Exercise 2: An Introduction to the QGIS Desktop

Now we move to the QGIS Desktop, which is the mapping and analysis part of QGIS. In this
exercise you will:

 Add data to the software

 Work with map layers
 Navigate around the map using functions on the Tools toolbar
 Identify features on the map
 Dock and undock toolbars
 Add extra toolbars to the QGIS Desktop.

A. Add Data to the QGIS Desktop

1. Start the QGIS software

2. To load a vector layer, select Layer  Add Vector Layer from the main menu or click

on the Add Vector layer button:

3. In the Add vector layer window, click on the Browse button, find the Exercise2 folder and
double click to open it.

4. Click on wyorkmap.shp, which contains ward (electoral) boundaries for West Yorkshire
and press Open followed by Open again on the Add vector layer window.

5. Repeat the operation to add the schools.shp to this layer, which shows the location of
schools in the West Yorkshire region.

B. Work with Map Layers

1. Right-click on the wyorkmap name in the Layers window (panel on the left) and rename
this layer to West Yorkshire [Note: this can also be done by pressing F2].

2. Click on the schools name in the Layers window and rename this to Schools.

3. Although you have changed the name here in QGIS, you have not changed the actual
map filenames.

4. Click the box to the left of the Schools layer in the Layers window. Note how this turns
the display of the schools off.

A box with an X
turns a layer on
and off in the
Layers window

5. Turn the schools layer back on and now repeat with the West Yorkshire layer. You can
see how easy it is to control what is displayed in the main map area.

Exercise 2 – An Introduction to the QGIS Desktop 1

© University of Leeds, 2015
Change the Order of Display

The order of the layers in the Layers window determines the order in which QGIS draws
these layers in the main map area. QGIS starts drawing from the bottom upwards so first it
draws the West Yorkshire boundaries and then it places the Schools on top of the
boundaries.

You can control the order of the layers by dragging them up and down the list.

1. Click on the Schools layer, dragging it below the West Yorkshire boundaries. What
happened to the Schools layer? Why is this? How could you see the Schools layer
without dragging the layer back to the top?

2. Practice dragging the layers up and down a few times until you are happy you can do
this with ease.

C. Navigate Around the Map

Zooming enlarges or reduces the display and panning shifts the display to reveal different
areas of the map. The zoom and pan buttons are found on the Tools toolbar:

1. Click on the Zoom In button and then click anywhere on the map to zoom in.

2. Click on the Zoom Full button to zoom to a full display of all layers regardless of
whether you have turned them on or off. For example, if you had a map of the UK and a
map of London, the full extent button would zoom out to the Austrian extent.

3. Click back onto the Zoom In button. Click and hold down the mouse button, dragging
across an area on the map.

4. Click the Zoom to Layer button . This zooms back out to show both layers.

5. Experiment with the Zoom Out in the same way as you did for the Zoom In.

6. Click the Pan button . Move your cursor anywhere on the map display. Hold down
the left mouse button and drag the mouse in any direction. Release the mouse button.

Remember to use the Zoom Full button anytime you want to return to the full map.

7. Click the Zoom Last button . This will return the map back to its previous extent. You
can continue to press this button to go back through all the previous views.

Exercise 2 – An Introduction to the QGIS Desktop 2

© University of Leeds, 2015
8. Click the Zoom Next button . This will move you forward through the extents that
you viewed. QGIS basically remembers the different extents you viewed in the order that
you viewed them.

D. Identify Features on the Map

This tool allows you to find out information about different features that appear on your map.

1. Zoom in so that you can see some of the Schools clearly.

2. Click on the Schools layer in the Layers window on the left.

3. This will enable the Identify Features button , which you will find in the rows of
many buttons near the top of the main QGIS window. Click on this button.

4. Then click on a school in the map display. What information is revealed to you?

NOTE: If the school symbols are too small, double-click on the actual symbol to the left of
the Schools Layer in the Layers window. This will bring up the Layer Properties window.
You will then see an option to change the size in the Style tab.

5. Now click on the West Yorkshire layer, click on the Identify Features button and then
click on the area surrounding a school. What information do you get instead?

E. Dock and Undock Toolbars

QGIS has many toolbars. These toolbars can be moved around the application and then
‘docked’ in different places to suit the way you work.

1. Find a toolbar in the application and undock it by dragging it from the left hand side.
Move it around your screen.

2. Try undocking and docking some of the other toolbars. Are there any toolbars that you
cannot undock?

3. Now try undocking the Layers Window and move it around your screen. To dock it
again, double click on the title bar of the window.

4. Can you undock the map display window?

Exercise 2 – An Introduction to the QGIS Desktop 3

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F. Add Extra Toolbars to the QGIS Desktop

Toolbars can be made visible by selecting View  Toolbars from the main menu. Toolbars
that are currently visible will have a check mark in front of their name. You simply check or
uncheck the toolbar as they are required.

1. Select View  Toolbars. What toolbars are currently available to you? List a few of
them here.

2. Of these, how many are currently checked?

3. Check any one of the toolbars that is currently not checked. What happens?

4. Move this new toolbar around the screen.

5. Finally, remove this toolbar.

Exercise 2 – An Introduction to the QGIS Desktop 4

© University of Leeds, 2015