How to import GPS Waypoints acquired with GPS Essentials in QGIS

QGIS Tutorials and Tips

ZanSea

zansea@suza.ac.tz

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
1 Objective
This tutorial describes the necessary steps for importing the data taken from the GPS Essential App to the QGIS

To know how to take points in the field with GPS Essentials, use the existing Manual :
http://www.gpsessentials.com/ under the Manual section.

2 Procedure
step 1. The GPS Essential has its own file format, which cannot be read directly to another program. That means,
the data needs to be exported to the file format which QGIS can understand (Can read the data from
that file). QGIS can open many file formats

step 2. Click the Waypoints button to have a list of recorded points

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
step 3. You will observe the Waypoints list as shown at the screen short below

step 4. Click the Menu button from your device to open the menu and select export option.

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
step 5. Locate where to store the exported file in the device, and Choose the file format that can be understood
by the QGIS, here from the list select GPX 1.1

Click this button to

locate the place to
store the exported
file.

Click this button

to select the
format.

step 6. Different formats appear. Most of them can be imported directly into QGIS. In this tutorial, we will
export as a GPX file format. You could also export it as a KML file that QGIS can open.

step 7. Click the export button to finish the export process.

Click this button

to Export the data

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
step 8. Now you have the exported file in your device, and you can copy that to your computer. Just plug your
phone with the USB cable and locate the file.

step 9. Observe the file copied from the mobile device to the computer. Once the exported file is stored in your
computer, it is ready to be loaded into the QGIS.

step 10. If you have saved the file as a GPX: Open QGIS, from Vector Menu, point GPS and select GPS tools from
the submenu. (If you have saved the file as KML, you can just add it using Layer/Add Vector Layer).

step 11. The GPS tools window will be opened, select load GPX file from the available tabs if not selected. Now
click the browse button to locate where you kept the file you exported from the GPS Essential

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
step 12. Find the file where you have stored it, and select the file and click open button.

step 13. From “Feature Types” Deselect other options and leave only “Waypoints” option is selected.

step 14. Click OK to load the file into QGIS layer panel. You will observe that, your points have been loaded to the
QGIS layer panel and viewed in Map Composer.

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.
3 Questions

4 Exercise yourself

To make sure that you have understood, make sure you install the GPS Essential app in your device, take some
waypoints and load them into QGIS project.

This tutorial has been created within the framework of ZANSEA project.