Tutorial on using QGIS for

marine data
CMEMS Service Desk

March 2017
 Table of contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 2
I / Creation of maps showing global surface temperatures and salinities .............................................. 3
II/ Creation of global maps representing sea surface height (SSH)....................................................... 16
1. Using the regular Points tool ..................................................................................................... 16
2. Using the Point Sampling Tool .................................................................................................. 19
3. Using the Contour tool .............................................................................................................. 20
III/ Producing global maps that display ocean currents ........................................................................ 23
1.1. Using the Vector Field Calc tool to obtain the magnitude and orientation of u and v .............. 23
1.2 Using the regular Points tool ................................................................................................. 26
1.3 Using the Point Sampling Tool .............................................................................................. 26
1.4 Processing the arrows representing the intensity and orientation of currents .................... 26
2.1 Using the Vector Field Calc tool to obtain the magnitude from u and v............................... 30
2.2 Using the regular Points tool ................................................................................................. 30
2.3 Using the Point Sampling Tool located in the toolbar........................................................... 30
2.4 Processing the arrows representing the intensity dots and orientation of currents ............ 30
IV/ Overlaying multiple variables on a single map ................................................................................ 32
1. Overlaying SSH with current speeds ......................................................................................... 32
2. Overlay of two or more raster layers ........................................................................................ 33
VI/ Producing regional maps ................................................................................................................. 35
1. Differences in the representation of SSH for a regional area at 1/12° ..................................... 35
2. Differences in the representation of currents for a regional area at 1/12° .............................. 36
VII/ Producing coastal maps .................................................................................................................. 36
1. Differences in the representation of SSH for a coastal area at 1/36° ....................................... 36
2. Differences in the representation of currents for a regional area at 1/36° .............................. 37
VIII/ Tips for QGIS .................................................................................................................................. 38
1. Clipping a raster......................................................................................................................... 38
2. Zooming on the map area ......................................................................................................... 39
3. Copying and pasting styles ........................................................................................................ 40
4. Viewing data on a raster and on the vector/utilisation part of the tool tip on a vector .......... 41
5. Loading a new extension/plugin ............................................................................................... 44
IX/ Useful links and documents for using QGIS ..................................................................................... 45

1
Introduction
QGIS is a popular, free, open source Geographic Information System (GIS), which runs on all major
operating systems. People often use QGIS to view, edit, and analyse geospatial data. QGIS has a
comprehensive website (http://qgis.org ), which makes it easy to download, install, and use. There is
also an international community of users and developers which is very helpful and reactive (mailing
list of QGIS users: Qgis-user@lists.osgeo.org; QGIS developers: qgis-developer@lists.osgeo.org ).

Installing and running QGIS :

If you haven't already installed QGIS, click on the Download Now button on the main QGIS web page
to download the QGIS software (http://www.qgis.org/fr/site/).
What you do next depends on which operating system you are running on your computer:
- For MS Windows, you can download a double-clickable installer that installs QGIS and all the
required libraries in one go. Make sure you use the OSGeo4W installer, QGIS itself, and all the
required libraries.
- For Mac OS X, you'll need to visit the Kyngchaos website
(http://www.kyngchaos.com/software/qgis ) to download and install the GDAL library, before
installing a version of QGIS specially built for your operating system. All the required packages are
available from the Kyngchaos site.
- For Unix-like systems, you'll use a package manager to download, compile, and install QGIS and the
required libraries from an appropriate package repository. More information about installing on a
Unix-like system can be found at http://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/alldownloads.html#linux .

Once you have installed the QGIS system, you can run it just like any other application on your
computer, for example, by double-clicking on the QGIS icon in your Applications folder. If everything
goes well, the QGIS application will start up.

