the
Luzon 1911 datum or the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) datum.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to georeference a scanned topographic map
with known coordinates (i.e., grids and graticules with labels). The output georeferenced
topographic map will then be used in the next exercise.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will be provided the following:
• Scanned Topographic Map in JPEG format: topomap.jpg
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software. From the Menu Bar, go to Layer →
Add Layer → Add Raster Layer….
2. Navigate to the training folder and add the file named topomap.jpg. Close the
Data Source Manager.
3. In the Layers panel, right-click on the topomap layer and select Properties…
4. In the Layer Properties window, click the Source tab to show the Coordinate
Reference System (CRS) of the layer. Notice that the Assigned CRS is displayed
as “invalid projection”. This means that we need to georeference the layer to
assign its geographic coordinates.
24 | P a g e
Figure 3.1 Checking the Coordinate Reference System of the scanned topographic map
Note: Changing the Assigned Coordinate Reference System (CRS) in the

dropdown list will not automatically georeference the spatial data. We need to
use the Georeferencer tool to properly assign it with a geographic coordinate
system.
5. In the Map View, zoom in on the lower portion of the raster image which displays
various information about the map. Notice that the horizontal datum of the map is
based on the Luzon 1911 datum. We will use this information later when setting
the proper CRS of the georeferenced map.
Figure 3.2 Checking the datum used in creating the scanned topographic map
25 | P a g e
6. From the Menu Bar, go to Raster → Georeferencer… to open the Georeferencer

window.
Figure 3.3 Opening the Georeferencer window
Note: In case the Georeferencer option is disabled and/or cannot be found under
the Raster menu, go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins… search for and
check the box beside the Georeferencer plugin. If this does not work, you may try
to restart the application.
7. In the Georeferencer window, go to File → Open Raster.
Figure 3.4 Opening a raster file in the Georeferencer window
Tip: You may also open a raster in the Georeferencer window by doing any of
the following:
• Click the Open Raster button on the toolbar.

• Press CTRL + O on your keyboard.
8. Navigate the data folder: C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data. Select

topomap.jpg, then click [Open].
26 | P a g e
Figure 3.5 Loaded scanned map in the Georeferencer window
Note: In order to properly georeference the scanned topographic map, we need

to identify at least four (4) ground control points (GCPs) which we will assign
with geographic coordinates. In this exercise, we will use the four corners of the
map as GCPs.
9. Zoom in on the top left portion of the map until you can clearly see its top left
corner which will be selected as one of the GCPs (See Figure 3.6).
Figure 3.6 First designated GCP on the top left corner of the raster file
10. To capture the first point, click the Add Point button. Place the cursor on the
identified control point then left-click once to mark it on the Georeferencer
window and open the Enter Map Coordinates dialog box.
27 | P a g e
11. In the X and Y input boxes, type in the corresponding longitude and latitude values
of the GCP (in DD MM SS format) that are indicated in the top left corner of the
scanned map (See Figure 3.7). Click [OK] when you are done.
Figure 3.7 Typing the geographic coordinates of the 1st GCP
12. After capturing the first GCP, click the Zoom to Layer button to go back to Full
Extent View. Locate the 3 other GCPs by repeating steps 9-11. Use the following
table (Table 3.1) as a reference for the map coordinate inputs:
Table 3.1 Values for the 4 GCPs and their respective locations
POINT_ID LONG_DEG MIN SEC LAT_DEG MIN SEC LOC

(x) (y)
0 120 45 0 14 10 0 Top-Left
1 121 0 0 14 10 0 Top-Right
2 121 0 0 14 0 0 Bot-Right
3 120 45 0 14 0 0 Bot-Left
Tip: The Map Navigation tools that can be found in the Map View are also
available in the Georeferencer window. You may use these tools while selecting
GCPs within the scanned map.
After adding the four GCPs, the Georeferencer window should look like this.
28 | P a g e
Figure 3.8 GCP Table showing all the values of the 4 identified GCPs
13. After registering all GCPs, you need to define the Transformation Settings. In the
Georeferencer window, navigate through Settings → Transformation Settings…
to open the Transformation Settings dialog box.
Figure 3.9 Opening Transformation Settings from the Menu Bar
14. In the Transformation Settings window, do the following steps (see Figure
3.10):
a. In the Transformation Type, select Polynomial 1.
29 | P a g e
b. In the Resampling Method, select Nearest Neighbor.
c. In the Target SRS, click on the Select CRS button to open the Coordinate
Reference System Selector window. Go to Geographic Coordinates System
and select Luzon 1911 from the list. Alternatively, you may enter “Luzon
1911” or its EPSG code: “4253” on the Filter search box. Click [OK].
Figure 3.10 Choosing Luzon 1911 from the list of Coordinate Reference Systems
Note: The EPSG ID is a standard code published and assigned by the European
Petroleum Survey Group to different ellipsoids, datums, projections, and
coordinate systems.
d. For the Output Raster, click on the Browse button to open the Destination
Raster window. Make sure that you are in the data folder C:\QGIS Training
Data\00_Raster Data.
e. In the Destination Raster window, input “topomap_Luzon 1911” as the

filename of the output raster. Select TIF files in the Save as type dropdown
options. Click [Save].
f. Going back to the Transformation Settings window, tick the box provided for
in the Load in QGIS when done option.
g. Click [OK].
30 | P a g e
Figure 3.11 Transformation Settings window
Note: You may explore various transformation types and resampling methods
aside from the recommended above to determine the best transformation
settings for target layer (QGIS Development Team, n.d.).
The Transformation Type to be selected depends on the number of GCPs, type

and quality of input data, and the level of geometric distortion allowed by the
user. The following transformation algorithms are available in QGIS:
• The Linear algorithm performs translation and uniform scaling of the

target image, but it does not allow rotation and other transformations. It
is not recommended when dealing with scanned maps and images. It
requires at least 2 GCPs for the transformation.
• The Helmert transformation performs translation, scaling, and rotation.

It is more applicable for good quality maps and orthorectified raster
images that are not aligned with the grid bearing of the coordinate
reference system. It also needs at least 2 GCPs to transform the image.
• Polynomial 31 | P a g e
• Thin Plate Spline
• Projective
• The Polynomial 1 algorithm ensures that straight lines will remain

straight, and parallel lines will remain parallel after the transformation.
It requires at least 3 GCPs to be able to georeferenced the layer.
• The Polynomial 2 and Polynomial 3 algorithms consider curvature in

the transformation. Straight lines may become curved and significant
distortions may result near the edges and in areas far from the selected
GCPs. At least 6 GCPs are needed for the transformation.
• The Thin Plate Spline (TPS) algorithm uses multiple local polynomials
to fit the target image to the selected GCPs. It is more applicable to
deformed and slightly inaccurate maps, and for poorly orthorectified
aerial images. It requires at least 10 GCPs but might need additional
points to successfully georeferenced the layer.
• The Projective transformation ensures that straight lines will remain

straight, but it does not guarantee that parallel lines will remain parallel.
It can be used to georeference angled photographs of good quality maps
or oblique aerial images. At least 4 GCPs are needed for this type of
transformation.
Meanwhile, the Resampling Method to be used is dependent on the input layer

and the objective of the resampling. Users may select from the following
resampling methods in QGIS:
• The Nearest Neighbor method is one of the simplest and fastest

resampling techniques. It does not modify the cell values and statistics of
the input raster. Instead, it uses the value of the closest pixel to determine
its new value in the output raster. It is often used for discrete data such as
scanned maps and land cover classification raster datasets.
• The Linear, Cubic, Cubic Spline, and Lanczos resampling methods

compute the new pixel values of the output raster using various
polynomial interpolation techniques. Unlike the Nearest Neighbor
method, it alters the cell values and statistics of the raster, resulting to a
smoothed output. These methods are often used when georeferencing
continuous raster data such as digital elevation models (DEM) and
temperature gradient rasters.
15. Check the Polynomial Mean Error located at the lower right corner of the
Georeferencer window to verify the accuracy of your GCPs. Generally, the lower
its value, the better the accuracy. For the purpose of this exercise, aim to achieve
a mean error of 20 or less before proceeding to the next step.
32 | P a g e
Figure 3.12 Checking the Polynomial Mean Error of the GCPs
16. After all the necessary settings are defined, just press the Start
Georeferencing button in the Georeferencer window to create a new
georeferenced raster file. A Progress Indication window will prompt to show the
progress of the georeferencing process.
Figure 3.13 Progress Indication dialog box
17. Close the Georeferencer window when finished. Click [Discard] on the Save GCPs
dialog box that will open.
33 | P a g e
18. The georeferenced raster image will automatically be added to the Map View.
Notice that the Status Bar now displays the geographic coordinates of the scanned
topographic map.
Figure 3.14 Georeferenced topographic map
19. In the Layers panel, open the Layer Properties window of the topomap_Luzon
1911 raster file and click on the Source tab. Its Assigned Coordinate Reference
System should now be “EPSG:4253 – Luzon 1911”.
Figure 3.15 Checking the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) of the georeferenced topographic map
34 | P a g e
20. When you are done, save your QGIS project as “BasicGIS_Chapter3_Surname” in
the training folder.
END OF EXERCISE
35 | P a g e
Chapter 4
GEOREFERENCING A RASTER IMAGE BASED ON A
GEOREFERENCED LAYER
Introduction
Now that the topographic map has defined geographic coordinates, we can use it as a
reference map to assign real-world coordinates to a raster image with no spatial
coordinate system in order to properly overlay it with the map features of other
georeferenced datasets. We can georeference a spatial layer by identifying and selecting
distinct ground control points (GCPs) from the reference topographic map and matching
it with the map features in the target raster image. This method is applicable if the
spatial data that we want to digitize does not have corners or points with known
coordinates unlike the topographic map in the previous chapter (e.g., scanned maps with
no grid labels, satellite images with no coordinate reference system, etc.).
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to georeference a scanned administrative

boundary map without grid labels by referring to the topographic map that we have
georeferenced in the previous activity.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will use the output georeferenced topographic map from
the previous exercise and will be provided with another raster layer with undefined
coordinates:
• Georeferenced Topographic Map in TIF format: topomap_Luzon 1911.tif

