Re: [Spanish] Traducción del "Field Guide to Humanitarian Mapping" de MapAction

Wed Apr 29 06:09:42 EDT 2009

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Chapter 4: Humanitarian mapping using MapWindow

How to use Chapter 4

MapWindow is a powerful Geographical Information System (GIS) software toolkit that is free to download and use. This chapter focuses on the use of MapWindow for mapping in humanitarian operations.
For a general introduction to GIS for humanitarian mapping see chapter 1 of this guide, and for quicker, easier mapping tools see chapter 3 which utilises Google Earth
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) with GIS functions is widely available in many different packages. For the purposes of this guide we have used one package that has a user-friendly interface and fast access to most standard raster and vector formats.
MapWindow allows a user with a basic understanding of the functions of GIS and its applications to create many useful map products for work within disaster risk reduction (DRR) and relief
MapWindow is a sophisticated GIS toolset. Unlike Google Earth, it does not open automatically with integrated imagery and mapping; however its functionality is considerably wider than Google Earth for managing and mapping spatial data and performing complex analyses on it. MapWindow can be used in a wide range of humanitarian mapping tasks, including:

â€¢ Obtaining and displaying information to orientate new staff arrivals.
â€¢ Showing â€˜who-what-whereâ€™ data: coordination centres, health facilities, distribution centres, refugee camps, airfields, drop zones.
â€¢ Displaying information about infrastructure, damage and hazards.
â€¢ Dividing up the disaster zone into search and rescue sectors, affected zones, unsafe zones, possible evacuation routes.
â€¢ Mapping and analysing data about the affected population and their needs, and highlighting spatial gaps and overlaps in response.

The purpose of this chapter is to give you an overview of the layout, terminology and functionality of MapWindow. To receive further direction in using this software please utilise the on-line manuals and forums available in many languages at: www.mapwindow.com
Chapter 4: Humanitarian mapping using MapWindow

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Creating and saving projects
4.3 Data
4.4 Navigating MapWindow
4.5 Legend for layer control
4.6 Data creating and editing
4.7 Editing the attribute data
4.8 Raster data editing
4.9 Core plug-ins
4.10 Raster grid operations
4.11 Advanced vector data operations
4.12 Downloadable plug-ins
4.13 Export a map

4.1 Introduction: getting started with MapWindow

4.1.1 Download MapWindow

Navigate to the MapWindow website and follow the on-line instructions to download the most recent stable version.

www.mapwindow.org/

Select your set up language
Read and accept the terms and conditions and choose a file location
Open MapWindow by finding it in your programs or by clicking on the icon

The initial interface offers various links where you can gain more instruction and advice about MapWindow. These can also be accessed from the main toolbar once in MapWindow
For now, close it. Click Red Cross

Features of MapWindow

Free to use and re-distribute
Advanced users or developers can write plug-ins to add additional functionality
Standard GIS data visualisation features as well as DBF attribute table editing, shapefile editing, and data converters
GIS formats are supported, including Shapefiles, GeoTIFF, ESRI, ArcInfo, ASCII and binary grids allowing for efficient data sharing
Compatible with Windows 98 and upwards
MapWindows complies with all international standards regulated by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGS)

Languages

Portuguese , Chinese
Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese

UpdatingMapWindow GIS

MapWindow GIS update can be acquired by clicking on File> Check For Updates

4.1.2 Basic layout

The following will appear. This is your Main View

Using additional windows

You can alter the general layout of the interface by taking off and on different windows
Standard Toolbar >View >Panels > Uncheck Show Legend or/and Show Preview Map

Re-check either of the options to return the windows to the default position

4.2 Creating and saving a new project

How might I use this?

It is possible that you will have many different sets of data, so it is important to manage them efficiently to prevent mistakes and wasting valuable time.
You will store all your work in Projects. The data you use will not be stored within the project file but will be linked to it; therefore the same data can be used for many projects
4.2.1 Loading and saving an existing project

Loading

File > Open > navigate to folder > Open (ends in .mwprj)

Saving a project

It is advisable to save regularly especially if you are in the field with /poor power supply and may have to move quickly
Standard Toolbar > File > Save > navigate to folder and assign name >Save

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
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Annex
1 Standard toolbar
2 Legend
3 Map view
4 Preview map
5 Icon toolbar

1
2
3
4
5

It is important to note that a saved project file does not contain any map data.
The project file contains references to map data, as well as other information such as the dataâ€™s symbology
Projects are stored on the hard drive with an .mwprj file extension

4.3 Data

How might I use this?

