<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>I don't know if this is the correct format for asking these questions, so please re-direct me as needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>I am used ArcMap for many years to perform pretty basic stuff, but I am not finding QGIS to be as easy of a transition as I had hoped. I am now self-employed, doing some part time consulting for a few clients and I do not have the budget to buy ESRI products, especially when QGIS has such promise. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>In the past, my normal use of GIS was to pretty focused on being able to connect dots from GPS data, digitize features using aerial photography and other basemaps. Producing a variety of maps for projects that included exported tables of that data to show coordinates, lengths, area or other characteristics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>I downloaded QGIS version 2.14.19-Essen. I am not familiar with programming languages, scripts or other behind the scenes stuff. When I have looked at tutorials QGIS has, the screens do not match what I see or the process does not work as expected. I don't know if I am missing something with the install or just need a friendly guide to point the way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Right now, I specifically need help with four things: add basemaps from external sources (aerial, street, usgs quad), calculate/display area of polygons in attribute table; add X,Y coordinates of existing points to attribute table; search for and add points based on X,Y coordinates. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white;vertical-align:middle'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222'>Louise <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>