• Scanned Administrative Boundary Map in JPEG Format: admin_bnd.tif
1. Launch the QGIS Dekstop 3.16.7 software. From the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Add
Layer → Add Raster Layer…
2. Add the raster layers with the filename topomap_Luzon 1911.tif (from the
previous exercise) and admin_bnd.tif. Then, close the Data Source Manager.
36 | P a g e
Figure 4.1 Raster layers needed for the exercise
3. Open the Layer Properties window of the admin_bnd layer and go to the Source
tab. Notice that the Assigned CRS of the layer is displayed as “invalid projection”.
This means that we need to georeference the scanned administrative boundary
map as well.
Figure 4.2 Checking the Coordinate Reference System, (CRS) of the georeferenced topographic map
37 | P a g e
4. Open the Georeferencer window from the Raster menu. In the said window, go to
File → Open Raster…. and add the raster image admin_bnd.jpg located at C:\QGIS
Training Data\00_Raster Data folder.
Figure 4.3 Loaded admin_bnd in the Georeferencer window
5. Examine the reference map (georeferenced topographic map) and the target map
(administrative boundary map) carefully. Select a minimum of four (4) control
points that can be clearly identified in both maps (See Figure 4.4).
38 | P a g e
Figure 4.4 GCPs to be selected in the reference map (top) and target map (bottom)
Note: Zoom in closely on both maps to check the similar features which we will
use as GCPs. In selecting control points, choose ground features that can be easily
identified in both maps such as road or river intersections, mouth of a river, street
corners, and sharp/pointed edges/corners of topographic features.
39 | P a g e
Capturing Control Points/Tick Marks

Table 4.1 Location of the Four (4) GCPs to be used in georeferencing the target map
POINT REFERENCE MAP TARGET MAP

NO. (topomap_Luzon 1911) (admin_bnd)
40 | P a g e
1. In the Georeferencer window, click the Add Point button in the toolbar, then
zoom-in and position your cursor on the location of the first GCP in the target map
(see Figure 4.4 and Table 4.1). Left-click once on the said point to open the Enter
Map Coordinates dialog box.
Figure 4.5 Identifying the first GCP in the target map
2. In the Map Coordinates dialog box, click the [From Map Canvas] to switch back
to the Map View.
Figure 4.6 Enter Map Coordinates dialog box
Note: Clicking the From Map Canvas button will temporarily minimize the
Georeferencer window but it will automatically go back to its original window
size after selecting the GCP on the Map View. If you want to manually maximize
the Georeferencer window, it can be found on the lower left portion of the screen.
3. In the Map View, zoom-in and place the cursor on the first GCP in the
georeferenced topographic map, then left-click on the point once to register the
first GCP.
41 | P a g e
Figure 4.7 Identifying the first GCP in the reference map
4. You will observe that the coordinates are automatically registered in the Enter
Map Coordinates window.
Figure 4.8 Values automatically generated upon the capture of the first GCP
5. Click [OK] to accept changes then click the Zoom to Layer icon to view the
first point being registered.
6. Add the remaining GCPs (see Figure 4.4 and Table 4.1) by repeating steps 1-5.
When you are done, the Georeferencer window should look like Figure 4.9.
42 | P a g e
Figure 4.9 Georeferencer window after adding the four GCPs
Tips: The following tips may help you in georeferencing your target map:
• The best practice is to select a control point near each of the four corners
of the map. You may add more points within the map but make sure that
they are evenly distributed.
• If you want to move the added GCP to a more accurate location, click the
Move GCP Point button and drag the point to a new position.
• Monitor the residual error of the GCPs in the GCP table after selecting at
least 4 control points. If a GCP has an unusually high error, delete the GCP
using the Delete Point button on the Georeferencer window and
capture the point again.
7. In the Menu Bar, go to Settings → Transformation Settings… to open the

Transformation Settings dialog box. Follow the steps below:
a. In the Transformation Type, select Polynomial 1.
43 | P a g e
b. In the Resampling Method, select Nearest Neighbor.
c. In the Target SRS, click on the Select CRS button to open the Coordinate
Reference System Selector window. Go to Geographic Coordinates System
and select Luzon 1911 from the list. Alternatively, you may enter “Luzon
1911” or “4253” on the Filter search box. Click [OK].
Figure 4.10 Choosing Luzon 1911 from the list of Coordinate Reference Systems
d. In the Output Raster, click on the Browse button to open the Destination
Raster window. Make sure that you are in the data folder C:\QGIS Training
Data\00_Raster Data.
e. In the Destination Raster window, input “admin_bnd_Luzon 1911” as the

filename of the output raster. Select TIF files in the Save as type dropdown
options. Click [Save].
f. Going back to the Transformation Settings window, tick the box provided for
in the Load in QGIS when done option.
g. Click [OK].
44 | P a g e
Figure 4.11 Input in the Transformation Settings
8. Check the Polynomial Mean Error located at the lower right corner of the
Georeferencer window to verify the accuracy of your GCPs. Generally, the lower
its value, the better the accuracy. For the purpose of this exercise, aim to achieve
a mean error of 20 or less before proceeding with the next step.
9. When done, just press the Start Georeferencing button to create a new
georeferenced raster file.
10. Close the Georeferencer window when done. Click [Discard] on the Save GCPs
dialog box that will pop out. The georeferenced raster image will automatically be
added to the Map View. Make sure that the admin_bnd_Luzon 1911 layer is
above the topomap_Luzon 1911 layer in the Layers panel.
45 | P a g e
Figure 4.12 Overlaid georeferenced map
Checking if the Georeferenced Map Fits the Source
1. In the Layers panel, click to select the layer admin_bnd_Luzon 1911.
2. Right-click the said layer and select Properties… from the dropdown options to
open the Layer Properties window.
3. Click the Transparency tab on the left side of the Layer Properties window. Drag
the Global Opacity slider down to around 60%. Alternatively, you may simply
type “60.0” in the input box beside the slider.
46 | P a g e
Figure 4.13 Adjusting the global opacity of the administrative boundary map
4. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively. Observe if the reference map and the
georeferenced map are overlaid accurately. You may use the map navigation tools
to see the overlaid maps in greater detail.
Figure 4.14 Overlaid reference map and georeferenced map with adjusted opacity
47 | P a g e
Note: Results may vary depending on the accuracy of the points captured. You
can adjust the opacity up to a lower value if you are having difficulty in discerning
whether the reference and georeferenced maps are properly overlaid.

END OF EXERCISE
48 | P a g e
Chapter 5
REPROJECTING A GEOREFERENCED RASTER LAYER
Introduction
When overlaying raster and vector datasets from various data sources in QGIS, it can be
noticed that some of these datasets do not fit properly. In order to perform various
geospatial analysis using these datasets, we need to ensure that all of these layers share
the same datum, projection, and/or coordinate system, which are collectively called
coordinate reference system (CRS). Reprojection is defined as the process of
converting the coordinates of the layer from a geographic coordinate system (GCS) to
a projected coordinate system (PCS) (QGIS Development Team, n.d.). In contrast to
GCS, PCS is similar to the Cartesian coordinate system which uses X and Y coordinates or
Eastings and Northings (usually in meters) to describe the position of a feature in a
planar surface. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 51N is often used as a
coordinate system when creating maps of areas within the country, except for some areas
that belong to Zone 50N such as Palawan.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to reproject the georeferenced raster layer
in the previous activity from Luzon 1911 to UTM Zone 51N.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will use the output georeferenced basemap from the
previous chapter:
• Georeferenced Administrative Boundary Map in TIF format: admin_bnd_Luzon