In humanitarian mapping, data falls into categories: background and situational.
For more information on data sources please see chapter 1 of the user guide
Background data can be time-consuming to collect and organise. If you are working in disaster management then download and obtain as much data as you can beforehand and try to ensure it is correctly spatially referenced, and perform any necessary data organisation (see chapter 1 for an explanation). Situation data is â€˜currentâ€™ information about the emergency. At the beginning of a disaster you may have very little: but it might include field hospitals, evacuation centres, road status, bridges. Other situation data may come in the form of statistics. The number of people affected, deaths and injuries. All tend to be collected at the level of admin unit (district etc) or p-code (unique reference codes for individual communities)
It is useful to think about the types of maps you want to create; each map should be focused on a particular purpose to ensure clarity of information.

Data type
Sources
Examples of uses
Background data

Raster
â€¢ Topographic maps (scanned) â€¢ Satellite imagery â€¢ Aerial photos

â€¢ Analysing damage and flood-ing â€¢ Identifying flat land for IDP camp locations â€¢ Contextual Information

Vector
â€¢ Virtual Map of the World (VMAP) â€¢ GAUL admin boundaries dataset â€¢ National mapping agenciesâ€™ digitised data holdings

â€¢ Identifying roads and routes â€¢ Classifying urban areas and settlements with population figures â€¢ Base maps of districts and communities to plan assess-ment missions

Situational data
â€¢ GPS points and tracks â€¢ Assessment report data

â€¢ Number of people affected, casualties â€¢ Programme planning maps â€¢ Logistics maps

4.3.1 Raster data

Raster data in GIS consists of matrices of discrete cells that represent features on, above or below the earthâ€™s surface. Each cell in the raster grid is the same size, and cells are usually square, but can be rectangular in MapWindow GIS
Typical raster datasets include remote sensing data such as aerial photography or satellite imagery and modelled data such as an elevation matrix. In the case of true geo-referenced imagery, such as true colour land photography (as might be obtained in GeoTIFF format), the data of the cells of the raster image is not accessible in the normal manner of grids, but instead it is displayed simply as an image with whatever RGB values are stored within it normally. Unlike vector data, raster data typically do not have an associated database record for each cell
4.3.2 Vector data

MapWindow supports three different types of ESRI Shapefiles: each GIS data set will be added to the map project as a single layer

Layer
Description
Examples
Polygon
Composed of solid shapes made up of interconnected vertices; anchor points about which a line turns.

Large urban areas, flooded areas, no-go zones, minefields
Line
Composed of line segments that may be interconnected. Can have vertices.

Roads, boundaries
Point
Individual points
Small villages, clinics, camp locations

4.3.3 Adding data to your project

How might I use this

This section will show you how to add and display data. It is useful to have an image underneath your mapped data to give it some context. To help locate important features for example rivers, roads and large areas of open space for possible camps and urban settlements
Add raster data
Click > Add Data Icon
Or
Veiw > Add Layer

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Add vector data
Click >Add Data Icon
Or
View > Add Layer > Navigate to File > Open

The layer will be added to your project and is visible in the Legend

4.4 Navigate MapWindow

How might I use this?

When working with a map it will often be necessary to zoom in to view an area in more detail, or zoom out to see a larger area
4.4.1 Zoom in and out

Icon Toolbar > Click the Zoom in or Zoom Out icon buttons

Move the mouse over the map and click to zoom in or out around a point
To zoom in to a specific area
Click and hold the left mouse button. Move the mouse to drag a rectangle around the area you wish to zoom to. Release the mouse button
If your mouse has a scroll wheel on top, it can be used to zoom in or out by rolling it forward or backwards

4.4.2 Zooming to Full Extent

Zooming to full extent resets the map view to see every feature of every layer.

