qgis for android

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Quantum GIS on Android

Marco Bernasocchi

MSc in Geography with specialisation in GIS UZH

Independent programmer

Ski and Dive instructor

marco@opengis.ch

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In this talk...

● Tell you about QGIS and the people who use it & make it

● Explain why it is important that projects like QGIS exist

● QGIS in Natural sciences● QGIS on Android● Live demo, discussion & questions

Part of this presentation are based on Tim Sutton's QGIS for humanity presentation: http://linfiniti.com/2011/11/zurich-qgis-developer-meeting-summary-november-2011/

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Some history: proprietary GIS

● Pay to use model● Pay for support model● Pay to share model● Good software for those who can afford it, no

software for those who can't

Cc image : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_Wall.jpg

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But, sometimes life is hard...

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...you can barely afford good hardware infrastructure... Let alone the cost of

expensive software

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What if there was another way?

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...to build something bigger than ourselves...

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...that many, many DO enjoy...

...hundreds of thousands...

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...all around the world...

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...and many help to build...

- slide courtesy G. Sherman

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To make something awesome like Linux, like LibreOffice, like GIMP...

Please welcome: “QGIS and the Open Source world”

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History of QGIS development

http://pvanb.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/how-qgis-has-grown-over-the-years/

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QGIS development this year

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D60XJGerDFWI

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Now lets see some use cases...

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Emergency response

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Emergency response

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Animal Tracking

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Animal Tracking

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Filter for Zebra

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Zebra only

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Web map publishing

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Planning

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Marster Thesis in GIS

● Visualising multivariate spatio-temporal data● Design and evaluation of an open source

software environment based on 3D DEMs and multiple linked views

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Globe

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Globe 3D anaglyph

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Globe 3D on a geowall

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Linked Visualisation Framework

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Timeplot Summit

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Timeplot Face

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Helix Summit

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Helix Face

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QGIS Features

● PostGIS and SpatiaLite, most vector formats supported by the OGR library, including ESRI shapefiles, MapInfo, SDTS and GML.

● raster formats supported by the GDAL library*, such as digital elevation models, aerial photography or landsat imagery,

● GRASS locations and mapsets,

● online spatial data served as OGC-compliant WMS , WMS-C (Tile cache), WFS and WFS-T

● Convert other GPS formats to GPX, or down/upload directly to a GPS unit

● Perform spatial analysis, including: map algebra, terrain analysis, hydrologic modeling, network analysis

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QGIS Features

● on-the-fly reprojection

● print composer

● overview panel

● spatial bookmarks

● identify/select features

● edit/view/search attributes

● feature labeling (with data driven labelling as well)

● vector diagram overlay

● advanced vector and raster symbology

● graticule layer

● map decorations like north arrow, scale bar and copyright label

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QGIS Features

● digitizing tools for vector features

● field and raster calculator

● Georeferencer plugin

● Publish your map on the internet using QGIS Server or the "Export to Mapfile" capability (requires UMN MapServer)

● Adapt QGIS to your needs through the extensible python and C++ plugin architecture.

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Subprojects

● QGIS Browser● QGIS Server● QGIS Client● QGIS on Android

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Questions so far?

See you after the break for “Why and how go mobile?”

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Why go mobile? Because sometimes civilisation is far away...

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Why go mobile?

● Work on the terrain● Lightweight and portable● Automatic georeferencing and bearing● Possibility of custom calculations at input time

depending on position, bearing, …● So we can get off our offices :)

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Why to go mobile?

● Finally widespread of (almost) adequate hardware at “normal” prices

– Good performance– Good battery life– Integrated GPS and compass– Finger and pen input– In near future rugged tablets

● Strong development of software● It's modern ;)

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How to go mobile? By getting our hands dirty...

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How to go mobile?

● Choose a platform– IOS and you'll have little →

hardware choice– Win mobile and you'll be →

shaking hands with Lucifer soon :) and have almost no devices available

– Android Many devices, →Linuxish, Trendy

● Adapt UI to touch

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Strategy

● Two different version– First a 1-to-1 port of the FULL desktop

application with the same GUI ● targeting Tablets (10.1”)● Started as a Google Summer of Code project

– Later, a new application using an ad-hoc minimalistic GUI optimized for smaller screens like smart-phones

● Development not started yet

– Application installer

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Let's get technical: Technologies

● QGIS: Qt (C++) + cmake + external libs (GDAL, GEOS, Proj4, expat, GSL, Iconv, QWT, sqlite, libpq, open-ssl)

● ANDROID: Java + Android ant build system● NDK (android native development kit): Java + C++ +

JNI + Android ant build system● NECESSITAS (Qt-android port): Qt + qmake

= BIG complex mess !!!

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Let's get technical: implementation

● Necessitas consists of:– The Android port of the Qt libraries– Ministro II, the Qt libraries manager for android

(a sort of apt)– Java android application that takes care of the

Java to C++ (via JNI) binding of the UI and libraries dependency management.

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Let's get technical: implementation

● QGIS on Android consists of:– The cross compiled dependencies (in form of

unversioned .so files)– An .so file (shared object) of QGIS (there is no

executable binary) and of all the QGIS libs– A necessitas based Java application

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Let's get technical: workflow

● Cross compilation of dependencies● Cross compilation of QGIS linking the

croscompiled dependencies● Building and enhancing the Java wrapper● Packaging● Distributing● All by scripts and now automatically on the

server as well

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Let's get technical: application workflow

● Install apk (using the installer)● On first run, the assets (svg, translations, …)

are extracted to the filesystem (this could be optimized)

● A service call is issued to Ministro II to deliver the required Qt libs. If the libs are not installed, Ministro asks to download them

● After all dependencies are load the qgis.so is loaded and its main gets executed

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Current limitations

● No GPS nor compass reading yet● No right click gesture● Shapefiles bug preventing use of shapefiles

with strings in dbf● Some dialogs are too big● No SSL● Debug version with no armV7 optimization

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Bug Tracker

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Current features

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Use cases: on terrain digitizing

● Central DB (Postgress)● Save to spatiallite locally● Go on the field and get your hands dirty● Back in the office, sync it back to the Postgress

DB

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Multiple users on terrain digitizing

● As soon as Android QGIS will support Python plugins

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Next Plans

● Implement GPS● Fix Shape files bug● Implement Right click gesture (long click)

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Future Plans

● Implement Compass● Add ssl● Optimize build for arm-v7a● Fix “all” bugs at http://hub.qgis.org/projects/android-qgis/issues

● Add Python support● Create a new UI for the mobile version

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Conclusion

We build it for you to use!

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Conclusion

When you improve QGIS (by contributing time, money, code, translations, help on the mailing list

etc.), there is a huge multiplier effect that you don't get with proprietary software:

“By helping yourself, you help others”

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Conclusion

Use it and join our community – become a participant in the process of making the tools you

use.

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Conclusion

There are many other Free and Open Source GIS tools out there!

http://osgeo.org

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What next?

You can get your copy at

http://download.qgis.org http://android.qgis.org

Visit the home page at http://qgis.org

Visit QGIS' blog to find out about us and to read many informative articles:

http://planet.qgis.org

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Questions & Discussion

Thank you for the attention

http://opengis.ch

marco@opengis.ch

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Demos

● Multiview Plugin● Globe● Android● Offline editing