1911.tif
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software. From the Menu Bar, go to Raster →
Projections → Warp (Reproject) to open the Warp (Reproject) window.
Figure 5.1 Navigating to Warp (Reproject) from the Menu Bar
49 | P a g e
2. Next, under the Input Layer, click the Select File button to open the Select File
window. Navigate to the training folder: C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data
and select admin_bnd_Luzon 1911.tif. Click [Open].
Figure 5.2 Warp (Reproject) window
3. Still in the Warp (Reproject) window, under Source CRS, click on the Select
CRS button to open the Coordinate Reference System Selector window. Uncheck
the adjacent box under No CRS to enable selection. Locate and select Luzon 1911
(EPSG: 4253) from the list under the Recently Used Coordinate Reference
Systems, then click [OK].
Figure 5.3 Selecting Luzon 1911 as the Source CRS
50 | P a g e
4. Still in the Warp (Reproject) window, under Target CRS, click on the Select
CRS button to open the Coordinate Reference Systems Selector window.
Uncheck the adjacent box under No CRS to enable selection. Locate and select UTM
Zone 51N from the CRS Selection by typing “Luzon_1911_UTM_Zone_51N” or
“102454” in the Filter search box.
Figure 5.4 Selecting Luzon_1911_UTM_Zone_51N as the Target CRS
5. Under Resampling method to use, select Nearest Neighbor from the dropdown
list.
6. Still in the Warp (Reproject) window, scroll down to locate Reprojected

parameters. Click on the Reprojected button beside the input box, then choose
Save to File… from the dropdown options.
7. In the Save file window, input “admin_bnd_UTM Zone 51N” as the filename. Save
it as a TIF file and click [Save].
Figure 5.5 Saving the reprojected raster image
51 | P a g e
8. Tick the box provided for the Open Output File After Running Algorithm located
below the Reprojected input box.
9. Your window screen should look like what is shown in Figure 5.6 below. After
setting all the necessary parameters, click [Run].
Figure 5.6 Set parameters in the Warp (Reproject) window
10. QGIS will prompt a window when the task is done. Click [Close] in the Warp
(Reproject) window. The new layer will automatically be added to the Map View.
You will notice that the Status Bar now displays the projected coordinates of the
raster layer instead of its geographic coordinates.
52 | P a g e
Figure 5.7 New reprojected map (From Luzon 1911 to UTM Zone 51N)
END OF EXERCISE
53 | P a g e
Chapter 6
CREATING A NEW VECTOR LAYER
Introduction
As mentioned in one of the previous exercises, vector data uses geometric primitives to
represent various real-world features in a map (Penn Libraries, 2020):
• Point features use a single pair of coordinates to define its location. Points are
dimensionless and are commonly used to represent features such as landmarks,
buildings, trees, power poles, and other facilities.
• Line features consist of interconnected points and uses an ordered set of

coordinates to define its location. Lines are one-dimensional and can be used to
measure length. It is often used to represent linear features such as roads, rivers,
and topographic contours.
• Polygon features consist of interconnected lines that are enclosed to form an

area. Polygons are two-dimensional and can be used to measure the perimeter
and area of a feature. It is commonly used to represent features such as municipal
boundaries, buildings, city blocks, and agricultural plots.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to create point, line, and polygon vector data
that will be used in the succeeding exercises.
Materials
For this exercise, the participants themselves will create the datasets that will be used in
the next activities.
Creating A Point Vector
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software. In the Menu Bar, navigate to Layer →
Create Layer → New Shapefile Layer… Alternatively, you may simply click the
New Shapefile Layer… button on the Data Source Manager toolbar.
54 | P a g e
Figure 6.1 Opening the New Shapefile Layer window
2. In the New Shapefile Layer window, click the Browse button beside the File
Name input box to open the Save Layer As window. Make sure that you are in
C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data. Input “Existing Structure” as the file
name and click [Save].
Figure 6.2 Save Layer As dialog box opened from the New Shapefile Layer window
3. Still in the New Shapefile Layer window, in the Geometry Type, select Point from
the dropdown options.
4. Click the Select the CRS button to open the Coordinate Reference System
Selector window. Scroll down and locate UTM Zone 51N. Again, navigate to
Projected Coordinate Systems → Universal Transverse Mercator → WGS
84/UTM Zone 51N or use the Filter search bar and click [OK].
55 | P a g e
Figure 6.3 Selecting WGS 84/UTM Zone 51N as the Target CRS
Tip: You may notice that the coordinate reference systems that we have used in
the previous exercises are listed in the Recently Used Coordinate Reference
Systems. If that is the case, just simply click WGS 84/UTM Zone 51 from the list.
5. Perform the following steps under the New field panel:
a. Input the following:
Name = Struc_Nm
Type = Text data (default)
Length = 80 (default)
Precision = *No Value* (default)
b. Click Add to Fields List to add Struc_Nm in the Fields List panel.
56 | P a g e
Figure 6.4 Adding a new field to the Field List of the attribute table
c. Add another field with the following inputs:

Name = Desc
d. Click Add to Fields List to add Desc in the Fields List panel. Press [OK] when
you are done.
57 | P a g e
Figure 6.5 Inputs in creating a new point shapefile
6. The point shapefile that you created will be automatically added to the Layers
panel.
Figure 6.6 New point shapefile added in the Layers panel
Creating A Line Vector
Note: The procedure for creating a line shapefile is almost similar with that of the point
shapefile.
1. In the Menu Bar, navigate to Layer → Create New Layer → New Shapefile Layer…
2. In the New Shapefile Layer window, click Browse button beside the File
C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data. Input “Existing Road” as the file name
then click [Save].
58 | P a g e
3. Still in the New Shapefile Layer window, in the Geometry Type, select Line from
the dropdown options. Click Select the CRS button to open the Coordinate
Reference System Selector window. Scroll down and locate UTM Zone 51N.
Again, navigate to Projected Coordinate Systems → Universal Transverse
Mercator → WGS 84/UTM Zone 51N and click [OK].
4. Perform the following steps under New field panel:
a. Input the following settings:

Name = Rd_name
b. Click Add to Fields List to add Rd_name in the Fields List panel. Click [OK]
when you are finished.
Figure 6.7 Inputs in creating a new line shapefile
5. The line shapefile that you created will be automatically added to the Layers
panel.
59 | P a g e
Figure 6.8 New line shapefile added in the Layers panel
Creating A Polygon Vector
Note: The procedure for creating a line shapefile is almost similar with that of the point
and line shapefiles.
1. In the Menu Bar, navigate to Layer → Create Layer → New Shapefile Layer…
2. In the New Shapefile Layer window, click Browse button beside the File
C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data. Input “Existing Block” as the file name
then click [Save].
3. Still in the New Shapefile Layer window, in the Geometry Type, select Polygon
from the dropdown options. Click Select the CRS button to open the
Coordinate Reference System Selector window. Scroll down and locate UTM
Zone 51N. Again, navigate to Projected Coordinate Systems → Universal
Transverse Mercator → WGS 84/UTM Zone 51N and click [OK].
4. Perform the following steps under the New field panel:
a. Input the following parameters:
Name = Blk_Nm
60 | P a g e
Figure 6.9 Inputs in creating a new polygon shapefile
b. Click Add to Fields List to add “Blk_Nm” in the Fields List panel. Click [OK].
5. The polygon shapefile that you created will be automatically added to the Layers
panel. Now, your Layers panel has three different shapefiles loaded in it. These
shapefiles will be used for the succeeding exercises, so it is strongly recommended
to keep these layers open.
Figure 6.10 New polygon shapefile added in the Layers panel

END OF EXERCISE
61 | P a g e
Chapter 7
DIGITIZING
Introduction
There are cases wherein the vector file format of a geospatial dataset that we need is not
available from known data sources. In such situations, features from the available
scanned maps or aerial images (in raster format) may be transformed into vector layers
through the process of digitization. Digitizing is a data capture technique that involves
tracing various features in the raster layer to convert it into digital vector format
(Dempsey, 2017).
Objectives
In this exercise, the participants will learn how to digitize point, line, and polygon
features from the georeferenced base map in the previous activity.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will use the output georeferenced basemap together with
the shapefiles created from the previous chapters:
• Scanned Basemap in TIF format: admin_bnd_UTM Zone 51N.tif

• Existing Structure Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: Existing Structure.shp
• Existing Road Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: Existing Road.shp
• Existing Block Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: Existing Block.shp
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software. Then, open the Data Source Manager
to add the files needed in the exercise.
2. In the Raster tab, click the Browse button and navigate to the source folder,
C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data. Select admin_bnd_UTM Zone 51N.tif
and click [Open]. Then, click [Add] to load the raster file into the Map View.
3. In the Vector tab, click the Browse button and navigate to the source folder,
C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data. Select Existing Structure.shp, Existing
Road.shp, and Existing Block.shp, and click [Open]. Then, click [Add] and
[Close] respectively to load the vector files into the Map View and close the Data
Source Manager.
62 | P a g e
Figure 7.1 Raster and vector files needed for the exercise
4. In the Layers panel, click and drag each layer to rearrange them in the following
order. This is to ensure that all layers will be visible when you digitize the map
features later.
i. Existing Structure
ii. Existing Road
iii. Existing Block
iv. admin_bnd_UTM Zone 51N
Configuring the Snapping Options
Note: Prior to digitizing vector features, let us set up first the snapping parameters of
the features to be digitized. Snapping relatively makes the work easier by having the
cursor automatically align with an existing point. This option will be more valuably
appreciated when digitizing a polygon.
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Settings → Options… to open the Options window.
Figure 7.2 Navigating to Options menu from the Menu Bar
63 | P a g e
2. Click the Digitizing tab on the left side of the Options window. Mark a check in
the box provided for Enable snapping by default, then set the Default snapping
tolerance to 25 and change the units from pixels to map units. Leave the rest as
default for now and click [OK].
Figure 7.3 Enabling Snapping Options from Digitizing tab
3. To display the Snapping toolbar, right-click on any area where the toolbars are
located and click on the box beside the Snapping Toolbar option.
64 | P a g e
Note: You may explore and familiarize yourself with different buttons and tools that can
be found in the Snapping toolbar that can help you in the digitization process:
• The Enable Snapping button allows users to enable or disable snapping.
• The dropdown button provides three options to select the layer (s) to snap to.
Users can choose to select either All layers to snap to all visible layers, Current
layer to snap to the active layer, or Advanced Configuration to enable and set
the snapping mode and tolerance per layer.
• The dropdown button allows users to enable snapping to the Vertex,