Icon Toolbar> Click > > Select Full Extents

Tip: Hold down the Control key and click multiple items to add many layers at one time

Supported raster formats

Utah State University Binary Grid (*.bgd)
Arc/Info Binary Grid (sta.adf)
Arc/Info ASCII Grid (*.asc)
Arc/Info FLT grid (*.flt)
GeoTIFF (*.tif)
USGS ASCII DEM (*.dem)
Spatial Data Transfer Standard Grids (with some limitations) (*.ddf)
PAux (PCI .aux labelled)
PIX (PCIDSK Database) (*.pix)
DTED Elevation Raster (*.dhm or *.dt0 or *.dt1)
ECW Enhanced Compression Wavelet (*.ecw)
Erdas Imagine images (*.img)
Arc/Info Grid images (*.grd or hdr.adf)
Arc/Info HDR/BIL images (*.bil)
MrSID images (*.sid)
Bitmap images (*.bmp)
GIF images (*.gif)
JPEG/JPEG2000 images (*.jpg or *.jp2)
Portable Network Graphics images (*.pgm, *.pnm, *.png, *.ppm)
TIF images (*.tif)
Windows Metafile (*.wmf)

4.4.3 Zooming to previous or next extent
Zooming to previous extent
Zooming to next extent

4.4.4 Zoom to layer extent

Zooming to a layerâ€™s extent will display an area showing every feature in the selected layer(s)

Click > Layer> Zoom to Layer

4.4.5 Docking and Undocking Views

How might I use this?

You may find it easier to have different windows bigger or smaller or not visible at all
To customize your information windows click and pull on the top of the window. Hold down the left mouse key and drag the window to desired location
4.4.6 Panning

Panning allows the user to move the map display around to show areas outside of the current viewing area without changing the scale of the map.

Click > Move mouse over map> Click and hold left mouse button

The map will move with the mouse until released

4.4.7 Map overview

How might I use this?

This allows the user to quickly determine which area of the map the user is currently viewing. The map overview area provides a full extent view of layers added to it, the red rectangle shows the current map extent

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Update the Overview Map
Right-click Overview Map > Update Using Current Extent
Or
Standard Toolbar > Edit > Preview Map > Using Current Extent

Clear overview map
Right-click Overview Map > Clear
Or
Edit > Preview Map > Clear

4.5 Using the legend to control the layers

How might I use this?

The legend is a graphical representation of all the map layers in the current project. Each line represents a layer of data that is in the main view. You can change a layerâ€™s symbology or the order of display for the layers. For example, a layer may be given a colouring scheme indicating varying affected population
To turn a layer on or off click the check box next to it. The image to the right tells you the type of layer and its present symbology. The layer will have a plus (+) or minus (-) sign next to it to indicate they are collapsible or expandable
4.5.1 Changing the layer name

Changing the name of a layer does not affect the underlying data, only the layer in that particular project
Double-click on the layer in the legend for the Legend Editor
Locate> Display Name and change to desired text. Click the X to close the Layer Properties dialog
4.5.2 Changing the drawing order

The layers are drawn from bottom up so the first layer in the legend is the top layer of the map. It important to carefully order your map layers so that important data is not obscured by layers placed on top
Click and drag a layer to the desired location

Tip: If you set up a dynamic visibility, and then unselect the layer in the legend, it will reset the dynamic visibility to disabled, you will have to reset it

4.5.3 Removing a layer from the map

Removing a layer does not remove or delete the underlying data
Right-click Layer > Remove Layer
Or
Select Layer > View > Remove Layer

To remove all layers:

Right-click Layer > Clear Layers

4.5.4 Making the layer scalable

This allows layers to be set up so that they dynamically turn on and off as the scale of the project changes
Zoom to desired scale of layer and double click the layer in the legend window to bring up the Legend Editor

Dynamic Visibility > Click Disabled > Check Use Dynamic Visibility > Click Use Current Extents > Close Editor
4.5.5 Map layer symbolisation

When adding a new map layer to the userâ€™s project, a default symbol will be automatically generated. You can re-set this to your preferred symbology
Open Legend Editor by double clicking on layer in the legend

Colouring scheme

Click Colouring Scheme > Click to open Colour Scheme Editor

You can choose a field in the shapeâ€™s attribute table to calculate the colour and assign the number format of it
The easiest way is to use the pre-defined colour scheme. The Legend Editor will also allow the user to:

â€¢ Change display properties like point/line colour, width, and style.
â€¢ Change layer dynamic visibility â€¢ Change legend properties (expand picture) â€¢ Change map bitmap and transparent colour

How to use the guide
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4.5.6 Adding a label to a layer

Labels are an easy way to add dynamic textual labels to geometric features on the map. MapWindow GIS will extract a user-defined field from the map data to be used as the label text. Labels may be added to raster datasets programmatically, but not directly from within MapWindow GIS
Open Legend Editor > Click Label Setup > Click

A new window Shapefile Labeler will open

Click Label Field for First Line and chose the field you want to label on your map

Choose Properties >Apply > OK

To remove the labeling for a layer change the label field to None. Click OK

4.5.7 Information on map features

How Might I Use This?

