QGIS Quickstart

Quantum GIS (QGIS) is a user friendly Desktop GIS client which lets you visualize, manage, edit, analyse data and compose printable maps.

This Quick Start describes how to:

• update an existing QGIS project
• create a new QGIS project with a simple vector layer

Edit QGIS project

1. Click Desktop ‣ Desktop GIS ‣ Quantum GIS.

2. Choose File ‣ Open Project... from the menu bar.

3. Select QGIS-NaturalEarth-Example.qgs and press Open.

   • You should see a world map.

4. Check 10m_populated_places_simple in the Layers tree

   • Populated places are now displayed:

     

5. Double click 10m_rivers_lake_centerlines in the Layers tree.

6. Change the color in Outline Options to a different blue tone.

7. Press OK.

   • Rivers are now rendered in a new color.

Create a new QGIS project

1. Choose File ‣ New Project.
2. Click Layer ‣ Add Vector Layer....
3. Browse to dataset /home/user/data/natural_earth/10m_admin_0_countries.shp.
4. Press Open.
   • You should see all world countries.

What Next?

To learn more about QGIS, a starting point is the Documentation page on the QGIS homepage.

OSGeo Live contains a A Gentle Introduction to GIS and the QGIS User Guide.