GEng135: Geographic Information Systems

Laboratory Exercise Title: Laboratory Exercise on Digitizing

Week No. 7
Section: 12:00-3:00 PM, WF

Introduction:
By default, QGIS loads layers read-only. This is a safeguard to avoid accidentally editing
a layer if there is a slip of the mouse. However, you can choose to edit any layer as long as the
data provider supports it, and the underlying data source is writable (i.e., its files are not readonly). In general, tools for editing vector layers are divided into a digitizing and an advanced
digitizing toolbar, described in section advanced digitizing. You can select and unselect both
under Settings Toolbars. There are many methods in digitizing like the manual digitizing,
automated digitizing and the on-screen digitizing. For this exercise, we will use the on-screen
digitizing.
Objectives:
1. Knowing how to on-screen digitize in point, polygon and line.
Data to be used:
untitledvsu_modified.tiff
Output:
Polygon: VSU Academic Building and Research Centres
Line: VSU Road network
Points: Non-academic Buildings
Procedure:
1. Load the raster image that you like to digitize.
2. Create New Shapefile

Choose shapefile type

Use EPSG:4326 - WGS84
this time
This is where you write the fields name

Type of fields name:

whole number?
Decimal
String (text)?

Width - no. of characters

Precision - no. of decimal places
Click to confirm to add the fields name
Click to delete the field
Click OK

3. Then save your new shapefile accordingly to your directory.

4. The new shapefile will appear in the table of contents
5. Now, its time to create features (or to draw shapefile). Just write click on that polygon and
click toggle editing

6. Then fill up the corresponding field.

Fill in the ID of the feature

Fill in the name of feature

Click to confirm

7. Click toggle editing again to stop and save edits

8. Object or features to digitize:
A. Polygon: VSU Academic Building and Research Centers
B. Line: VSU Road network
C. Points: Non-academic Buildings
9. In each feature, make at least three fields name (including the ID)
Final Outputs:

Map of VSU Academic Building and Research Centers Digitized in Polygon

Map of VSU Non-academic Buildings Digitized in Point

Map of VSU Road Network Digitized in Line

Map of VSU Digitized in Polygon, Point and Line

Attribute Table for Academic Building and Research Centers Digitize in Polygon

Attribute Table for VSU Non- Academic Buildings Digitize in Point

Attribute Table for VSU Road Network Digitize in Line

Conclusion:
This laboratory exercise in digitizing doesnt cover adding only point features; because
thats not really necessary once youve worked with more complicated features (lines and
polygons). It works exactly the same, except that you only click once where you want the point
to be, give it attributes as usual, and then the feature is created. Knowing how to digitize is
important because its a very common activity in GIS programs. There are also errors that will
emerge as you digitize like positional errors and most of all is the topological errors especially
when you compare the output with some other digitized and recognized output for a certain
project.
References:
http://www.qgis.org/userguide