Segment, Area, Centroid, and/or Middle of Segment of vector features.
• The Snapping Tolerance input box and Unit dropdown

button allows users to easily change the snapping tolerance or the distance that
will be used to search for the nearest vertex, segment, area, centroid, or midpoint
that you want to connect to.
• The Enable Topological Editing button can be clicked to easily modify and
maintain features with shared boundaries. When a common vertex or segment is
moved, the tool will also move it to the geometries of the adjacent features.
• The dropdown button allows users to choose whether to Allow Overlap

between an existing feature and the feature that you are digitizing, Avoid
Overlap on Active Layer to cut the digitized feature based on the boundary of
the existing one, or Follow Advanced Configuration to apply different rules per
layer.
• The Enable Snapping on Intersection button allows users to snap on the

intersection of various layers even if no vertex exists on the said intersection.
• The Enable Tracing button can be used to automatically trace the path
from the last snapping point to the next location. The offset distance of the tracing
can be adjusted through the dropdown button.
• The Enable Self-Snapping button can be clicked to ensure that the snapping
will consider the current state of the digitized feature.
65 | P a g e
Digitizing A Point Feature
1. To start digitizing point features, right-click to select the Existing Structure layer
in the Layers panel. Select Toggle Editing from the dropdown options.
Alternatively, you may left-click to select the Existing Structure and click the
Toggle Editing button on the Digitizing toolbar.
Figure 7.4 Selecting the Toggle Editing from the dropdown options
2. Next, Zoom in extensively on the selected feature to be digitized. First, let us

try to digitize the school in Berinayan represented by a blue flag symbol.
Figure 7.5 School to be digitized using a point shapefile
3. Click the Add Point Feature button on the Digitizing toolbar. Place your
cursor on the base or center of the feature to be digitized (school in Berinayan),
then left-click once to open the Feature Attributes dialog box.
66 | P a g e
4. Input the following values in the Feature Attributes dialog box:
Id = (leave it blank)
Struc_Nm = Berinayan Elementary School
Desc = Primary School
5. When you are done, click [OK].
Figure 7.6 Existing Structure - Feature Attributes dialog box
6. Click Zoom Full to go back to the full extent view of the map. You will observe
that a small dot is now overlaid to the location of the school that you digitized.
Figure 7.7 Digitized point feature
Note: If you cannot see the point that you digitized, check the Layers panel and
make sure that the Existing Structure layer is above the admin_bnd_UTM Zone
51N layer. To do this, just left-click on the point layer and drag it above the
position of the raster layer.
Congratulations! You now have your first feature digitally registered, as shown
in the image! Now for this exercise, continue to digitize the following features by
repeating steps 2-5.
67 | P a g e
• Two (2) Schools

• Two (2) Barangay Hall
• One (1) Municipal Hall
• One (1) Cemetery
7. When you are done, right-click the layer Existing Structure in the Layers panel,
then select Open Attribute Table from the options to check if the attributes were
added.
Figure 7.8 Attribute table of the Existing Structure shapefile
Note: Make sure that the data that you have entered in the Desc attribute are
consistent (e.g., All colleges are labelled “College” with its first letter capitalized).
If there are inconsistent entries (e.g., “college”), you can edit them in the attribute
table as long as the Toggle Editing button is enabled.
8. After successfully digitizing the point features, end the session by clicking the
Save Layer Edits and Toggle Editing respectively in the Attribute Table or in
the Digitizing toolbar.
68 | P a g e
Digitizing A Line Feature

1. To start digitizing line features, select and right-click the layer Existing Road in
the Layers panel. Select Toggle Editing from the dropdown options to enable
editing. Alternatively, you may left-click to select the Existing Road and click the
Toggle Editing button on the Digitizing toolbar.
2. Next, Zoom in extensively on the selected feature to be digitized. First, let us

try to digitize the roads in Pob 2 (the ones in grey).
Figure 7.9 Selected area for line digitization
3. Click the Add Line Feature button on the Digitizing toolbar. Place your cursor
on the first vertex/point of the line, then left-click once to register the first
vertex/point.
Figure 7.10 Digitizing roads using line features
69 | P a g e
Note: Make sure to mark each intersection of the line feature on the map that you
are digitizing, if there is any.
4. Click the last vertex/point of the line, then right-click to end the segment and open
the Feature Attributes dialog box. Input the following in the said window:
Id = (Leave it blank)
Rd_Name = Road 1
Figure 7.11Existing Road - Feature Attributes dialog box
6. Click Zoom Full to go back to the full extent view of the map. You will notice
that a line is now overlaid to the road that you digitized.
Figure 7.12 Digitized line feature
You now have your first line feature digitally registered, as shown in the image.
Now for this exercise, continue to digitize three (3) more road lines.
70 | P a g e
7. When you are done, right-click the layer Existing Road in the Layers panel, then
select Open Attribute Table from the options to check if the attributes were
added.
Figure 7.13 Attribute table of the Existing Road shapefile
8. After successfully digitizing the line features, end the session by clicking the
Save Layer Edits and Toggle Editing buttons respectively in the Attribute
Table or in the Digitizing toolbar.
Digitizing A Polygon Feature
Note: The polygon digitization process is generally the same as digitizing a line. The only
difference is that a polygon requires at least three (3) different points to connect and
create a polygon feature.
Furthermore, make sure that the snapping option is still enabled before digitizing
polygons. Snapping makes the work relatively easier by having the cursor automatically
align with an existing point/vertex.
1. To start digitizing polygon features, select and right-click the layer Existing Block
in the Layers panel. Click Toggle Editing from the dropdown options to enable
editing. Alternatively, you may left-click to select the Existing Structure and click
the Toggle Editing button on the Digitizing toolbar.
71 | P a g e
2. Zoom in extensively on the selected feature to be digitized. Let us try to

digitize a polygon feature in Pob 2.
Figure 7.14 Selected area for polygon digitization
3. Click the Add Polygon Feature button in the toolbar. Place your cursor on
and click on the first corner of the block to be digitized. Then, click on the
succeeding corners of the feature until you have digitized the entire block. To close
the polygon, right-click once to open the Feature Attributes dialog box.
Figure 7.15 Digitizing a block using polygon feature
4. Input the following on the dialog box:

Id = (Leave it blank)
Blk_Nm = Block 1
72 | P a g e
Figure 7.16 Existing Block - Feature Attributes dialog box
6. Click the Zoom Full to go back to the full extent view of the map. You will
notice that a gray polygon is now overlaid to the block that you digitized.
Figure 7.17 Digitized polygon feature
You now have your first polygon feature digitally registered, as shown in the
image. Now for this exercise, continue to digitize three (3) more polygon
features.
7. When you are done, right-click the layer Existing Block in the Layers panel, then
select Open Attribute Table from the options to check if the attributes were
added.
73 | P a g e
Figure 7.18 Attribute table of the Existing Block shapefile
8. After successfully digitizing the polygon features, end the session by clicking the
Save Layer Edits and Toggle Editing buttons respectively in the Attribute
Table or in the Digitizing toolbar.
Figure 7.19 Digitized features displayed in the Map View
74 | P a g e
Deleting Vector Features
1. If you want to delete a vector feature displayed in the Map View, do the following:
a. In the Layers panel, click on the layer where you want to delete a feature
and click the Toggle Editing button.
b. Click the Select Features button located on the Selection toolbar.
c. Navigate to the point, line, or polygon feature that you want to delete.
d. Click on the feature and press Delete on your keyboard.
e. After deleting the target features, end the session by clicking the Save
Layer Edits and the Toggle Editing buttons respectively on the
Digitizing toolbar.
Figure 7.20 Deleting vector features from the Map View
Tip: You can select vector features in the Map View using the Select Features
button located on the Selection toolbar. By default, selected features are
highlighted in yellow. If you want to change this setting, go to Settings →
Options… and click on the Canvas & Legend tab. In the said tab, you can change
the selection color and opacity to help you see what is under the selected feature.
75 | P a g e
2. If you want to delete a vector feature from the Attribute Table, do the following:
a. In the Layers panel, click on the layer where you want to delete a feature
and click the Toggle Editing button.
b. Open the Attribute Table of the target layer and left-click on the entry that
you want to delete from the table. Notice that the selected feature will also
be highlighted in the Map View.
c. Click the Delete Selected Features button in the Attribute Table or

simply press Delete on your keyboard.
d. After deleting the target features, end the session by clicking the Save
Layer Edits and the Toggle Editing buttons respectively on the
Digitizing toolbar.
Figure 7.21 Deleting vector features from the Attribute Table
Tip: If you want to undo deleting, go to Edit → Undo in the Menu Bar or simply
press CTRL + Z. Take note that this will not work if you have already saved your
changes and disabled editing.
76 | P a g e

END OF EXERCISE
77 | P a g e
Chapter 8
EDITING AN EXISTING POLYGON
Introduction
There are instances wherein vector datasets obtained from different data sources are
outdated or poorly digitized. In other cases, the shapefiles contain errors in the topology
or the spatial relationships between adjacent vector features (QGIS Development Team,
n.d.). Simple topology errors include overlaps and gaps between two polygons,
duplicates, and invalid geometries. Hence, there is a need to edit these features to update
or improve the quality of the dataset before using it to create a map or perform
geospatial analysis.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to detect simple topology errors using the
Topology Checker plugin and modify the boundary edges and vertices of an existing
shapefile based on the georeferenced scanned map of the same area.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will be provided the following datasets:
• Scanned Existing Land Use Map in TIF format: ELUM_UTM_Zone_51N.tif