This is useful to identify features on your map while you are viewing it on the screen. Clicking the Identifier will activate the Identifier plug-in, and set the mouse cursor into identifier mode
If a raster layer is selected, the identifier window will be put into Raster mode. If a shapefile layer is selected, the identifier window will be put into Shapefile mode.

Shapefile Raster

Activity One
Find a selection of vector data shapefiles for the area in which you are working: for example from a partner organization that uses GIS. Import them into MapWindow. Set up a series of data layers and set the symbols to create a working base map (see Chapter 1 for hints on cartography). Navigate the extents of the data and practice zooming to areas of interest.

The identifier can be used to select a shape in a shape layer or a cell or group of cells from a raster and show information on them
Setup for querying map features
Select the layer to query in the legend
Click

Move the mouse over the map and click on the feature to be identified. The Feature Identifier dialog will be displayed with the available information

4.5.8 Selecting features by rectangle

Select by Rectangle allows the user to select features on the map by drawing a rectangle. Any features of the active layer that fall within the selection tolerance of the rectangle will be selected
Select layer by clicking in the legend or using the tool bar icon

Move the mouse over the map and click and hold the mouse button. This click will represent the first corner of the rectangle. Keeping the mouse button held down draw the rectangle required
Release the mouse button. Features of the active layer that fall within the rectangle will be selected and drawn
By holding down the control key, the user can draw additional rectangles and add the selection to the original selected data

Viewing attribute data of selected features
Click to Open Attribute Table Editor

The Attribute Table data for the selections will be shown
To create a new shapefile consisting only of these selected features:

Click Selection > Export Selected Features > Navigate to desired location and assign a File Name > Save

It will ask you if you want to load the shapefile. Click Yes > Close window
The new layer will be added to your map

How to use the guide
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Google Earth
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Annex

4.6 Data creating and editing

How might I use this?

Create new layers to display your situational data. You may have data on transport routes, areas of refugees and important locations that you need to view spatially and put on your maps
4.6.1 Open Shapefile Editor

Toolbar > Plug-Ins > ShapeFile Editor

The ShapeFile Editor Toolbar will appear at the top of your screen
New layer
To create a new layer for editing click on the icon

Navigate to the folder you want it saved and assign a name
Choose the type of layer: point, line, or polygon. For more information see chapter 4.3
Click OK
A warning message may appear

You can choose to give the layer the default projection assigned by MapWindow. This will be in coordination with any existing layers in your legend
Do Nothing will add the layer to the map without a projection, this can be altered later
If you do not want to add the layer, Abort
Click OK

Another warning message may appear

This remind you to be sure that when adding data to the map to use as a reference, to ensure the data you draw is in the correct spatial area (the correct extents)
Your shapefile will appear in the legend under Data Layers.

Draw layer
Click the plus shape icon

Move the cursor to the start point, click to add points (vertices)
In the case of lines or polygons continue adding points and right click to finish

4.6.2 Editing a layer using Shapefile Editor

How might I use this?

MapWindow GIS has basic capabilities for editing spatial (vector) data that is held in Shapefiles. The shapefile has two main components: the geometry (the points, lines or polygons) and the attribute table that describes what the geometric shapes represent (for example, that particular point features represents a village called Mufindi with certain other characteristics. In this section we will look at ways to edit the geometry of the features
Once you have created your shape you can select and modify the features should the situation data change and find data within the shape, for example a specific geographic location. You can add regular shapes, merge shapes and delete underlying data.

 To edit an existing layer, highlight the layer in the legend
To add another shape
Click and move the curser to the point the shape is to be added
Enter x, y values by left clicking on the location where a point or vertex should be added
 To move a vertex
A vertex is a point itself, or mid-or end-point on a line, or a turning point on a polygon boundary
Click then select the point to be moved by left-clicking on it. Drag the selected point to the correct location and release the mouse button.

