On 05/10/13 06:18, . wrote:
Inkscape does have a "Save to DXF" option. From there the dxf2shape
converter plugin(dxf file to shape file), then shape file into QGIS gets
your data into QGIS. You would need to use one of the translation tools
to then scale the data. It seems technically possible. I think in the
transfer you will loose much of the pretty formatting that was developed
in Inkscape.
An issue would be scaling the vector data to the GIS coordinate
reference system (CRS). One method that does not involve DXF or
translation tools would be to export a map from Inkscape to a bitmap
(ie. raster) file and use the tools in QGIS to trace over the bitmap
with vectors. Use Google Earth as the first step in scaling or what is
known as "georefrencing" the raster image.
Place reference marks on the top and bottom edges of the raster,
three along the top - one in each corner and one in the middle. Put
two along the bottom at the 1/3 and 2/3 positions. Import into Google
Earth, then scale the map so that the units work out in both x and y
dimensions (QGIS won't do this step automatically yet). Then draw a
vector "W" connecting the dots at the top and bottom of the raster.
Export the W vector to .kml. Import the kml into QGIS. Wherever the W
was drawn in Google Earth, thats where it will appear in QGIS
with some Coordinate Reference System (WGS 84:EPSG 4326).
Using QGIS's georeferencing tool and the W vector import the raster
image, scaled to real world units. Then digitize your map.
I've never used the DXF/translate method. I can't say how easy or hard
it is. I have used the georeferencing feature.
Keep in mind QGIS hasn't a completely WYSIWYG interface, allowing you to
merely point and click your way through entering the data. At times some
forethought and calculation is necessary.
I would develop my base map in QGIS. When I was ready to publish a
finished map I would either use QGIS's built-in map composer or then
re-export to SVG and do final composition in Inkscape. This also opens
the possibility of using one of the many GIS web server applications
that would allow you to make your world available online. There is even
an animation plugin. Using QGIS opens up many new possibilities.
To do a proper GIS then I would use a database like PostGIS to hold the
data in the form of tables. Separate tables for vectors and point data.
QGIS allows use of many types of data sources, PostGIS being one of them.
This would necessitate the understanding of SQL databases (ie. PostGIS)
and GIS systems (QGIS). These are free versions of expensive commercial
software that are used world-wide.
You'll need QGIS, PostGIS, GoogleEarth and some patience. Your hobby
could lead you to a career.
Just take your time. Read the manuals. It should work.
On 10/4/2013 10:22 AM, Robbie Smith wrote:
Hello everyone
I’m very new to GIS, and I’ve been reading a lot of manuals and
information, but I thought I’d ask a couple of questions here.
One of my major hobbies is drawing maps of a completely imaginary
country; it’s part of a massive project of mine. I’m getting to the
point where I’m reaching practical limitations in the way I’m drawing
the maps. The first is that to extend in any direction I need to
either make the canvas size bigger or create a new image and line up
elements exactly, which is quite error-prone and time consuming. The
other major problem is different zoom levels: if I want to draw, say,
a more detailed map of a town, again I’d have to draw a completely new
image and try to copy and/or scale elements of an existing drawing,
which is also time-consuming and error prone.
As I’m trying to make my maps (and everything else) as realistic as
possible, I’ve been starting to think that maybe moving to using some
sort of GIS application might be the way to go. With GIS, I could
store all the geographical information in a database, and then just
generate maps that cover the area and scale that I want. And if I
wanted to create different types of maps, such as topographical or a
road map, I could easily select which layers I want to export. The
possibilities are pretty-much endless.
However, I’ve already done quite a lot of work on these SVG maps in
Inkscape, and I really would prefer not to start completely from
scratch. Can I import an existing SVG map into QGIS and use it as a
starting point, preserving the existing paths and shapes? Can I define
an arbritary grid to align things to? Learning and adapting to GIS is
going to be challenging enough without having to redo years of work.
Any links, books, manuals or whatever that you could recommend for
this kind of project would be great, as I honestly have no idea where
to start.
TLDR: Is it possible to import completely fictional maps into (Q)GIS
and design them from scratch, and if so, where to begin?
regards
Robbie
_______________________________________________
Qgis-user mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user
--
Stay Frosty!
_______________________________________________
Qgis-user mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user
Thanks for the ideas though I’m not entirely sure how I could make use
of them.
The SVG map was drawn using layers and is at a scale of 1:10000, and
though there’s no geographic data in it, I’ve decided that the bottom
left corner would be the point 0°E 40°N. Whilst the SVG->DXF->SHP works,
it doesn’t preserve the layers in the SVG file and doesn’t handle curved
paths, so I just get a mess of straight lines.
I was naïvely hoping that I’d just be able to use some tools to import
the map and pick up where I left off, so to speak. Searching for “import
svg qgis” mostly finds ways to export QGIS to Inkscape, but I want to go
the other way around.
_______________________________________________
Qgis-user mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user