• Existing Land Use Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: ELUM.shp
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software. In the Menu Bar, go to Layer → Add
Layer → Add Raster Layer… to open the Data Source Manager | Raster window.
2. Click the Browse button and locate ELUM_UTM_Zone_51N.tif from the

training folder: C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data. Click [Open], [Add], and
[Close] respectively to load the raster file into the Map View.
3. Next, from the Menu Bar, select go to Layer → Add Layer → Add Vector Layer…
to open the Data Source Manager | Vector window.
4. Click the Browse button and locate ELUM.shp from the training folder:
C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data. Click [Open], [Add], and [Close]
respectively to load the raster file into the Map View.
78 | P a g e
Figure 8.1 Raster and vector layers needed for the exercise
5. Adjust the transparency level of the vector layer ELUM to visibly see how the two
layers overlay with each other. In the Layers panel, select and right-click the
ELUM layer. Navigate to Styles → Edit Symbols… to open the Symbol Selector
window.
Figure 8.2 Navigating to Symbol Selector from the Layers panel
6. In the Symbol Selector window, set the Opacity slider to 50% or type in the value
in the input box next to the slider. Click the dropdown options beside Color and
set the color to Yellow.
79 | P a g e
Figure 8.3 Symbol Selector window
7. Click [OK]. Your Map View should look similar to Figure 8.4.
Figure 8.4 Adjusted opacity of the ELUM vector layer
8. Set the snapping parameters properly based on what you have learned in the
previous exercise. (In the Menu Bar, go to Settings → Options…).
80 | P a g e
Note: QGIS remembers its user’s Preferred Settings when you set the Snapping
Options from previous exercises.
Detecting Topology Errors
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins…
Figure 8.5 Navigating to the Manage and Install Plugins window
2. In the Plugins window, type in “Topology Checker” in the Search bar and click
the box beside the Topology Checker core plugin to enable it. Click [Close].
Figure 8.6 Enabling the Topology Checker plugin
3. In the Menu Bar, go to Vector → Topology Checker.
81 | P a g e
Figure 8.7 Navigating to the Topology Checker tool
4. In the Topology Checker panel, click the Configure button to open the
Topology Rule Settings window.
Figure 8.8 Topology Checker panel
5. In the Topology Rule Settings window, do the following:
a. Under the Current Rules options, select the layer ELUM from the leftmost
dropdown list.
b. Still under the Current Rules options, select must not have duplicates
from the second dropdown list.
c. Click the Add Rule button. The rule should now be displayed in
the table.
82 | P a g e
Figure 8.9 Configuring the Topology Rule Settings
6. Repeat Steps 5a to 5c to input the following topology rules:
• Must not have gaps

• Must not have overlaps
• Must not have invalid geometries
7. When you are done, the Topology Rule Settings window should be similar to
Figure 8.10. Click [OK].
Figure 8.10 Topology rules to be considered
8. Going back to the Topology Checker panel, click the Validate All button to
detect all of the simple topology errors within the shapefile based on the set rules.
83 | P a g e
9. Notice that the Topology Checker panel will now display all of the identified
topology errors in the ELUM shapefile. Double-click on each row in the table to
automatically zoom-in to each of the detected gaps and overlaps (highlighted in
red). These errors will be resolved in the succeeding steps of the exercise.
Figure 8.11 Identified topology errors
Note: If you encounter an “Invalid geometry” error, go to the Processing

Toolbox and search for the Fix Geometries tool under Vector Geometry. In the
Fix Geometries dialog box, set the erroneous shapefile as the input layer and
click Run.
10. In addition to gaps and overlaps (A), we will also modify the edges/boundaries of
vector features (B) and digitize missing features (C). Zoom in on the map to
examine and identify which parts of the shapefile need to be edited (See Figure
8.12).
84 | P a g e
C
B
A
Figure 8.12 Features to be edited in the exercise
Editing Boundary Edges
1. In the Layers panel, select and right-click the layer ELUM, then click Toggle
Editing from the dropdown options.
2. Zoom in further on the area labelled as “A” in Figure 8.12. Notice that there seems
to have a gap between two adjacent polygon features. We need to edit these
boundary edges to close the said gap.
Figure 8.13 Gap between two adjacent polygon features
85 | P a g e
3. Click the Vertex tool and hover your cursor over the edges of the shapefile.
Notice that the vertices of the polygons will appear as small red colored circles.
Figure 8.14 Hovering over the vertices of the polygon feature
4. Point the cursor at the vertex that needs to be edited, then drag and drop it to the
correct position. You may notice that the cursor will automatically be aligned with
existing vertices and will appear as small pink squares because of snapping
options.
Figure 8.15 Repositioning the vertices of the polygon feature
5. Repeat these steps on the remaining vertices/points that need editing. When you
are done, click the Save Layer Edits button on the Digitizing toolbar.
86 | P a g e
Figure 8.16 Properly edited boundary edges of the selected feature
Adding a Vertex on a Selected Feature
1. Zoom in further on the area labelled as “B” in Figure 8.12. Notice that the boundary
of the shapefile does not coincide with the boundary of the municipality in the
scanned map.
Figure 8.17 Poorly fitted polygon shapefile overlaid to the scanned map
2. Hover your cursor over the boundary of the polygon feature. Double-click along
the edge of the feature where you want to add a new vertex. Make sure that the
boundary of the polygon feature is highlighted in red before clicking.
87 | P a g e
Figure 8.18 Adding a new vertex
3. Drag the cursor to the location where you want to move the new vertex and left-
click once to reposition it.
Figure 8.19 Repositioning the added vertex
4. To delete a vertex, click the particular point that you want to remove, and press
Delete on your keyboard.
5. Repeat these steps on the remaining vertices/points that need to be edited. When
you are done, click the Save Layer Edits button on the Digitizing toolbar.
88 | P a g e
Figure 8.20 Properly edited boundary edges of the selected feature
Tip: Alternatively, you can use the Reshape Features tool in the Advanced
Digitizing toolbar to modify polygon boundaries. Simply click on a point along
the edge of the polygon and trace the boundaries drawn on the scanned map. It
must be ensured that the traced feature will cross the boundary of the existing
shapefile in order for the tool to work properly.
Inserting Another Feature Inside an Existing Feature
1. Zoom in further on the area labelled as “C” in Figure 8.12. Notice that there is a
residential area (yellow polygon feature) that appears in the scanned ELUM map
but is not delineated in the ELUM shapefile. We need to insert this new polygon
feature to the existing shapefile.
Figure 8.21 Residential area in the scanned ELUM map that is not delineated in the ELUM shapefile
89 | P a g e
2. In the Menu Bar, go to Edit → Fill Ring.
Figure 8.22 Navigating to Add Ring Tool on the Edit Menu
Tip: Alternatively, you can enable the Fill Ring tool in the Advanced Digitizing
toolbar. To display the toolbar, right-click on the area where other toolbars are
located and click the box beside the Advanced Digitizing toolbar. Then, click the
Fill Ring tool to use it.
3. Trace the feature to be inserted using the skills that you have learned while
digitizing polygon features.
Figure 8.23 Tracing the residential area using the Fill Ring tool
4. Right-click on the Map View once when you are finished digitizing. Input the
following values in the Feature Attributes window that will open and click [OK]:
id = (leave it blank)
Category = Residential
Area_has = (leave it blank)
90 | P a g e
Figure 8.24 Editing the attributes of the new polygon feature
5. When you are done editing, open the attribute table of the layer file to check if the
attribute table has been updated.
Figure 8.25 New polygon feature added to the attribute table
6. Repeat steps 2-5 to insert other features in the scanned ELUM map that are not
yet included in the ELUM shapefile.
Tip: Alternatively, you can use the Add Ring tool in the Advanced Digitizing
to create a hole within the polygon, then click the Add Polygon Feature tool
to digitize the area inside the hole. However, this procedure is quite longer than
the recommended method above.
7. When you are done, click the Save Layer Edits button on the Digitizing
toolbar.
91 | P a g e
Automatically Tracing the Boundary of Existing Features
1. Zoom in on the Taal Lake map feature. Notice that the boundary between the land
and waterbody is a complex curve which is quite challenging to digitize if we
manually snap and click each vertex of the ELUM shapefile.
Figure 8.26 Target area to be automatically traced
2. Click the Enable Tracing button in the Snapping toolbar to allow the
automatic tracing of features.
3. Zoom in and left-click on the first vertex of the ELUM shapefile that will serve as
the starting point of the digitization.
4. Hover your cursor along the boundary of the shapefile. Notice that a proposed
trace path between the first and current location of your cursor is highlighted even
without clicking other vertices between them.
Figure 8.27 Proposed trace path between two vertices
92 | P a g e
5. Left-click on the vertex where your cursor is to capture the whole length of the
proposed path with one click.
6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until you have digitized the entire Taal Lake polygon feature.
7. Right-click on the Map View once when you are finished digitizing. Input the
following values in the Feature Attributes window that will open and click [OK]:
id = (leave it blank)
Category = Taal Lake
Area_has = (leave it blank)
Figure 8.28 Editing the attributes of the new polygon feature
8. When you are done, click the Save Layer Edits and Toggle Editing buttons
on the Digitizing toolbar, respectively.
Figure 8.29 Digitized Taal Lake polygon feature
93 | P a g e
Note: The adjacent waterbody was digitized and included in the ELUM shapefile
for the purpose of demonstrating how the Enable Tracing tool works. You
may delete the Taal Lake polygon feature after this Chapter since it should not
be included in the land use map of the Municipality of Laurel.
9. Save your QGIS project as “BasicGIS_Chapter8_Surname” in the training folder.
Note: You may also explore the following Advanced Digitizing tools not mentioned
above to efficiently digitize and modify existing vector datasets:
• The Move Feature tool allows users to drag a vector feature to its new
position.
• The Rotate Feature tool allows users to rotate a vector feature at a desired
angle.
• The Simplify Feature tool allows users to reduce the number of nodes or
vertices of a vector feature, provided that its geometry will remain valid.
• The Add Part tool allows users to digitize an additional portion to a selected
vector feature without creating a new record on the attribute table.
• The Delete Part tool allows users to delete parts from multi-features.
• The Delete Ring tool allows users to delete rings within an existing polygon.
• The Split Features tool allows users to split a vector feature into two or more
new independent parts.
• The Split Parts tool allows users to split the parts of a multi-part vector
feature to increase its number of parts.
• The Merge Selected Features tool allows users to merge the geometries of
selected vector features into one.
END OF EXERCISE
94 | P a g e
Chapter 9
APPLYING MAP SYMBOLOGY
Introduction
One of the most important elements of the map design process is the use of appropriate
symbology that will highlight the vital information that we want to showcase through
the data visualization. In Cartography, symbology is defined as the application of
different graphical techniques to represent geographic features on a map (Sommer and
Wade, 2006).
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to apply proper symbology (i.e., fill and line
color) and add labels to the vector features based on its attributes or classes.
Materials
For this exercise, participants will use the output point shapefile from the previous
activity, together with a barangay boundary shapefile that will be provided:
• Existing Structure Vector File in SHP format: Existing Structure.shp

