Spatial Galaxy

The Volcano and the Buffer | Desktop GIS - the book

Gary Sherman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:08:48 +0000

Take a look at:
The Volcano and the Buffer | Desktop GIS - the book

It includes an example that uses CSV, GDAL/OGR VRT, QGIS, and fTools to figure out if I was in danger of being buried in a volcanic ash fall (not much danger but sounds dramatic).

PyQGIS Plugin Builder

Gary Sherman — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:26:33 +0000

One of the hurdles in developing a QGIS plugin with Python is just getting the basics down. Getting the plugin setup so it is recognized by QGIS and properly adds it’s menu and toolbar items can be a bit of a chore, especially the first time.

To make the process easier, I put together a web tool to generate a plugin that can be used as a starting point. The tool creates a fully functional plugin that can be loaded in QGIS 1.x. The generated plugin contains an icon and a simple dialog with Ok and Cancel buttons.

Give the PyQGIS Plugin Builder a try and feel free to provide comments and suggestions.

Custom Applications with QGIS

Gary Sherman — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:09:32 +0000

The recent release of QGIS 1.0 provides an excellent opportunity for developers looking to create standalone mapping applications with Python.

I recently posted an article on creating a very simple standalone application with Python and QGIS 1.0. Much of the Python efforts thus far have been devoted to creating QGIS plugins. I think now that we have a stable API, you’ll begin to see more custom applications that meet a specialized need.

If you are developing such applications, it would be great to hear from you.

The Ink is Dry

Gary Sherman — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:03:35 +0000

Looks like the ink is dry on Desktop GIS and it should start shipping soon. You can get the full scoop from the Pragmatic Bookshelf.

Update: It’s now shipping. See the announcement.

No Java, Please Pass The Python

Gary Sherman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:10:56 +0000

After a rather long lapse, I had the occasion to write some Java code recently (mainly because it didn’t look like Howard’s PySDE was functional).

I didn’t like it.

Not to start a language flame war, but after using Python almost exclusively for 6 months, I found Java to be cumbersome. I kept thinking “if it were Python I could do it this way”.

Sending an email from Java—frightening. From Python—simple.

Lest you think I’m a Java newbie, I’ve been using it for both desktop and web applications for over 10 years.

Its ease of use and rapid development time, coupled with the fact that Python is the de facto “GIS” scripting language in most arenas, makes it my new favorite language.

Of course the old axiom still stands—To each his own…

Git Book

Gary Sherman — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:24:51 +0000

This weekend I finished reviewing Pragmatic Version Control Using Git by Travis Swicegood. If you are a git user or interested in learning about the latest in version control for your source code, check it out. The book is available in beta now.

QgisToMapServer - A Conversion Tool

Gary Sherman — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:17:32 +0000

QgisToMapServer converts a saved QGIS project file to a map file, ready to be served with MapServer. A binary preview version for both Mac and Windows is available now. For Linux/Unix users, the source code is available from the Git repository.

QgisToMapServer is different from the plugin in QGIS. It is a standalone Python application providing the following features:

Create MapServer map files from saved QGIS project files
Preview the map file (requires shp2img)
Customizable data path

For full details see: http://spatialserver.net/qgis2ms

Desktop GIS - the book - Now in Beta

Gary Sherman — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:17:39 +0000

The book is now available in beta. Excerpts from two of the chapters are available online.

What’s a beta book? Well in this case it’s a lot like software—feature complete and ready for you to give it a spin.

The announcement from the Pragmatic Bookshelf:
The Pragmatic Bookshelf | Desktop GIS
“From Google Maps to iPhone apps, geographic data and visualization is quickly becoming a standard part of life. Desktop GIS shows you how to assemble and use an Open Source GIS toolkit. You’ll find strategies for choosing a platform, selecting the right tools, integration, managing change, and getting support. You’ll get a good introduction to using the many tools available so you can visualize, digitize, and analyze your own mapping data.”

Global Warming Defeated in Alaska

Gary Sherman — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:02:10 +0000

Well it was a short summer here. Or perhaps we have defeated global warming. This is the view from the deck on Thursday evening:

and this is the view Saturday morning:

Of course nearly everyone in the country has removed their snow tires in anticipation of the upcoming May 1 deadline. As they say “Life is tough in the far north”.

The good news is that now we can go directly from winter to summer…

Obligatory Eee Pc Post

Gary Sherman — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:49:19 +0000

Everybody who gets an Eee PC has to write about it—it’s required. I don’t really have much to add to the raft of reviews, except for one small point.

I found myself wanting to print something and, based on my last experience, prepared for the ordeal of setting up a printer. I about fell out of the chair when I opened the Printer configuration and found that the Eee had already found the CUPS printer on my network and added it. Hit print and it works. Nice.