In the previous 2 videos we signed up for a web hosting service and deployed a PostGIS database to it. In this video we will move the database that we have been working with on our localhost instance to the server so that it can be accessed by other clients. Continue reading “Deploying a PostGIS database Part 3 – Moving your database to the server”
Deploying a PostGIS database Part 2 – Web hosting service
This video goes through the process of signing up for a web hosting service with A2 hosting. You can literally have an instance of PostGIS up and running in half an hour for under $5/month that can be accessed from your own web map or from other clients such as QGIS.
What makes A2 Hosting so good for GIS applications is that they offer PostgreSQL databases in their standard cPanel package which means that you can easily install and use PostGIS. Most web hosting services only offer MySQL although you may be able to have them install PostgreSQL for you. Continue reading “Deploying a PostGIS database Part 2 – Web hosting service”
Deploying a PostGIS database Part 1 – Background
Learning to use PostGIS deployed on your local computer is very simple. The real power of a spatial database, however, is setting it up on a server so that it can be accessed by multiple clients simultaneously. This is a little bit more complicated. Continue reading “Deploying a PostGIS database Part 1 – Background”
Reports in QGIS 3.0
QGIS 3.0 has a powerful new way to create automated mapbook products called reports. If you are familiar with map atlas’s in QGIS 3 or data driven pages in ArcGIS you will be somewhat familiar with the basic premise. Continue reading “Reports in QGIS 3.0”
Working with multiple map views in QGIS 3.0
One of the many great new features of QGIS 3.0 is its ability to view and work with multiple map canvases or map views. You can link the location and scales of these views together so that they are centered in the same place but showing different data at different scales. For instance you can make an overview map showing the location of the main data frame in a larger spatial context or a close-up showing detailed aerial photography. Continue reading “Working with multiple map views in QGIS 3.0”
Tales from the golden age of geospatial.
Just for fun, while we are all breathlessly waiting for the QGIS 3.0 packages to drop, how about those of us more “experienced” GIS folk entertain our younger brethren with tales of how GIS was done back in the olden days. Continue reading “Tales from the golden age of geospatial.”
New Course: Introduction to spatial databases with PostGIS and QGIS
Thanks for your interest in this course. I’m very excited to release it as I believe that the combination of QGIS 3.0 and PostGIS amounts to an open-source “Killer App”. It solves many frustrating problems that I had to deal with throughout my career as the GIS specialist for small to medium sized environmental consulting companies. I think it is equally applicable to any organization that is outgrowing single-user desktop GIS but unable to pay the ten’s of thousands of dollars required to move into multi-user enterprise databases with commercial GIS software. It took quite a bit of effort to learn how to do this on my own and my hope, as always, is to help others navigate this technology without repeating the mistakes I made. Continue reading “New Course: Introduction to spatial databases with PostGIS and QGIS”
Getting started with PostGIS
For many years I had been hearing about spatial databases. I knew that some of the frustrating issues I was dealing with as the GIS specialist for small environmental consulting companies could be addressed with the technology. But consulting is all about billable hours and its really hard to convince your boss to give you the unbillable time needed to figure it all out. And its really hard and probably unethical to expect a client to let you figure it all out on their dime. So until a few years ago I kept chugging away with single-user file-based data storage and wasted an enormous amount of time managing data and people to prevent conflicts that could have easily been prevented with a spatial database. Continue reading “Getting started with PostGIS”
The case for open-source GIS
I have nothing against ESRI, they have been innovators in the geospatial software world from the beginning. I got into GIS from a natural resources background and I know that they have supported the conservation community for decades through their conservation grants program and many other ways. Jack Dangermond’s recent donation of $165 million to the Nature Conservancy to purchase one of the last large undeveloped parcels of southern California coastline stirred my heart and made me well up in tears with pride in the GIS community. I am not opposed to companies selling GIS software for profit. I believe in capitalism. I believe that entrepreneurs should be rewarded financially for producing high quality products at a fair price. Continue reading “The case for open-source GIS”
GIS performance vs. Video game performance
I posed this question to the Reddit GIS forum a few months ago after a discussion with my nephew who programs video games. It led to an interesting discussion for a few days and then I promptly forgot all about it. Today I learned it one the award for “Best post of 2017” so I thought I’d share it here for a wider audience. Enjoy! Continue reading “GIS performance vs. Video game performance”