• Barangay Boundary Vector File in ESRI Shapefile format: brgy_bnd.shp
Symbolizing Polygon Features
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7. software. Add the Existing Structure.shp and
brgy_bnd.shp located at C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data using the steps
that you learned from the previous exercises.
95 | P a g e
Figure 9.1 Vector layers needed for the exercise
2. In the Layers panel, select and double-click the layer named brgy_bnd to open the
Layer Properties window.
3. In the Symbology tab, click Simple Fill on the topmost panel of the window to
bring out other fill options. Set the Symbol Layer Type to Simple Fill and the Fill
Style to No Brush. Leave the other settings as default for now.
Figure 9.2 Symbology settings for the barangay boundary shapefile
96 | P a g e
4. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively to apply the changes made. Your map should
look like this.
Figure 9.3 Outline of the barangay boundary shapefile
Symbolizing Point Features
1. Select and double-click the Existing Structure layer on the Layers panel to open
the Layer Properties window for the point shapefile. Make sure that the window
displays the Symbology tab.
2. On the topmost dropdown menu of the Symbology tab, select Categorized to

bring out the other fill options. Then, select Desc from the dropdown options in
the Value field. Click [Classify] but do not close the window yet.
97 | P a g e
Figure 9.4 Different symbols for each attribute contained in the point shapefile
3. Still in the Symbology tab, you will notice that the list of features and symbols
includes an “all other values” entry. Select this entry then click the Remove
button to delete the unwanted symbols.
98 | P a g e
Figure 9.5 Removing unwanted symbols from the Symbology tab
Applying Proper Symbology to Different Point Classes
1. Still on the Layer Properties window, select the Barangay Hall feature, then
double-click this entry to open the Symbol Selector window.
2. In the Symbol Selector window, click Simple Marker on the topmost panel of the
window to bring out other fill options. Select SVG Marker as the Symbol layer
type.
3. Still in the Symbol Selector window, scroll down to the SVG Image panel and
select a proper symbol that fits a “Barangay Hall”. After you have chosen an
appropriate symbol, edit the Size to 4.0 (both width and height) and click [OK].
Do not close the Symbology tab yet.
Note: By default, the Lock Aspect Ratio is enabled in the Symbol Selector
window so when you enter the desired length of the symbol, the width will
automatically be updated. If you want to disable this, just click the Unlock Aspect
Ratio button beside the Symbol Size options.
99 | P a g e
Figure 9.6 Symbol Selector window
Tip: You can also import other SVG symbols into QGIS. To do this, click the
Browse button under the SVG browser section of the Symbol Selector window
and navigate to the folder where the SVG symbols are located. Double-click the
SVG file to import it into the map that you are creating.
4. Now, apply symbology to all the remaining point features by repeating steps 1-3.
When you are done, click [Apply] and [OK] respectively in the Symbology tab.
Your Map View should look similar to Figure 9.7.
100 | P a g e
Figure 9.7 Point features on the map represented by various symbols
Adding Feature Labels
1. In the Layers panel, select then double-click the layer named brgy_bnd to open
the Layer Properties window.
2. Click the Labels tab and select Single Labels from the dropdown options. Then,
input the following settings:
Value = Brgy_Nm
Font = Arial
Style = Regular (default)
Size = 10 (default)
101 | P a g e
Figure 9.8 Adding labels to the barangay boundary shapefile
3. When you are done, click [Apply] and [OK] respectively. Check to see if the labels
and symbols were applied to your map.
Figure 9.9 Properly symbolized and labelled vector features
102 | P a g e
Tip: You may also access the symbology and labelling options for the spatial layers
without going to the Layer Properties window. Click the Open Layer Styling Panel
button in the Layers panel or simply press F7 on your keyboard to display the Layer
Styling panel. Notice that the contents of the panel are identical to the Symbology and
Labels tab in the Layer Properties window.

END OF EXERCISE
103 | P a g e
Chapter 10
CREATING A BASEMAP LAYOUT TEMPLATE
Introduction
Mapping is one of the most common tools to visualize geographic data. For planners, a
basemap is among the first spatial datasets that should be prepared before proceeding
with geospatial analysis. A basemap displays fundamental datasets such as municipal
and barangay boundaries, roads, and water bodies. When making a basemap, it is
essential to include the following basic map elements (UP Department of Geodetic
Engineering, n.d.):
• Map Subject refers to the main content of the map. It should have proper
symbology and labels to be easily understood and interpreted by the viewer.
• Map Title typically includes the topic of the map, geographical area, and
temporal information.
• Scale represents the relationship between the distance on the map and the
distance on the ground. It can be in the form of a representative fraction or a
graphic scale.
• North Arrow indicates the orientation of the map. It gives the viewer the proper
perspective in interpreting the information contained on the map.
• Legend shows the symbols used on the map and the geographic features or
quantities that it represents.
• Grids/Graticules consist of a network of parallels and meridians on the globe

projected onto the map.
• Border consists of a set of lines enclosing the main content of the map. It often
contains the numerals (e.g., latitude and longitude) represented by the grid lines.
• Locator Map is a smaller secondary map that is shown with the primary map. It
is often added on the map to show the approximation location of the map content
within a larger geographical area.
• Map Information includes the datum, coordinate system, and projection, data
sources, explanatory notes, and disclaimers.
Objectives
In this exercise, participants will learn how to create a municipal basemap, taking into
account the basic map elements listed above.
104 | P a g e
Materials
For this exercise, participants will be provided the following datasets:
• Barangay Boundary Vector File in ESRI Shapefile Format: brgy_bnd.shp

• River Vector File in ESRI Shapefile Format: River.shp
• Road Vector File in ESRI Shapefile Format: Road.shp
• Locator Map in JPEG Format: locatormap.jpg
1. Launch the QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 software and add the brgy_bnd.shp, River.shp,
and Road.shp located in C:\QGIS Training Data\01_Vector Data using the steps
that you have learned from the previous exercises.
2. Rearrange the layers in the following order, with the first layer on the topmost
position, by left-clicking and dragging each layer on the Layers panel, to make all
the layers visible on the Map View:
i. Road
ii. River
iii. brgy_bnd
Figure 10.1 Vector layers to be used in the exercise
3. In the Menu Bar, go to Project → Save as. Look for the C:\QGIS Training Data
folder and name the file as “Basemap_Temp_A4”. Save the file as a QGIS file
(*.qgs) and click [Save].
105 | P a g e
Figure 10.2 Saving the QGIS Project
Tip: Alternatively, you may also save your project by doing either of the following
steps:
• Click the Save Project button on the Project toolbar.
• Press CTRL + S on your keyboard.
Renaming the Layers
1. In the Layers panel, select and right-click the first layer named Road, then select
Rename Layer from the dropdown options.
Figure 10.3 Rename Layer option
106 | P a g e
2. Input “MUNICIPAL ROAD” and press Enter on your keyboard.
3. Following Steps 1 and 2, rename the remaining layers accordingly:
River = RIVERS/CREEK
brgy_bnd = BARANGAY BOUNDARY
Figure 10.4 Renamed vector layers
Applying Proper Symbology to Each Layer
1. In the Layers panel, select and double-click the layer named MUNICIPAL ROAD
to open the Layer Properties window.
2. Go to the Symbology tab and set the following values:
Color = Black
Stroke Width = 0.5
107 | P a g e
Figure 10.5 Changing the symbology of the road layer
3. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively.
4. Do the same procedure with the layer RIVERS/CREEK and set the following
parameters:
Color = Light Blue (preferably: HEX#a6cee3)

Width = 0.25
108 | P a g e
Figure 10.6 Changing the symbology of the river layer
5. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively.
6. Do the same procedure with BARANGAY BOUNDARY and change the following
values under the Symbology tab. Do not forget to select Simple Fill to enable
other symbology parameters:
Fill Style = No Brush

