[QGIS-ZA-user] Adding NGI data as base layers in QGIS

[Frank Sokolic]

Hi QGIS users,

Every now and then I get asked how to add aerial photos as base layers 
in QGIS projects so I thought I'd share this method with you. We are 
very lucky in South Africa as National Geo-spatial Information (NGI) 
have made it so easy to access their spatial data. One can quickly add 
their colour aerial photos, 1:50000 and 1:250000 topo maps, or landcover 
maps to QGIS using these simple steps:

Step 1: Select the following text and save it as a text file with an xml 
extension, e.g. NGI_WMS.xml:

<!DOCTYPE connections>
<qgsWMSConnections version="1.0">
     <wms
       name="NGI WMS"
url="http://apollo.cdngiportal.co.za/erdas-iws/ogc/wms/CDNGI_PORTAL_BACKDROP"
       username=""
       password=""
       referer=""
       dpiMode="7"
       ignoreAxisOrientation="false"
       smoothPixmapTransform="false"
       invertAxisOrientation="false"
       ignoreGetMapURI="false"
       ignoreGetFeatureInfoURI="false"
     />
</qgsWMSConnections>

Step 2: In QGIS open the Data Source Manager, e.g. by clicking <Ctrl>+L 
or from the menu: Layer > Data Source Manager.

Step 3: Highlight the WMS/WMTS tab.

Step 4: Click the Load button, navigate to where you saved the xml file 
in Step 1 and select the file.

Step 5: Choose the connection called NGI WMS and import it. You have now 
created a connection to the WMS server that hosts the NGI spatial layers.

Step 6: In the Data Source Manager WMS/WMTS tab, make sure that NGI WMS 
is selected in the drop-down list and then click the Connect button. 
After a few seconds a list of available layers will display.

Step 7: Select/highlight a layer in the list and click Add to add it to 
your QGIS project.

You might see the words "Returned legend is flawed" in the Layers Panel. 
I think that this is due to a configuration issue with the WMS on the 
server and is not a QGIS bug.

Regards, Frank.