Then, you will need the following plugins that you can download on the QGIS repository
(https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/) or directly through the software interface:

- VectorFieldCalc (Calculates vector field parameters and pathlines, given two rasters
representing x and y velocities)
- VectorFieldRenderer (Draws a point layer with arrow symbols)
- Point Sampling Tool (Samples polygon attributes and raster values from multiple layers at
specified sampling points)
- Contour plugin (Generates contours of a set of data points)
- NetCDF Browser (Allows you to browse multi-variable and multi-dimensional netCDF files)

In addition, you will need several files and images before launching the software:
- Basemaps,
- Colour palettes in .xml
- Grids with several mesh sizes
- A template in .qpt for the map composer

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This tutorial provides a detailed explanation of how to produce maps of oceans of different areas,
representing one or more variables from netcdf files (.nc), which are available in the CMEMS
catalogue (http://marine.copernicus.eu/).

I / Creation of maps showing global surface temperature and salinity

Open QGIS 2.xx

There are different ways to open a netCDF file in QGIS. Either click on the icon on the top left, as
shown below, or drag and drop a file directly onto the map canvas. Choose a netCDF file (.nc), then
click on the variable you want; for example, temperature.

Or, using the NetCDF Browser plugin:

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Using this plugin, it is possible to directly extract one or more variables, one or more time steps, and
one or more depths. This can be useful when the file is large and includes these concatenated
parameters.

Once you have selected the file, select the projection system, WGS 84 (EPSG: 4326). The file will then
appear.

Double click on the Temperature layer to display the properties.

The "Metadata” tab provides all information related to the file: name, date, size, units, etc. The unit
of temperature is degrees Celsius. Sometimes, though, it may be in Kelvin.

The "Style" tab allows the appearance of the layer to be changed:

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Go to Render type and choose Singleband pseudo colour then Generate new colour map.

To generate a customised colour palette, you must import your own palettes by going to the
"Project" menu, choosing Project properties and then the Default styles tab. In the Colour Ramp field,
edit your settings by clicking on the icon on the right or on the Style Manager button.

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In the new window, click on the Colour ramp tab and the Share icon on the lower right, then choose
the Import option. Browse for the file in .xml format from a directory or an url, then import it. Each
palette has to be imported individually. You will therefore, need to carry out this operation for each
palette you want to import.

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If you want to modify a particular palette, simply select it by double clicking it, or by clicking on Edit.
A wizard, with graduated colour displays, opens in a new window. You can modify the start or end
colour, as well as that for multiple stops, along with their offsets. You can also add or remove interval
stop. Close the Style Manager window when you have finished.

Once the new palettes have been imported, return to the Style tab with the layer properties. Choose
the most appropriate colour palette for the temperature variable. To increase or decrease the
number of classes, choose the equal interval mode. Generally, the number of classes varies from
about 20 to 40. The minimum and maximum values are loaded by default, but it is best to adapt
them as a function of the area chosen and what you want to highlight.

The colour settings can be further customised by changing the brightness, saturation and contrast.
Generally, resampling is required, which can be done by choosing a bilinear zoom-in. Click Apply to
see the rendering and readjust as needed.

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An example of the rendering using a palette applied to temperatures.

If you want to convert degrees Kelvin to degrees Celsius, you will need to use the Raster Calculator in
the Raster menu: select the relevant raster band and indicate the calculation formula in the Raster
calculator expression box: “Temperature@1" -273.15.

Finally, you need to create a named output layer (in GeoTIFF format). The new layer appears in the
layers manager with the values in degrees Celsius.

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Note: in the Raster bands box of the calculator you will see that the temperature layer can include
several levels. There may be different levels of depth and/or several time steps; everything depends
on the data collected and whether the input file has been concatenated. That is why it is helpful to
use the NetCDF browser plugin. However, you will have to convert to degrees Celsius for each layer,
and save them one by one. It is currently not possible to apply the formula to the group of layers at
the same time.

