Design a legible study area map layout that meets cartographic standards using the

provided datasets. Also attach a write up that shows all the stages you have carried out
(include screenshots where applicable) to come up with a map. Attach this map output
and write up separately.

GIS PRACTICAL WRITEUP: STUDY AREA MAP

AIM
Design a legible study area map utilising QGIS software and data sets

OBJECTIVES
To develop a cartographic map for a ward, district, or province in Zimbabwe which
meets GIS standards.

APPARATUS
Laptop/ Desktop
QGIS Software
QGIS Data set

METHODOLOGY
1. Run QGIS software.
2. Select New empty project layer.
3. Right click on Save icon.
4. Edit name of project layer to Ward, District or Province selected.
5. Input QGIS datasets.
6. Left click on SHP files from selected datasets and sub-datasets: Administrative
boundaries - Wards, Districts, Provinces, Health facilities, Hydrology - Rivers,
Water Bodies and Zimbabwe Water, and Transport - Rail network, Road
network, Airports, Ports of Entry, Highway.
7. Drag and place SHP files onto Project Layer.
8. Under Layers Tab, Left click on boxes with arrows adjacent to data-set layer to
uncheck visibility of all data-set layers excluding administrative boundaries
layers.
9. Click save option on top left corner.
10. Select and right click on data-set layer.
11. Select Rename layer.

12. Select and right click on renamed data-set layer.

13. Select Styles and left click on Edit symbol.
14. Select Simple fill and left click on Fill colour.

15. Select and left click on Transparent Fill.

16. Repeat step 9.
17. Repeat step 10 to 15 for all Administrative boundaries data set.
18. Select on District dataset and leftclick on Open AttributeTable.
19. Choose District of interest.
20. Select and left-click on numbers column of District of interest to highlight row of
attributes data.
21. Left-click on Show All Features Icon at the bottom left of table and select Show
Selected Features and close tab.

22. District of interest is now highlighted by yellow fill colour.

23. Select and left-click on box adjacent to renamed Health facilities layer to check
visibility.
24. Right click on layer and select Styles and left-click on edit symbol.
25. Under Symbol Selector tab choose and left click on symbol of interest.
26. Select size option and reduce to 4.00000.
27. Left click on OK button on the bottom left of Selector symbol tab to apply
changes.
28. Repeat step 9.
29. Repeat step 24 to 26 for airport renamed data set layers.
30. Change the icon of selected symbol of interest.
31. Select and Left-click on simple marker under Marker option of Symbol of
interest.
32. Select and left-click on Symbol Layer Type option.
33. Select and left-click on SVG Marker.
34. Scroll down to SVG Browser tab.
35. Select and leftclick on App Symbols folder then Transport folder under SVG
Groups tab.
36. Select and left click on transport icon of interest under SVG Images tab.

37. Scroll up to marker tab.

38. Select and left-click on color.
39. Select and left-click on light blue shade on colour tray.
40. Repeat step 9.
41. Repeat step 24 to 26.
42. Repeat step 31 to 39 for seaport renamed layer.
43. Select
44. Drag arrow and select Vector tab at the top .
45. Select Geo-processing tools and left click on Clip.

46. Select Input layer option and left-click on Districts layer.

47. Select Overlay layer option and left-click on Provinces layer.

48. Under clipped option, select button adjacent to the right and left-click save to file.
49. On pop up tab, Under file name, type name of clipped layer.

50. Under save as type, leftclick on SHP file.

51. Left click on save option at the bottom right of tab to apply changes.
52. Left-click on run option to the bottom right of clip tab.
53. In the event of Spatial Index and Geometries errors, Leftclick on search bar ontop
of browser layer.
54. Type: Fix geometries or Create spatial index.
55. Left click on result.
56. In input layer select and left click on layer stated to possess the error during
clipping or layer with question mark icon adjacent to it.
57. Under fixed geometries tab, repeat step 48 to 52.
58. Repeat step 46 to 52 and replace Input layer with error fixed layer.
59. Repeat step 46 to 52 for clipping of Health Facility, Road Network, Railway
Network, River systems, Water Bodies, Highway, Seaport, Airport layers.
60. Repeat step 9.
61. Check visibility of only the clipped layers and province layer and uncheck
unclipped layers.
62. Drag and align layers with Provinces at the bottom ,clipped district and the rest of
the clipped layers.
63. Render open street map.
64. Left click and hold while moving cursor/arrow to realign layers.
65. Left click on QuickMapServices icon at the top right corner of the tab.
66. Select OpenStreetMap and left click on OpenStreetMap Standard.