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Tip: Before performing any edits, always make a backup of the dataset you are about to edit. Key files to copy when backing up a shapefile in-clude any files ending in .prj, .dbf, .shp, and .shx

If the feature being created is a polygon or a line, you can add or remove a vertex from the existing shapefile

To delete a shape from the shapefile
Select shape it will change colour to indicate selected
Click

Hold CTRL to delete multiple shapes
A warning message will ask for confirmation. Click OK

To delete data
To erase data from the layer beneath the selected shape Click
To erase the current layer at the selected shape Click

To undo a command
Click to undo last change made

Merge shapes
Click and select the shapes you want to merge holding CTRL Click OK
The attribute data of the new merged shape will match the shape first selected

Add a regular shape
To add a regular shape to the current shapfile you are editing Click

You can then choose from adding a Polygon, Circle, Rectangle or Ellipse
Click on the map and the shape will be drawn with your chosen dimensions centred on that point

Resize a shape
Select shape and click

A new window will appear. You can expand or shrink the shape by changing the percentage in the new window and checking the appropriate box or by map units
To check the result Click Resize

Once completed Click Done

Rotate shape
Select the shape and click

A new window will appear. You can choose to rotate around the centre or another point by typing in the coordinates or clicking the relevant location on the map
Type> Rotation Angle > Click Rotate > Done

Check a shapefile
To remove any vertices within a shapefile that are duplicates or within a certain distance of each other. Click

A new window will appear. Type in 0 for removing duplicates or specify the map unit distance. Any two shapes within this distance of each other will have one deleted
Click > OK

4.7 Editing the attribute data

How might I use this?

In the last section we looked at ways to edit the geometry of the features in a shapefile - for example to adjust the shape of a district boundary which has changed. Each feature (point, line or polygon) has a record in the attribute table of the shapefile: for example a â€˜districtsâ€™ shapefile might have attributes of the baseline population for each district
Using such a shapefile as a starting point, you might want to add data on affected families for each district. This tool allows you to build, change and add fields to the attribute table, the table of information which sits in the background of a layer
4.7.1 Add and remove fields

Select the layer in the legend. Click to open the attribute table

Or

Right Click layer >View Attribute Table Editor

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To add a field
Edit > Add Field

Choose name of field from one of the following:

â€¢ Integer: will allow you to enter a number without decimal places â€¢ Double: the precision, or places to the right of the decimal point, is enabled â€¢ String: this is used for text content fields

Click > OK

You can scroll to the end of the table to see your new field. Click on the field to enter data, once completed:

Click > Apply > Close

To remove a field
This will permanently delete the data contained within that field
Edit > Remove a Field > Select field to be deleted > OK

To rename field
Edit > Rename Field > Select Field to be renamed > type new name > OK

4.7.2 Queries

If you need to find features that have similar attributes you can do this by building queries. A query is a set of instructions to select certain features in the shapefile to then perform actions on
The features selected by the query will be highlighted in the attribute table
Selection > Query

A new window will appear
Build Query > Apply

You can then build the query â€˜stringâ€™ (question) by choosing fields and operators.
See the following Build a Query tips box on the following page

To highlight the selected features on the map
Click > View >Zoom to Selected Shapes

4.7.3 Search and export data

How might I use this?

To find data you can use a search tool, the first feature with that search string will be selected
Tools > Find > type in search > OK

Export the Selected Data
Selection > Export Selected Features >Navigate to folder >Choose name > Save

A new window will appear
Load the New Shapefile > Click Yes

The shapefile will now be available in the legend.

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Tip: Build a Query

The Query Builder dialogue box allows you to use standard Structured Query Language (SQL) commands to create a query of the shapefile at-tributes
Boolean operators
AND, OR, NOT

Comparison operators
< >, <=, >=, <>, IN, LIKE

Numeric constants:
50 or 50.0 or 5E1 (can be represented as integers, floating point or in scientific notation)

String constants:
'Tenure' (String constants should be quoted with single quotes)

Arithmetic operators
+, -, *, /, %

String concatenation operator
+ (eg 'cat' + 'inhat' = 'catinhat')

Aggregate functions
Sum(), Avg(), Min(), Max(), StDev(), Var()

String manipulators
TRIM(Expression) removes leading and trailing blanks

4.7.4 To replace a value

How might I use this?