Basemaps: You can now add a raster as a basemap or vector depending on the type of map you want
to produce: more or less attractive, more or less understanding, with continents shown with or
without relief. The projection system for the basemap is the same as that for the variable: EPSG:
WGS84. When the basemap is displayed, it must perfectly fit the contours of the layer showing the
oceans. If this is not the case, then check that you have the right projection system and/or the type
of netCDF file, because, if the file is projected in the native grid (ORCA), the basemap will not fit. You
must, therefore, ensure that the file is in a standard grid.

However, all files in standard grids do not fit perfectly onto basemaps and there may be a small
offset visible on the coastlines: this occurs especially for files whose resolution is a ¼ of a degree. In
this case, you can apply a coastline in vector format (Shapefile) or a georeferenced image (GeoTIFF).

Example: Temperature with a coastal contour in vector format.

When the appearance of the layer is ready, you can then construct the map, using the map
composer, by clicking on the following icon:

A "Composer title" window is displayed inviting you to name the map. Example: Map.

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A blank composer page will appear. You can create a map from scratch, or choose a map template to
generate a map more quickly, using a number of pre-created parameters. Just click on the "Load
template" icon, as shown below. A new window will appear, allowing you to select a template in .qpt
format.

The template loads into the composer page with the layer already visible in its map canvas in the
QGIS workspace. The composer refreshes the page instantly, which means its elements change as
you modify them in the workspace.

Once the model template has been loaded, you can change/update all internal items, such as the
title, legend, position or degree of zoom on the map, the insertion of an image, coordinate grid, etc.

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To change the title, click on it to display the item properties in the menu bar to the right and change
its contents in the "Item properties” window, as shown below. The appearance, font and location are
also customisable in the menu below it. If you want to add a new title, just click on the icon "add a
new label," in the left-hand menu bar shown below, trace a box where you want it, and type the
relevant text into the "Main properties" window.

To change or add a picture, you must click on the item to display the item properties, as shown
below. Select an image in Image source (.tiff, .png, .jpeg). You can then redefine the resizing mode
for the item and its location.

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If you want to change the location or size of the frame on the map, you must click on the icon on the
left-hand menu bar of the composer page, shown in the red box below.

If, alternatively, you want to change the contents of the frame on the map (increase or decrease the
zoom or the area), you must click on the icon on the left-hand menu bar of the composer, shown in
the red box below.

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If you want to modify or add a graticule or a snap grid, select the box on the map to see the item
properties and move down the menu to the submenu, "Grids”, as shown by the red box below. Click
on the green “+“ button to add a grid, and check “Draw ‘Grid1’ grid” which can be renamed. The
following parameters allow you to customise the appearance of the grid. You must remember to
enter the CRS (Coordinate Reference System) and specify the usual WGS 84 projection system,
otherwise the grid will not display correctly. The intervals can be changed if you want to include
more, or fewer, horizontal or vertical lines. If you want coordinates to appear on the grid, you must
check the box that allows you to do this. You can then select their format, position and font.

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To update the legend, click on the item in the map to display the item's properties. A title can be
added to the legend in the "Title” field.

By checking the "Auto update” box, you will include all the layers that have been loaded into the
layers manager of the QGIS workspace, along with their colour palettes and their corresponding
values, once they have been defined. To display the temperature legend only, simply select the other
layers and delete them. Then you can change the title of the layer by clicking on the Edit icon, as
shown below.

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The legend’s font, the spacing between items, and its position, size, and background are all
customisable.

Note: the legend of the composer can only be displayed vertically. This is unfortunate because maps
showing marine data tend to have a horizontal legend.

When the map is ready, you can save it in JPEG, SVG, or PDF format, by clicking on the icons in the
top menu bar, shown in the red box below.

The representation of the salinity is done in the same way as that for temperature. You can change
the appearance of the layer using the Style menu for layer properties. You need to choose an
appropriate colour palette and enough classes. Generally, the palettes selected should be somewhat
contrasting and include several colours.

