[Qgis-user] Importing SVG + Designing maps from scratch

[Robbie Smith]

On 05/10/13 06:18, . wrote:
> Inkscape does have a "Save to DXF" option. From there the dxf2shape
> converter plugin(dxf file to shape file), then shape file into QGIS gets
> your data into QGIS. You would need to use one of the translation tools
> to then scale the data. It seems technically possible. I think in the
> transfer you will loose much of the pretty formatting that was developed
> in Inkscape.
>
> An issue would be scaling the vector data to the GIS coordinate
> reference system (CRS). One method that does not involve DXF or
> translation tools would be to export a map from Inkscape to a bitmap
> (ie. raster) file and use the tools in QGIS to trace over the bitmap
> with vectors. Use Google Earth as the first step in scaling or what is
> known as "georefrencing" the raster image.
>      Place reference marks on the top and bottom edges of the raster,
> three along the top - one in each corner     and one in the middle. Put
> two along the bottom at the 1/3 and 2/3 positions. Import into Google
> Earth, then     scale the map so that the units work out in both x and y
> dimensions (QGIS won't do this step automatically     yet). Then draw a
> vector "W" connecting the dots at the top and bottom of the raster.
> Export the W vector to .kml. Import the kml into QGIS. Wherever  the W
> was drawn in Google Earth, thats where it will         appear in QGIS
> with some Coordinate Reference System (WGS 84:EPSG 4326).
>
> Using QGIS's georeferencing tool and the W vector import the raster
> image, scaled to real world units. Then digitize your map.
>
> I've never used the DXF/translate method. I can't say how easy or hard
> it is. I have used the georeferencing feature.
>
> Keep in mind QGIS hasn't a completely WYSIWYG interface, allowing you to
> merely point and click your way through entering the data. At times some
> forethought and calculation is necessary.
>
> I would develop my base map in QGIS. When I was ready to publish a
> finished map I would either use QGIS's built-in map composer or then
> re-export to SVG and do final composition in Inkscape. This also opens
> the possibility of using one of the many GIS web server applications
> that would allow you to make your world available online. There is even
> an animation plugin. Using QGIS opens up many new possibilities.
>
> To do a proper GIS then I would use a database like PostGIS to hold the
> data in the form of tables. Separate tables for vectors and point data.
> QGIS allows use of many types of data sources, PostGIS being one of them.
>
> This would necessitate the understanding of SQL databases (ie. PostGIS)
> and GIS systems (QGIS). These are free versions of expensive commercial
> software that are used world-wide.
>
> You'll need QGIS, PostGIS, GoogleEarth and some patience. Your hobby
> could lead you to a career.
>
> Just take your time. Read the manuals. It should work.
>
> On 10/4/2013 10:22 AM, Robbie Smith wrote:
>> Hello everyone
>>
>> I’m very new to GIS, and I’ve been reading a lot of manuals and
>> information, but I thought I’d ask a couple of questions here.
>>
>> One of my major hobbies is drawing maps of a completely imaginary
>> country; it’s part of a massive project of mine. I’m getting to the
>> point where I’m reaching practical limitations in the way I’m drawing
>> the maps. The first is that to extend in any direction I need to
>> either make the canvas size bigger or create a new image and line up
>> elements exactly, which is quite error-prone and time consuming. The
>> other major problem is different zoom levels: if I want to draw, say,
>> a more detailed map of a town, again I’d have to draw a completely new
>> image and try to copy and/or scale elements of an existing drawing,
>> which is also time-consuming and error prone.
>>
>> As I’m trying to make my maps (and everything else) as realistic as
>> possible, I’ve been starting to think that maybe moving to using some
>> sort of GIS application might be the way to go. With GIS, I could
>> store all the geographical information in a database, and then just
>> generate maps that cover the area and scale that I want. And if I
>> wanted to create different types of maps, such as topographical or a
>> road map, I could easily select which layers I want to export. The
>> possibilities are pretty-much endless.
>>
>> However, I’ve already done quite a lot of work on these SVG maps in
>> Inkscape, and I really would prefer not to start completely from
>> scratch. Can I import an existing SVG map into QGIS and use it as a
>> starting point, preserving the existing paths and shapes? Can I define
>> an arbritary grid to align things to? Learning and adapting to GIS is
>> going to be challenging enough without having to redo years of work.
>>
>> Any links, books, manuals or whatever that you could recommend for
>> this kind of project would be great, as I honestly have no idea where
>> to start.
>>
>> TLDR: Is it possible to import completely fictional maps into (Q)GIS
>> and design them from scratch, and if so, where to begin?
>>
>> regards
>> Robbie
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>>
>
>
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Thanks for the ideas though I’m not entirely sure how I could make use 
of them.

The SVG map was drawn using layers and is at a scale of 1:10000, and 
though there’s no geographic data in it, I’ve decided that the bottom 
left corner would be the point 0°E 40°N. Whilst the SVG->DXF->SHP works, 
it doesn’t preserve the layers in the SVG file and doesn’t handle curved 
paths, so I just get a mess of straight lines.

I was naïvely hoping that I’d just be able to use some tools to import 
the map and pick up where I left off, so to speak. Searching for “import 
svg qgis” mostly finds ways to export QGIS to Inkscape, but I want to go 
the other way around.