Map Layout with QGIS

I haven’t tried using Quantum GIS in a few years, but Frank Donnelly has posted a thorough review of a thematic map he created with the current version of QGIS (1.02). By all indications, the program has progressed considerably since the last time I tried it. This is good news because it means free software is becoming a viable alternative for many thematic mapping tasks:

Despite a few quirks (what software doesn’t have them), I was really happy with the end result and find myself using QGIS more and more for making basic to intermediate maps at work. Not only was the print composer good, but I was also able to complete all of the pre-processing steps using QGIS or another open source tool.

Frank’s review of map elements reminds me of my own introductory cartography course. Incidentally, my TA had a petulant fetish for grotesque north arrows. Anyway, it’s nice to see New York dressed up in some fancy duds (compared to the county boundaries with which I’m most familiar, of course).

Posted on Sunday, July 12th, 2009. Tags: geography.