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II/ Creation of global maps representing sea surface height (SSH)
The SSH (Sea Surface Height) variable is opened in the same way as for any other variable.

When the result is loaded into the layers manager, you need to check that the minimum and
maximum values are consistent; you can then change the appearance of the layer in the Style menu
of the layer properties.

You could stop manipulating the SSH, at this point, if you only require a simple visualisation.
However, to produce a map, and to highlight each contour representing the different sea levels, the
raster layer data must be sampled on a grid of points in order to generate iso-contours to be placed
on the netCDF layer. Doing this will make the representation much clearer, and the information
easier to find. The process takes place in three steps:

1. Using the regular-points tool

The tool can be accessed via the Vector tab of the top menu, in the Research Tools submenu.

The grid of regular points is required so that contours can be generated from them. You indicate the
raster layer of the SSH as an input, which serves as a delimiting layer. Then, complete the inputs
shown in the screenshot below.
The value 0.5 corresponds to the size of a raster pixel, which means that QGIS generates a point for
each pixel. To ensure that the points are regular and at the centre of each pixel, add an offset of half
the pixel size: 0.25.

When a file is at 1/12°, the size of a pixel is 0.083 (cf. the layer’s metadata), which corresponds to an
interval which is too tight for an area on the globe. Hence the choice of selecting a wider interval. We
will see that for smaller areas, the interval will be tighter and closer to the actual size of the file’s
pixels.

There is no point in generating this grid of regular points every time a contour map is produced
because it is a grid made up of standard points with an interval of 0.5 pixels which contains no

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specific information on this variable. For this reason, you can simply generate it once for a specific
area and then retain it for future use. The ideal would be to have a grid for a map showing a global
area, one for a regional area, and one for a local area.

When the point layer is generated, it is displayed directly on the canvas, as shown below. If you want

to retrieve an existing layer, you must click on the icon, "Add vector layer", in the left-hand
menu and then choose the file in .shp (shape) format. Remember: a vector layer is composed of four
to five inseparable files:

- .shp: contains the geometry (choose this file in QGIS)

- .dbf contains the attribute data
- .shx: links the .shp and .dbf files
- .prj: contains the coordinates and the projection system
- .qpj: is the extension of .prj (which is not always generated)

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18
 2. Using the Point Sampling Tool
This tool enables the sampling of points from a grid of regular points which has been previously
created or loaded. It appears in the "Layer containing sampling points" tool in the drop-down list. It is
combined with the raster layer of the SSH which is also found in the menu "Layers with fields/bands
to get values from."

Note: The vector and raster layers must be visible in the layers manager for them to appear in the
tool. Be careful to choose only one band from the raster file.

The new layer generated must be recorded in the "Browse" menu under a new name.

The new layer that has been loaded is, in principle, the same as the layer of regular points, unless you
notice, when you open the attributes table, that it includes data from the SSH raster layer:

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Tip: there are two ways to open the attribute table of a vector layer. You can either right click on the
layer and choose "Open Attribute Table", as shown above, or click on the icon in the top toolbar, as
shown in the red box below.

The following is a useful link which explains the processes for the grid of regular points and the
sampling:

http://www.gistutor.com/quantum-gis/19/54-how-to-sample-raster-datasets-using-points-in-
quantum-gis-qgis.html

3. Using the Contour tool

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This is the last step in the representation of the SSH. In the new window that appears, enter the
vector layer that has just been generated. The data field is automatically displayed in Data field. You
must then specify the number of contour lines you want: from 70 to 100 for a global map. Finally,
you can select directly the colour palette that you want to apply; you can choose the same as the
raster layer. The output layer is generated automatically, you can change the name if desired.

Once the contours have been generated, click on Close. Note that the contours appear on the various
sea levels but also on the continents, even though the values for these are zero. This is a limitation of
this tool which is not really designed for marine data. It is not possible to remove them.