Stroke Width = 0.35
Stroke Style = Dash Dot Line
109 | P a g e
Figure 10.7 Changing the symbology of the barangay boundary layer
7. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively. After applying the symbology of each vector
layer, your initial output should be similar to Figure 10.8 as shown below.
Figure 10.8 Proper symbology applied to the vector layers
110 | P a g e
Adding Labels to the Map
1. In the Layers panel, select and double-click the layer BARANGAY BOUNDARY to
open the Layer Properties window.
2. Navigate to the Labels tab and select Single Labels from the dropdown list. Then,
set the following parameters:
Value = Brgy_Nm
Font = Arial
Style = Regular
Size = 8
Figure 10.9 Adding labels to the vector layer
3. Click [Apply] and [OK] respectively. When you are done, your Map View should
look like Figure 10.10.
111 | P a g e
Figure 10.10 Labels and symbology applied to the vector layers
Creating the Map Layout
1. In the Menu Bar, go to Project → New Print Layout to open the Layout Title
dialog box. Name your layout as “Basemap_Temp_A4” and click [OK].
Figure 10.11 Create Print Layout Title dialog box
2. A new Print Layout window bearing the name of the file that you entered will be
created. Explore the tools, buttons, and panels that can be found on the window.
112 | P a g e
Figure 10.12 Print Layout window
3. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to View and enable Show Grid
and Snap to Grid, Show Guides, and Snap to Guides. Notice that the blank page
now displays grids that look like evenly spaced gray dots.
Note: By default, the paper is set to A4 size (210mm by 297mm) but you can
change the paper size by right-clicking on the blank canvas and selecting Page
Properties from the dropdown options. In the Item Properties panel, the Page
Size options will appear which lets the users choose the size and orientation of
the map layout.
Adding the Border
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Shape → Add
Rectangle.
2. Start drawing the border by clicking on a point in the top left corner. Then, slowly
drag the shape for it to expand throughout the layout up to the bottom right corner
until the edges align forming a large rectangular frame. Left-click on the desired
location of the bottom right corner of the border to add the border. The created
rectangle will be added to the Items panel.
3. You can move the created frame around using the Select/Move Item tool
located on the Toolbox (left side of the window) to align it to the center.
Alternatively, you may also use the arrow keys in your keyboard.
113 | P a g e
Figure 10.13 Adding the border of the map
Tip: To ensure that the border is properly aligned and centered, you may refer to
the rulers on the top and left side of the window. If the ruler is not enabled, go to
View → Show Rulers in the Menu Bar. Furthermore, you may also drag out a
horizontal or vertical guide (red lines) from the rulers and position it to the
desired location to help you in setting your desired border and in properly
aligning your map items.
4. The next step is to draw a vertical line in your layout. The purpose of which is to
separate other map elements/items (e. g. scale bar, north arrow, legend, etc.) from
the main content of the map. From the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go
to Add Item → Add Node Item → Add Polyline.
5. The right portion of the map should occupy approximately ¼ of the entire area.
Left-click on the point along the top edge of the border where you want to start
the line.
6. On your keyboard, press and hold Shift while hovering to the point along the
bottom edge of the border where you want to end the vertical line. Left-click on
the said point.
Note: Holding the Shift button will enable users to create a straight horizontal
line, vertical line, or a 45-degree diagonal line.
7. Right-click anywhere on the map to end the drawing. The created polyline will be
added in the Items panel.
114 | P a g e
Figure 10.14 Adding a vertical line
8. Next, draw a horizontal line inside the right portion of the map that you delineated
(See Figure 10.15). Use the steps and techniques that you have learned while
drawing the vertical line. The bottom portion should occupy approximately 1/6 of
the right side of the map. Right-click on the screen to finish the drawing.
Figure 10.15 Adding a horizontal line
Note: Notice that when you add a polyline and move the cursor to a gray dot on
the map layout, an “x” appears. Take advantage of the snapping option to ensure
that the line that you are creating is a straight line.
115 | P a g e
Adding the Map Subject
1. From the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Map.
Alternatively, you may click the Add Map button on the Toolbox.
2. Place your cursor on the top-left corner of the map then left click once.
3. While still holding the left mouse button, drag the mouse diagonally downwards
on the bottom-right corner of the layout, then release the mouse button to add the
vector layers that you have prepared earlier.
Figure 10.16 Adding the vector layers to the map layout
4. To resize the area of the map subject, left-click on the displayed map. Then, click
and drag the squares that will appear in its corners to enlarge or reduce its size.
Setting the Map Scale
1. Select and right-click the map, then choose Item Properties… from the dropdown
options.
2. Under the Main Properties options in the Item Properties panel, set the Scale to
75000, then press Enter on your keyboard. Notice that the scale of the map
subject displayed in the map layout will slightly change.
Note: In setting the map scale, it must be ensured that all of the features of the
map subject can be clearly seen within the border of the map. Increasing its scale
value will reduce the size of the map subject (zoom out) while decreasing it will
enlarge the area (zoom in). Also, in choosing the appropriate scale, it is preferred
to use a value that is a multiple of 10 (e.g., 75,000 instead of 74,661).
116 | P a g e
Figure 10.17 Setting the map scale properties in the Item Properties panel
3. Scroll down the Item Properties panel and mark a check in the box provided for
Frame. Under Frame Properties options, set the Thickness to 0.20.
Figure 10.18 Setting the frame properties in the Item Properties panel
Adding the Grid
1. Still in the Item Properties panel, go to Grids, then click the Add a New
Grid button. Select Grid 1 and click [Modify Grid].
Figure 10.19 Creating a new grid
117 | P a g e
2. In the Map Grid Properties options, perform the following:
a. In the Appearance options, set the following (See Figure 10.20):
Grid Type = Cross

CRS = Luzon 1911/ESPG:4253
Interval = X: 0.05
Y: 0.05
Cross Width = 2.00 mm
Figure 10.20 Modifying the appearance of the grid
b. Scroll down the panel and make sure that box beside the Draw Coordinates
has been ticked. Then, set the following (See Figure 10.21):
Format = Degree, Minute, Second
Left = Vertical Ascending

Right = Vertical Descending
Top = Horizontal
Bottom = Horizontal
Font = Arial, Regular, 8 pt

Coordinate Precision = 0
118 | P a g e
Figure 10.21 Modifying the grid labels
3. Resize the map subject to fit the grid labels inside the border. When you are done,
your Print Layout window should now look like this:
Figure 10.22 Map layout after adding the grid
119 | P a g e
Adding the Map Subject
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Label.
Alternatively, you may click the Add Label button on the Toolbox.
2. Draw a text box anywhere in the layout. This is similar to how you created the
rectangle earlier. A text box containing “Lorem ipsum” will appear. Click the text
box.
Figure 10.23 Adding a text box
3. In the Item Properties panel, under the Main Properties options, replace the
default text with “MUNICIPALITY OF”.
Figure 10.24 Editing the text
4. In the Appearance options, set the following:
Font = Arial, Bold, 18 pt

Horizontal Alignment = Center
Vertical Alignment = Middle
120 | P a g e
Figure 10.25 Modifying the appearance of the label
5. Add the remaining text as shown below (See Figure 10.26):
Name of Municipality: Arial, Bold, 22 pt.

“Province of”: Arial, Bold, 16 pt.
Name of Province: Arial, Bold, 14 pt.
Figure 10.26 Complete map title
6. Resize and reposition the text accordingly (See Figure 10.27).
Figure 10.27 Map title added to the map layout
121 | P a g e
Adding the North Arrow
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add North Arrow.
Alternatively, you may click the Add North Arrow button on the Toolbox.
2. Draw anywhere in the layout to add the item. For now, do not change the North
Arrow SVG image.
3. Resize the image by selecting it and dragging its corners. Relocate it to fit
accordingly in the map layout just below the map title (See Figure 10.28).
Figure 10.28 North arrow added to the map layout
Adding the Scale Bar
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Scale Bar.
Alternatively, you may click the Add Scale Bar button on the Toolbox.
2. Draw anywhere in the layout to place the scale bar in the map layout. Resize and
relocate it accordingly to fit in the map layout.
Figure 10.29 Adding a scale bar
3. In the Item Properties panel, adjust the following (See Figure 10.30):
122 | P a g e
a. Under the Main Properties options, set the Style to Double Box.
b. Under the Units options, set the following:
Scalebar units = Meters

Label unit multiplier = 2.0
Label for units = m
Segments = left: 2
right: 3
Height = 2.0
Figure 10.30 Modifying the main properties and units of the scale bar
c. Under the Display options, set the following:
Label Margin = 2.0 mm

Font = Arial, Regular, 8 pt
123 | P a g e
Figure 10.31 Modifying the display of the scale bar
4. Reposition the scale bar in the layout and place it right under the North Arrow.
5. Next, add the following label to the map elements by going to Add Item → Add
Label:
Text = SCALE 1:75000

