Add Geopoint, Geotrace, and Geoshape to a QGIS Map
When you collect geopoint, geotrace, or geoshape data using ODK Collect or KoboToolbox, you can display them in QGIS. In this article, I’m going to show you very quickly how to do that.
Now, if you want to know how to collect these kinds of GPS data questions using ODK or KoboToolbox, go check out this article first. Or you could also download a template XLSForm questionnaire for collecting geopoints, geotraces, and geoshapes.
Once you’ve collected the GPS data…
How to Display GEOPOINT Data in QGIS
Please watch this video to follow along. Below the video you’ll see I’ve given you step-by-step instructions which are demonstrated in the video.
- Open KoboToolbox.
- Go into the project you’re interested in.
- Go to “Data”.
- Then go to “Downloads”.
- Select “CSV”.
- Click Export.
- Click on the little download button when your export is completed.
- Now go into QGIS.
- Click on layer – add layer – add delimited text layer.
- Select the file you want to import.
- Choose Custom Delimiters.
- Choose Semicolon.
- And make sure you put “ in Quote.
- Then make sure the X Field is your longitude of your geopoint.
- And make sure the Y Field is your latitude of your geopoint.
- Your reference system could be similar to mine, I’m using WGS 84.
- And click add.
- From your Browser, go to XYZ tiles.
- Right click, and choose “New Connection”.
- Give it a name like “OpenStreetMap”, and type in the connection URL: http://a.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
- Drag OpenStreetMap XYZ tile down into your project.
- You can now check to make sure it’s showing up in the right location.
- Now, from here, you can add other elements to your map!
Next up, what if you collect geotrace data instead of a geopoint…
How to Add GEOTRACE Data to QGIS
Here’s the video that demonstrates how to add geotrace data to your QGIS map. Below the video are step-by-step instructions on how to add geotrace data to QGIS.
- Download your data file from KoboToolbox or ODK that has collected geotrace data.
- Find the column where your geotrace data is showing.
- Open QGIS.
- Go to plugins.
- Click on “manage and install plugins”.
- Start typing “ODK” and you’ll see “ODKTrace2WKT”
- Click on Install Plugin and then Close.
- Go to Plugins – “ODKTrace2WKT” – click on the plugin.
- Select the input file.
- Select the column with the geotrace data.
- Leave the delimiter as the semicolon.
- And click OK.
- It creates an output layer that you can now see on the map.
- Right click on the “Output Layer”.
- Choose “Export”, and “Save Features As”
- Click on the little three dots, choose a file location and name the file.
- Then make sure it will add the file to the project you’re in, and click OK.
- Now right click on the Output Layer and click “Remove Layer” – which means you’re going to be working with the right layer from now on.
- And that’s how you add a geotrace very easily to a QGIS map!
Next up, what if you collect geoshape data:
How to Add GEOshape Data to QGIS
Here’s the video that demonstrates how to add geoshape data to your QGIS map. Below the video are step-by-step instructions on how to add geoshape data to QGIS.
- You have downloaded a file from Kobo Toolbox or ODK Collect that has collected geoshape data.
- Go into QGIS.
- Go to plugins.
- Click on manage and install plugins.
- Start typing “ODK” and you’ll see “ODKTrace2WKT”
- Click on Install Plugin and then Close.
- Go to Plugins – “ODKTrace2WKT” – click on the plugin.
- Select the input file.
- Select the column with the geoshape data.
- Leave the delimiter as the semicolon.
- And click OK.
- It creates an output layer that you can now see on the map.
- Make sure that “Output Layer” is selected as a layer.
- Then go to Vector – Geometry Tools – Lines to Polygons.
- Input layer should be your “Output Layer”.
- Then click “Run in Background”.
- Then click Close.
- You can see it’s now created shapes from those lines that were imported from Kobo Toolbox or ODK.
- Right click on the “Polygons” layer.
- Choose “Export”, and “Save Features As”
- Click on the little three dots, choose a file location and name the file.
- Then make sure it will add the file to the project you’re in, and click OK.
- Now right click on the Polygons layer and click “Remove Layer” – which means you’re going to be working with the right layer from now on.
By Janna
Janna is an aid worker, an engineer, a mom, a wife, and a self-declared data-lover! Her mission is to connect with every field worker in the world to help the humanitarian sector use information management and technology to make aid faster and more accountable.