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The way around this is to then overlay a coastal contour in vector format:

The following is a useful link for learning more about the contours tool:

http://www.gistutor.com/quantum-gis/19/55-how-to-generate-contours-using-point-data-in-
quantum-gis-qgis.html

Note: The contours layer is temporary, which means it is not stored permanently on the disk. It must
be generated again, using the tool, if you choose to reload the project.

As for the raster layer, the classification of values in the legend will appear in the map composer,
although there is no point in keeping this, given that we already have the information with the raster

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legend. The values and legend are therefore fully customisable. Finally, a degree of transparency can
be applied, if you want to make the contours more understanding.

The final rendering improves the sharpness of the contours. The more contours there are, the more
precise it will be.

The steps to be followed to produce the final map in the print composer are the same as before.

III/ Producing global maps that display ocean currents

The opening of the currents variable represented by u and v (zonal and meridional) is done in the
same way as for the other variables except that both must be selected.

When the result is loaded into the layers manager, the consistency of the minimum and maximum
values must be checked. There are two ways of using the information contained in these variables
and making them readable:

1/ Highlight the magnitude or intensity of the currents, and their orientations, using u and v as a
background raster layer, and apply the current directions (as vectors) to them in the form of overlaid
arrows using a grid of sampled points. The arrows are proportional symbols which depend on the
current intensity.

2 / Display the magnitude only, and plot the vectors directly based on the grid of regular points with
u and v as attributes that have been sampled previously.

1.1. Using the Vector Field Calc tool to obtain the magnitude and

orientation of u and v
Choose, as an input, the u and v raster layers generated. Check the magnitude and orientations, and
record the output layer, which is in .asc (ascii) file format, and which can be named, for example:
‘magnitude’ and ‘orientation’. Remember to check "Load output in project" for the new files to be
displayed directly on the map canvas. Click on Calculate. This process may seem quite lengthy.

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QGIS asks twice which projection system you want to see the two new layers in, before displaying
them in the workspace: as usual, select WGS84.

Wait for the following message, which then allows you to close the tool:

Note that the magnitude layer causes the currents to be displayed, along with their intensities, in
black and white. This layer will be the definitive base layer to which a palette of appropriate colours
will be applied. Warning: check that the values are consistent. If this is not the case, it is possible that
the scale_factor and the add_offset have not been taken into account in the calculation. To correct
this, check the information in the metadata of the u and v files and perform the calculation directly
on the magnitude, using the Raster calculator as follows:

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25
 1.2 Using the regular-points tool
The tool is in the Vector tab of the top menu, in the Research Tools submenu> Regular Points....
The process is the same as for the SSH, the interval between the points may be 1 or 0.5 (if you
require more arrows) and the distance from the upper left corner is 0.5 or 0.25.

1.3 Using the Point Sampling Tool

The principle is the same as for the SSH: you choose, as an input, the vector layer of regular points,
and the magnitude and orientation raster layers in the Layers with fields/bands to get values from
box. For them to appear in the box, you must ensure that they are active in the layers manager. The
output layer must be registered under a new name. Once the calculations have been done, close the
tool by clicking Close.

1.4 Processing the arrows representing the intensity and orientation

of currents using the Vector Field Renderer tool

To activate the tool, which is on the top toolbar, you must first go to the properties of the layer, in
the Style menu, and choose Single Symbol, Vector field from the dropdown menu. Tick the Polar
(length, angle) field in the Vector field type box. Select Magnitude in Length Attribute and Orientation
in Angle attribute. These are two fields whose values have been taken into account in the point
sampling calculation. As a result of these combined values, the arrows represent both the intensity
(magnitude), using a proportional symbol, and the current direction (orientation).

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In the Arrow format box, specify the following values:

Once the arrows have been generated, it is possible to adjust or change their size, display a small
legend, and get help.

Description of each tool:

Autosize arrows (set arrows to their default size); Enlarge arrows; Shrink arrows; Vector scale box
(legend); Vector field renderer (properties); Vector field renderer help (help in using the tool).

