Take a class or workshop at a local school, or read a few intro books.(http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781934356067.do)
You could also start with the QGIS Manual, or the QGIS Gentle Introduction pdf (both on qgis.org). Thanks, Alex On 09/30/2011 04:29 AM, Emile Peek wrote: > > What I am really trying to say is that I don't know where to start studying > GIS. > What can you advise me to study so that I can get a working grasp (instead of > a theoretical one) of the possibilities of GIS? > > >> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:21:22 -0700 >> From: [email protected] >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [Qgis-user] What is GrASS really? >> >> On 09/29/2011 11:12 PM, Emile Peek wrote: >>> >>> I am a newbie and I am regularly making maps on Wikimedia Commons with >>> Inkscape. I am trying to make sense of Qgis and the many possibilities it >>> offers but to no avail. >>> >>> What is the Grass database? What can I retrieve from it? Maps, sure, but >>> what kind of maps? What is the scope of the GRASS database? >>> >>> What goes for GRass goes for other databases as well? What is on those >>> databases? Where can I find that kind of information? >>> >>> Answering my questions would mean much to me because right now I am >>> struggling. >>> >>> Emile. >>> >>> >> >> GRASS is a geospatial analysis framework and toolset. The GRASS database >> is custom formats specifically geared toward such analysis tasks and is >> not suitable for anything else. >> >> QGIS is a visualization and analysis front end which can hook into many >> backends, GRASS, postgis, spatialite, multitude of python plugins, and >> soon SAGA and OTB toolboxes (I'm sure I missed some things). >> >> You can only retrieve data that is some reworking of what you put into >> it. Example, given an elevation dataset you can generate a hillshade to >> put behind other map layers. It does not come with data (other than a >> few samples) >> >> It might be most useful for you to look at the some slides and papers on >> QGIS & Inkscape for cartography. >> >> The most important difference here is that maps made with QGIS can >> contain real data that is referenced to a real place on earth in such a >> way that you can give that data to other people and it will show up in >> the same place on earth in their viewer - be it QGIS, ArcGIS, Openlayers >> or any other geospatial map viewing product. >> >> Enjoy, >> Alex >> _______________________________________________ >> Qgis-user mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user > _______________________________________________ Qgis-user mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user