To replace a value in all locations regards of the column the value is found in
Tools > Replace > Fill in values > Replace > Type replacement data > Replace

4.7.5 Calculate fields

How might I use this?

The field calculator allows you to build an expression and use the results to populate an attribute column
Tools > Field calculator Tool

Or

Click >

Build a query for calculations. More information on this can be found in Appendix 4C
Select the Field name the results will be saved
Click OK
4.8 Raster data legend editor

How might I use this?

The properties associated with rasters are edited via the layer properties including transparent colour, dynamic visibility, and a legend picture,. Ability to alter these properties will for example allow you to see data on layers underneath for context
Access the editor by double-clicking on a layer item in the legend
 Or
Right Click Layer > Properties

Activity Two
Make a copy of any shapefile that you have available. Use the guidance in the above section to change the geometry of features and to delete some. Open the attribute table and try to add fields and calculate new field values based on the data you already have.

4.8.1 Display of raster

If the raster properties being viewed are for a raster grid, then it is possible to alter the way in which that raster is displayed and coloured
Right Click > Properties > Symbology

Transparency
For partial transparency of the grids you need to choose a transparency colour and then set transparency to true. This will make all cells of that colour completely transparent
Dynamic visibility
Set the viewing extents at which a layer is displayed or hidden
Zoom to desired scale > Layer Editor > Dynamic Visibility > Check Use Dynamic Visibility > Click Use Current Extent

To reverse the process uncheck the Dynamic Visibility Option
Change Name and Display of Raster
Name
Open Legend Editor> Select Display Name > Change to desired text

Icon
Open Legend Editor > Legend Picture > Click >Browse for file (ending *jco)> Open

4.9 Core plug-ins

How might I use this?

A plug-in is a computer program that interacts with a host application (a web browser or an email client) to provide a certain function on demand. You can download and install extra plug-ins to add functionality to MapWindow
www.mapwindow.org/download.php

The plug-in tool is the manager for all plug-ins. This tool allows the user to turn on and off plug-ins as they are needed
4.9.1 Load and review plug-ins

Toolbar > Plug-In > Edit Plug-In

To activate or deactivate plug-ins check in the box next to their name

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Refreshing plug-in list > Click Refresh List

View Plug-in details by highlighting a plug-in and then looking at the box at the bottom
To close the window Click OK

4.9.2 Scripts

How might I use this?

The scripting system allows the user to set up custom actions or build the userâ€™s own plug-in, without needing a programming environment such as Visual Studio
A simple example script is displayed by default but you can change this as required. Compiling a plug-in will prompt the user to save a .dll file, which is added to the plug-in menu
4.9.3 Archive project tool

This provides the ability to archive, compress and restore MapWindow projects
Toolbar > Plug-In > Archive Project Tool

Toolbar > File > Archive/Restore Project

A new window will appear
Make any notes to further clarify this archive
Check Preserve original file locations in archive

Click Archive Project

A new window will appear
Navigate to file location > Identify project name > Save

An .mwa file will be generated

Click OK in Finished box

To retrieve a project archive
Toolbar > File > Archive/Restore Project

Navigate to archived location > Select file > Select location to put retrieved file > Click Restore Project

4.9.4 CSV to shapefile converter

How Might I Use This?

This plug-in converts comma-separated value (csv) text files which contain geographic coordinates, into shapefiles. CSV files can be created in Excel and have as many columns (fields) of data as you require
Toolbar > Plug-In > CSV to ShapeFile Converter

Toolbar > Converters > CSV to Shapefile

A new window will appear
Browse for Input File.CSV > Open

Choose the Field Delimiter symbol used to separate values in your file
Click Open File

Select the columns/fields that are used for X and Y fields (more information can be located about coordinates in chapter 1)
Check the box Add to map

Click Convert

A new window will appear
Navigate to where you want to save your file
Click Save

Depending what selections made earlier in the project, the program may open the projection box and request that the user set a projection for this layer
Click OK > Close

4.9.5 Document launcher

How might I use this?