Font = Arial, Regular, 8 pt.
6. Position the label under the scale bar.
124 | P a g e
Figure 10.32 Scale bar added to the map layout
Adding the Logo
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Picture.
Alternatively, you may click the Add Picture button on the Toolbox.
2. Draw from anywhere the map layout to place the picture placeholder.
3. Next, from the Item Properties panel, under the Picture options, tick the Raster
image.
4. In the Image Source, click the Browse button and select logo.jpg from C:\QGIS
Training Data\Logo.
Figure 10.33 Adding the logo of the municipality
125 | P a g e
5. Move and resize the logo accordingly (See Figure 11.34). Adjust the position of
other map elements by clicking each of them and using the Down arrow key.
Figure 10.34 Logo of the municipality added to the map layout
Adding the Legend
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Legend.
2. Draw anywhere in the layout to place the legend.
3. In the Item Properties panel, set the following:
a. Under the Main Properties options, type in “LEGEND” as the Title.
b. Under the Fonts and Text Formatting options, set the Font of the Legend Title
to Arial, Bold, 12 pt and set its Alignment to Center.
c. Still under the the Fonts and Text Formatting options, set the Font of the Item
Labels to Arial, Regular, 8 pt and set its Alignment to Left.
126 | P a g e
Figure 10.35 Modifying the font style of the legend text
d. Under the Spacing options, in the Legend Items section, set the Space
between symbols to 1.5 mm.
e. Still in the Spacing options, in the General section, set the Box space to 0.00
mm.
Figure 10.36 Modifying the spacing of the legend items
127 | P a g e
4. Place the legend accordingly (See Figure 10.37).
Figure 10.37 Map legend added to the map layout
Adding an Image as a Locator Map
Note: For this exercise, we will use an image as a locator map for the basemap instead
of creating it manually in QGIS.
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Add Item → Add Picture.
2. Draw anywhere from the map layout to place the picture placeholder. Then,
following the same procedure when adding the logo, browse to C:\QGIS Training
Data\Logo and open locatormap.jpg.
3. Under the Item Properties window, tick Frame.
Figure 10.38 Adding a frame to the locator map
4. Reposition the locator map to the lower left corner of the map or in an empty space
within the area of the map subject.
5. Add “LOCATOR MAP” as a label and set its font style to Arial, Bold, 10. Place it
above the locator map.
128 | P a g e
Figure 10.39 Locator map added to the map layout
Note: In general, there are three types of secondary (smaller) maps that we encounter
within maps. Do not confuse locator maps with the other two:
• An inset map shows a close-up or zoomed-in version of smaller areas in the

primary map to provide additional details.
• An index map serves as a graphic aid that provides users information about the
relationship between sheets of a map series, their coverage, and availability.
Adding Other Map Information
1. Using the steps and techniques that you have learned while adding labels,
complete the basemap layout by adding the following map elements:
• Type of Map
• Datum, Projection, and Coordinate System
• Data Source
• Name of Map Author
• Date Prepared/Data Published
• Reservations, Disclaimer, and/or Explanatory Note
You may also include additional map elements not listed above if applicable and
necessary. You are free to modify the size and position of the elements to make
the map more readable and presentable.
2. When you are done, your map layout should display the following information:
129 | P a g e
Figure 10.40 Other map information added to the map layout
Saving the Basemap as a Layout Template
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, click Save as Template….
2. In the Save Template dialog box, navigate to the following folder:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\comp
oser_templates. Save the file with the file name “Basemap_Temp_A4” and with
the file type Layout Templates (*qpt). Then, click [Save].
Figure 10.41 Saving the basemap layout as a map template
130 | P a g e
Note: If you cannot find the location of the composer_templates folder, open the Layout
Manager and click [User] beside Open Template Directoru to determine where the
folder is located.
Exporting the Map as a PDF File
1. In the Menu Bar of the Print Layout window, go to Layout → Export as PDF….
2. In the Export to PDF dialog box, navigate to the training folder and enter
“Surname_Office_Basemap” as the filename. Click [Save].
Figure 10.42 Saving the basemap as a PDF file
3. In the PDF Export Options dialog box, leave the settings as default and click
[Save].
131 | P a g e
Figure 10.42 PDF Export Options dialog box
CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully created the basemap for the MUNICIPALITY
OF LAUREL! Now do not forget to save your work. This marks the end of the exercises for
the Basic GIS Training.
132 | P a g e
Figure 10.43 Municipal Basemap of Laurel, Batangas
END OF PART I EXERCISES
133 | P a g e
REFERENCES
Dempsey, C. (2018). Digitizing Errors in GIS. GIS Lounge.

https://www.gislounge.com/digitizing-errors-in-gis/.
Penn Libraries. (n.d.). Guides: ArcGIS: An Introduction: Spatial Data. Spatial Data - ArcGIS:
An Introduction - Guides at Penn Libraries.
https://guides.library.upenn.edu/introtoarcgis/spatial_data.
QGIS Development Team (n.d.). QGIS Geographic Information System. Open Source
Geospatial Foundation Project. http://qgis.osgeo.org"
Rhind, D. (1989). Why GIS? Arc News, 11(3).
Sommer & Wade. (2006.). A to Z GIS: An Illustrated Dictionary of Geographic Information

Systems.
UP Department of Geodetic Engineering. (n.d.). Map Elements and Layout.
USGS. (n.d.). What does "georeferenced" mean? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-does-

georeferenced-mean.
134 | P a g e
THE PROJECT ORGANIZATION
DHSUD Key Officials
Secretary : Eduardo D. Del Rosario

Undersecretary : Meynardo A. Sabili, AB, JD, LLM
Undersecretary : Atty. Marylin M. Pintor, CPA
Undersecretary : Zyril D. Carlos
Assistant Secretary : Melissa A. Aradanas, DMD, EnP
Assistant Secretary : Leira S. Buan
Assistant Secretary ; Atty. Avelino D. Tolentino III, EnP
Project Committee
Project Advisor : Nora L. Diaz, EnP
Project Manager : Engr. Julia Angela Mae E. Collado, EnP
Writer/Editor/Layout Artist : Engr. John Andrew B. Cruz

Roberts P. Mariñas
Engr. Myra Laika C. Estur
Kriza Marie T. Balite
Danilo S. Palomo
Graphic Designer : Roberts P. Mariñas
Members : Ibani C. Padao, EnP

Mic Ivan B. Sumilang, EnP
Roland Dane Z. Carreon, EnP
Support Group : Laarni M. Magayanes, EnP

Ruth R. Roxas, EnP
Mohammad Haydrey K. Aminulla
Charmaine Jeremy S. Galarosa
Hailey V. Meriel, EnP
Peter Daniel F. Fraginal, EnP
Jackie Lyn N. Nunag, EnP
Danica Marie V. Arriesgado, EnP
Ronnie James R. Casamayor
Vanessa B. Baguiwet
Belmar S. Lasam, Jr.
Jemima M. Ragudo
James Earl P. Asas
Jezim L. de Asis
Administrative Support : Eleanor S. Sandoval

Josefina R. De Lara
135 | P a g e
136 | P a g e

QGISTrainingManual - Part1 - QGIS 3.16 - 10292021

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

QGISTrainingManual - Part1 - QGIS 3.16 - 10292021

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

QGIS 3.

16 Training Manual Part 1: Basic GIS

About the QGIS Software

Formerly known as Quantum GIS, QGIS is a free and open-source cross-platform

About the Training Manual

The QGIS Training Manual: A Comprehensive Introduction to QGIS was primarily

Chapter 1: Installing QGIS 3.16 .................................................................................................................4

Chapter 9: Applying Map Symbology ..................................................................................................95

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) refers to a set of computer-based systems

Figure 1.1 QGIS installer

Figure 1.2 QGIS 3.16.7 ‘Hannover’ Setup Wizard window

Note: There might be a prompt asking for administrative privileges on the

Figure 1.3 QGIS License Agreement window

Figure 1.4 QGIS Choose Install Location window

5. In the Choose Components window, click [Install] to begin the installation.

Figure 1.5 QGIS Choose Components window

Figure 1.6 QGIS Installation Progress window

Figure 1.7 QGIS Setup Completion prompt

The QGIS software can accommodate two types of spatial data:

For this exercise, participants will be provided the following:

• Scanned Topographic Map in JPEG format: topomap.jpg

Figure 2.1 QGIS Desktop 3.16.7 shortcut

a. The Menu Bar displays standard hierarchical menus containing various

c. The Browser Panel may be used for browsing, searching, inspecting,

Adding a Raster Layer in the Map View

Figure 2.3 Opening the Data Source Manager | Raster window

Tip: Alternatively, you may also try the following steps:

• On your keyboard, press CTRL + L to open the Data Source Manager

Figure 2.5 Adding sample raster data to the Map View

4. Your Map View should look like this.

Figure 2.6 Sample raster data loaded in the Map View

Using Map Navigation Tools

Figure 2.7 Familiarizing with tools in the Map Navigation toolbar

Removing a Raster Layer in the Map View/Layers Panel

Figure 2.8 Removing a raster layer from the Map View

Adding a Vector Layer in the Map View

Figure 2.10 Opening the Data Source Manager | Vector window

Tip: Alternatively, you may try the following steps:

• On your keyboard, press CTRL + L to open the Data Source Manager

Figure 2.11 Opening a vector shapefile

Figure 2.13 Coordinate Reference System (CRS) Conversion prompt

Figure 2.14 Loaded shapefile in the Map View

Opening the Attribute Table of the Vector Layer

Figure 2.15 Opening the attribute table of a vector layer

Working with Layer Properties

Figure 2.16 Loading the barangay boundary vector layer

Figure 2.17 Navigating to Layer Properties from the Layer panel

Figure 2.18 Layer Properties Window bearing the file information

Contains the layer information, such as Layer name, Source/Location, and

The layer can be labeled here.

Saving the QGIS Project

Figure 2.19 Saving the QGIS Project

For this exercise, participants will be provided the following:

• Scanned Topographic Map in JPEG format: topomap.jpg

Note: Changing the Assigned Coordinate Reference System (CRS) in the

6. From the Menu Bar, go to Raster → Georeferencer… to open the Georeferencer

Figure 3.3 Opening the Georeferencer window

7. In the Georeferencer window, go to File → Open Raster.

Figure 3.4 Opening a raster file in the Georeferencer window

• Click the Open Raster button on the toolbar.

8. Navigate the data folder: C:\QGIS Training Data\00_Raster Data. Select

Figure 3.5 Loaded scanned map in the Georeferencer window

Note: In order to properly georeference the scanned topographic map, we need