[Qgis-user] What is GrASS really?

[Alex Mandel]

Take a class or workshop at a local school, or read a few intro
books.(http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781934356067.do)

You could also start with the QGIS Manual, or the QGIS Gentle
Introduction pdf (both on qgis.org).

Thanks,
Alex

On 09/30/2011 04:29 AM, Emile Peek wrote:
> 
> What I am really trying to say is that I don't know where to start studying GIS. 
> What can you advise me to study so that I can get a working grasp (instead of a theoretical one) of the possibilities of GIS?
> 
> 
>> Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:21:22 -0700
>> From: tech_dev at wildintellect.com
>> To: qgis-user at lists.osgeo.org
>> Subject: Re: [Qgis-user] What is GrASS really?
>>
>> On 09/29/2011 11:12 PM, Emile Peek wrote:
>>>
>>> I am a newbie and I am regularly making maps on Wikimedia Commons with Inkscape. I am trying to make sense of Qgis and the many possibilities it offers but to no avail.
>>>
>>> What is the Grass database? What can I retrieve from it? Maps, sure, but what kind of maps? What is the scope of the GRASS database?
>>>
>>> What goes for GRass goes for other databases as well? What is on those databases? Where can I find that kind of information? 
>>>
>>> Answering my questions would mean much to me because right now I am struggling.
>>>
>>> Emile.
>>>
>>>  		 	   		  
>>
>> GRASS is a geospatial analysis framework and toolset. The GRASS database
>> is custom formats specifically geared toward such analysis tasks and is
>> not suitable for anything else.
>>
>> QGIS is a visualization and analysis front end which can hook into many
>> backends, GRASS, postgis, spatialite, multitude of python plugins, and
>> soon SAGA and OTB toolboxes (I'm sure I missed some things).
>>
>> You can only retrieve data that is some reworking of what you put into
>> it. Example, given an elevation dataset you can generate a hillshade to
>> put behind other map layers. It does not come with data (other than a
>> few samples)
>>
>> It might be most useful for you to look at the some slides and papers on
>> QGIS & Inkscape for cartography.
>>
>> The most important difference here is that maps made with QGIS can
>> contain real data that is referenced to a real place on earth in such a
>> way that you can give that data to other people and it will show up in
>> the same place on earth in their viewer - be it QGIS, ArcGIS, Openlayers
>> or any other geospatial map viewing product.
>>
>> Enjoy,
>> Alex
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>