How to Create a Shapefile in QGIS

By Conservation International

The tutorial video is found via the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zer558SnKX4

• Download QGIS app into your computer

• Open QGIS to view a window similar the one shown in the picture

• Ensure that the panels and tool bars that you will need for this task are open. You will need:

• Layers Panel

• Digitizing toolbar

• Manage layers toolbar

• Map navigation toolbar

• Project toolbar

• Right click in the window to display the panels and toolbars as shown in the picture.

• Select the relevant panels and toolbars as instructed.

• Install the OpenLayers Plugin by clicking on the plugins button on the top bar of the page. Then select OpenLayersPlugin.

• If done correctly, you will see the massage ‘Plugin installed successfully’ at the top of the plugins window

• Through the OpenLayersplugin, you will access the base map to use to create the shapefile. In this tutorial we will use Bing Aerial

• Click on Web button on the top bar, then OpenLayersPlugin, then Bing maps and then Bing Aerial

• With the base map open, zoom in to the geographical area of your choice using the map navigation icons (+ or -) on the toolbar .

• In this tutorial, Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia was selected

• Shapefiles can be created as a point, line or polygon. This tutorial creates the polygon shapefiles.

• Click on the New layers Icon – last icon under the Layers panel on the left of the screen. It will display the New Shapefile Layer Dialog box, where you will specify the type and name of shapefile that you want to create. The file name will then appear under the Layers Panel on the left.

• The standard Coordinate System used is the WGS 84 as indicated in the Dialog box under “System”.

Once this is done, you are ready to draw the polygon to include the areas you want to analyze.

Select the ‘Pencil icon’ on the toolbar ensure it is showing besides the layer you are working on.

Next, click on the add feature and click around the area you want to include in the shapefile

Once done, right click inside the window to display the polygon you have created.

You can make as many polygons as desired.

• You will need to change the settings of the polygon in order to see the images under it.

• Right click on the layer you are working on – under the Layers Panel and select ‘Properties’

• The layer appears with the name you saved it in.

In the Properties Dialog box:

Click on Fill and select ‘Simple Fill’. In the Fill Style -change from ‘Solid’ to ‘No Brush’ as indicated in this picture.

Your final polygon will appear as shown in the picture, and you are now ready to save and analyze in Trends.Earth, or share as a shapefile.

• The shape file is saved as a series of files that must be used together.

• In case you want to share, first save them as a Zip folder then you can share the zip folder with all files intact.

ENDWatch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zer558SnKX4

For questions and any further information please contact:• azvoleff@conservation.org

• mnoon@conservation.org

• tkiptenai-kemboi@conservation.org

• endenga@conservation.org