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The result after using Vector Field Renderer:

Once the size of the arrows is satisfactory, manipulate them using the raster layer magnitude and its
properties in the Style menu. Generate a new colour palette. Enter 30 in the number of classes, with
the mode set to Equal interval. Finally, choose a bilinear zoom-in in the Resampling box.

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Once the thematic analysis has been applied, the result is as follows:

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The steps to be followed to produce the final map in the map composer are the same as for the other
variables.

2.1 Using the Vector Field Calc tool to obtain the magnitude
from u and v
Creation of the magnitude only, from the u and v files.

2.2 Using the regular-points tool

Importing or creating of the grid of regular points.

2.3 Using the Point Sampling Tool located in the toolbar

Sampling of the grid points from the raster layer fields, u and v.

2.4 Changing the dots into arrows representing the intensity and
orientation of currents using the Vector Field Renderer tool
To activate the tool, which is on the top toolbar, you must first go to the properties of the layer, in
the Style menu, and choose Single Symbol, Vector field from the dropdown menu. Check the type
Cartesian (X,Y) field in the Vector field type box. In the X attribute field, choose u, and in the Y
attribute field, choose v. These are two fields whose values have been taken into account in the point
sampling calculation.

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In the Arrow format box, specify the following values, as before:

Once the arrows have been generated, it is possible to adjust or change their size, display a small
legend, and get help.

The result is the same:

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Apply a colour palette to the magnitude which will appear behind the currents.

IV/ Overlaying multiple variables on a single map

1. Overlaying SSH with current speeds
The overlay of different variables is possible in QGIS. The SSH and current speed are two variables
that can be combined easily. First, each variable is processed, as explained in Chapters II and III; then
only those that will be used to produce the composition are retained in the layers manager, in the
following order: (from bottom to top)

- the layer of arrows representing the intensity and direction of the currents;
- the SSH contours layer;
- the SSH raster layer;
- the coastal contour, as a vector, to hide the contours on the continents

This is followed by the insertion of the Vector scale box on the map. There is no legend directly
integrated into the arrows layer in the layers manager, but it is possible to insert one in a corner of
the map. You need to click on the icon provided:

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The following window will be displayed. You can choose the position of the box, its offset relative to
the edge, and its size as a percentage. You can also change the contour and the background of the
box. Finally, you can choose a title and the font.

The Vector scale box appears in the layers manager and on the map. You can return to its properties
to edit them.

In the map composer, the principle remains the same. The composition of the legend does not
change: only the SSH field is updated because the Vector scale box for the current is already on the
map.

2. Overlay of two or more raster layers

It is entirely possible to represent several raster layers, as long as the information you want to display
remains understandable. To do this, simply make use of the effects of transparency on one of the
layers.

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Example of the overlay of temperature with SSH (50% transparency applied, as below) and current
speeds:

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VI/ Producing regional maps
There are few differences between the production of regional and global maps. The differences are
mainly in the representation of SSH and currents.

1. Differences in the representation of SSH for a regional area at 1/12°

When creating the grid of regular points, you will need to use a tighter interval between the points,
compared with that used for a global map: 0.1666 is a good choice for an interval, with a distance
value from the upper left corner of 0.0833.

The following shows an example of the type of results that can be obtained:

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 2. Differences in the representation of currents for a regional area at
1/12°
During the creation of the grid of regular points, you will need to use a tighter interval between the
points, compared with that used for a global map: 0.5 is a good choice for an interval, with a distance
value from the upper left corner of 0:25. The intervals of 1 and 0.5, used for global maps, are also
good choices for regional representations. The choice depends on whether you want more arrows in
order to give a better impression of movement.

VII/ Producing coastal maps

There are few differences between the production of regional and global maps. The differences are
mainly in the representation of SSH and currents, as in the production of regional maps.