67. When OSM is rendered, repeat step 9.

68. Select and left click on New Print Layout icon on the top left corner.
69. J
70. Select add item, add shape and left click on add rectangle.
71. Left click on top right corner of the blank page, hold and drag to 3/4 of the space
of the page and release.
72. Select add item and left click on add map.
73. Left click on top right corner of the rectangle shape, hold and drag to the bottom
left corner of the rectangle and release .
74. After map renders, repeat step 9.
75. Navigate to item properties.
76. Check by left clicking lock layers box under layers tab.
77. Check by left clicking lock styles for layers box.
78. Repeat step 70.
79. Left click on bottom left corner of the map, hold and drag cursor to 1/4 of the
space of the map and release.
80. Select add item, left click on add label.
81. Place label on the top right corner.
82. Select item properties, under main properties type: HWANGE STUDY MAP.
83. Select Appearance and left click on font.
84. Change font size to 17, font type to Times New Roman and Bolden.
85. Center vertical and horizontal alignment of text in the label.
86. Select add item, left click on add legend.
87. Type: Legend under main properties for the title.
88. Center and underline by scrolling to fonts and text formatting and selecting and
left clicking on alignment and font under Legend title.
89. Remove extra layers (non renamed layers) through the left clicking on the red
line button at the bottom of legend items.
90. Rename Legend items by selecting and left clicking on the legend item and
editing text under Label.
91. Repeat step 90 for all legend items.
92. Repeat step 9.
93. Select Add item and left click on Scale bar.
94. Paste scalebar under legend.
95. Under Item properties edit scale bar settings.
96. Input 0.900000 for Label unit multiplier.
97. Input right 3 under segments.
98. Repeat step 9.
99. Repeat step 80.
100.Paste label under Scalebar.
101.Select item properties under main properties type: Map developed by: Student
Details.
102.Change font size to 12, font type to Times New Roman.
103.Repeat step 85.
104.Repeat step 9
105.Navigate to Items tab on the top right corner.
106.Lock all layers excluding Map 2.
107.Drag cursor to project tab.
108.Right click on Provinces layer.
109.Left click on Zoom to layer(s).
110.Uncheck boxes for all clipped layers.
111.Check boxes for Provinces, Districts and Wards.
112.Select and right click on Districts layer.
113.Repeat step 13 and 14.
114.Select and left click colour of interest.
115.Drag cursor to printout layer.
116.Repeat step 72 and 79.
117.Repeat step 75 to 77
118.Repeat step 74
119.Navigate to item properties and scroll to Frame.
120.Select and left click to check frame box.
121.Left click on down arrow to open frame menu.
122.Increase thickness to 1.00.
123.Repeat step 119 to 122 for all items: Map 1, Map Title, Legend, Scalebar,
Developer Label
124.Navigate to Map 2 item properties and repeat step 76 and 77.
125.Uncheck lock layers for map 1 under items menu.
126.Navigate to item properties for Map 1 and scroll to Grids.
127.Open Grids menu.
128.Add Grid to Map 1, Left click on the green +/plus sign at the bottom.
129.Left click on Grid1, Left click on Modify Grid.
130.Input 0.2000000 for X and Y Intervals.
131.Left clicnk on Blend mode, Select and Left click on Overlay.
132.Navigate to Frame menu, Select and left click on No Frame.
133.Select and Left click on Zebra.

134.Navigate to Draw Coordinates Menu.

135.Check through left clicking Draw Coordinates box.
136.Left click on Outside frame under Left option.
137.Select and left click on Inside Frame.
138.Repeat step 136 and 137 for Right, Bottom and Top option.
139.Navigate to Add item and left click on Add North Arrow.
140.Navigate to top right corner of Map 1, Left click, Hold and drag cursor to draw
North arrow.
141.Navigate to Item properties tab, Picture Menu and left click on arrow of interest
under SVG Images under arrow folder.
142.Scroll to SVG Parameters and change Fill colour to red and stroke colour to
Black.
143.Repeat step 9.
144.Navigate to Export to Pdf Icon at the top.
145.Edit filename, Left click on save button.
146.Navigate to save button under PDF Export Options and left click.