1. Differences in the representation of SSH for a coastal area at 1/36°

During the creation of the grid of regular points, you will need to use an even tighter interval
between the points, compared with that used for a regional map: 0.0277 is a good choice for an
interval, with a distance value from the upper left corner of 0.0138. This is, in fact, the size of a
pixel in a 1/36° file.

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The representation of the SSH contours is much more accurate and follows the different sea
levels very closely.

2. Differences in the representation of currents for a regional area at

1/36°
When creating the grid of regular points, you will need to use a tighter interval between the
points, compared with that used for a regional map: 0.0666 is a good choice for an interval, with
a distance value from the upper left corner of 0.0333.

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Output example:

VIII/ Tips for QGIS

Here are some tips for successful production of maps, or simply for viewing information quickly:

1. Clipping a raster
If you want to work on a particular zone from a file that comprises a larger area, simply clip a raster
using the tool in the Raster menu at the top; choose the Extraction submenu, then Clipper.

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The tool can clip an area in two ways:

- First, by selecting the desired zone directly by stretching a frame over it; the coordinates of
the area are automatically displayed when in clipping mode.
- Or by entering the coordinates directly into the tool, if you know them.

It displays a layer, as an output, which then loads into the layers manager.

You can then proceed with the different operations. Warning: clipping must be carried out first,
because, if the operations that follow are carried out prior to this, they will not be taken into
account and will need to be redone.

2. Zooming on the map area

Sometimes layers can disappear from the workspace even though they have not been deleted. To

retrieve a layer in its entirety, use either the Zoom full tool at the top, or right click on the layer
and choose "Zoom to Layer."

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 3. Copying and pasting styles
This tool can be very useful when you have already applied a style to a layer and you want to apply
the same style to another layer to save time. To do this, you need to right click on the layer whose
style you want to pick and choose "Copy Style", then right click again on the layer to which the style
is to be applied, this time choosing "Paste Style."

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 4. Viewing data as a raster and as a vector/using the contextual
information on a vector
When you want to quickly display information about a piece of data, for example, a current speed or
temperature, there are two ways of obtaining it, depending on the amount of information that you
want to display.

You can use the "Identify Features" tool in the top toolbar, by clicking on it and then clicking on the
area where you want to display the information. A results window appears and lists all the
information that the area contains. This tool can be used for both raster layers and vector layers.

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However, the contextual information only pops up for vector layers. To activate the field you want,
you must go to the layer's properties and choose the Display menu. To select a particular value of
interest, you need to choose it in the Field menu.

Then, when you click on the Map Tips tool on the top toolbar and select a particular point, it is
highlighted, with the information appearing directly in a small label.

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To display this information permanently in the map composer, you must then go to the labels menu
in properties.

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 5. Loading a new extension/plugin
If you want to install new tools in QGIS, you must go to Plugins in the top menu and choose "Manage
and Install Plugins."

In the extensions manager window, the menu on the left allows you to quickly see all existing
extensions: those that are installed, and any available updates. To choose an extension to install,
either search for it in the list, or type its name, or a keyword, into the search bar. Example: the
extension, Layer to Labelled Layer, which will be used to edit the tags on the layer of a graticule.

Examples of plugins that can be installed:

- Layer to labelled layer

- Overlayers plugin

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 - Zoom to point
- Zoom to coordinates
- Value Tool
- Etc.

IX/ Useful links and documents for using QGIS

Essential reading:

http://docs.qgis.org/2.6/fr/docs/user_manual/

http://docs.qgis.org/2.6/fr/docs/gentle_gis_introduction/introducing_gis.html

Online tutorials for sampling and contours:

http://www.gistutor.com/quantum-gis/19/54-how-to-sample-raster-datasets-using-points-in-
quantum-gis-qgis.html

http://www.gistutor.com/quantum-gis/19/55-how-to-generate-contours-using-point-data-in-
quantum-gis-qgis.html

The repository for all current plugins:

http://plugins.qgis.org

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