This is a simple plug-in designed to provide a teaching framework for programming the plug-in interface. Most commonly, this is used to launch images or web pages associated with given shapes
Main menu >Plug-ins > Document launcher

A new icon will appear on the icon toolbar

This plug-in will function when a shape in a shapefile is selected

If the shapefile has an attribute entitled File or URL and the selected shape has text in that attribute column, then the plug-in will seek to launch that path as a file or a URL

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4.10 Raster grid operations

How might I use this?

This tool allows you to assign a projection to an image or grid that does not have an associated projection file with it
4.10.1 Assign projection to raster grids

Assign projection to grids

Main menu > Plug-in> GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Assign projection To Grid

A new window will appear

Navigate to and select the Grid File to be assigned the projection

Click OK

A new window will appear

Assign the projection to be used (for more information see chapter 1)

Click OK

Reproject grid
This tool allows for the re-projection of an image or grid from one projection to another projection
Main menu > Plug-in > GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Reproject Grid

A new window will appear
Navigate to and select the Grid File to be re-projected
Click OK

The program will state that the re-projection is finished and ask if it is to be added to the map
Click Yes

Assign projection to images
This tool allows you to assign a projection to an image that does not have an associated projection file with it
Main Menu > Plug-in> GIS Tools

Main Menu > Raster > Assign Projection To Images

Navigate to and select the image to be assigned the projection

Click OK

Assign the projection to be used

Click OK

The GIS Tool will display a completed window

4.10.2 Change grid formats

How might I use this?

This tool allows you to generate different outputs including an ASCII grid file or a GeoTIFF file
Main menu > Plug-in > GIS Tools

Raster > Change Grid Formats

A new window will appear. Navigate to and select the Grid File to have a new format
Click OK

Select the Output File Format > Finish

The program will take a few minutes and then and the new file to the map
4.10.3 Create grid images

How might I use this?

This tool allows you to take a ASCII or TIFF file and convert it into a BGD Binary file
Main menu>Plug-In>GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Create Grid Image

Navigate to and select Grid File to be made into an image
Click Finish

Select Colour scheme > Add Image to project

4.10.4 Resample grids

How might I use this?

This tool allows you to resample and change the grid size
Main menu>Plug-In>GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Resample Grids

Navigate to and select the Grid File to be resampled

Click OK

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Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
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Annex

Set New Cell Size > OK > Select Output Format > Finish

4.10.5 Merge grids

How might I use this?

This tool allows you to combine two or more grids into one grid
Main menu > Plug-in> GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Merge Grids

A new window will appear
Navigate to and select the Grid Files
Click OK

Enter the Output Name > Select the Output Format >Finish

4.10.6 Clip grid with polygon

How might I use this?

This will allow you to clip part of a grid by using a polygon as a template
Main menu > Plug-in> GIS Tools

Raster > Clip Grid With Polygon

A new window will appear
Navigate to and select the grid to be clipped and shapefile to clip with
Click OK

Select the polygon(s) to clip with > File location > OK

4.10.7 Creation of georeference image or raster

How might I use this?

This will allow you to give an image you are using a reference on the Earthâ€™s surface and allow you to use it as a GIS layer. Everything you then create on top will then be assigned that reference
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Georeference Image or Raster

Load georeferenced data
Load an image into the map
Click three points on the image
Click the corresponding points on the MapWindow map> Georeference

4.10.8 Generate a contour shapefile

How might I use this?

This tool can be used to enable you to see the heights of land and the shape of the terrain. This may be important in many aspects of mapping for humanitarian operations, for example to assess the best access routes into an affected area
The tool will create a shapefile with contour lines showing the values in the input raster data file. These inputs are typically elevation but could be any value.

 Main Menu > Plug-ins> GIS Tools

Main menu > Raster > Generate A Contour Shapefile

Select input raster: either an already loaded layer or an external file
Select contour options: either contour intervals or fixed levels. Most topographic maps use contour intervals
Check Add Output to add layer to the map
4.10.9 Change NODATA value

This tool allows the user to change the colour value for no data cells

If the dataset is loaded into MapWindow, the layer must be removed and then re-added for the changes to take effect
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools
Main menu > Raster > Change No Data Value

Select raster files to use
Enter new NODATA value
Click Change

The program will display a success window

4.11 Advanced vector data operations

4.11.1 Assign projection to shapefile

How might I use this?

This tool allows the user to create a projection file (.prj) for a shapefile if there is not an existing file. A new projection file can be created and can over-write an existing projection file. This does not re-project the data but rather
assumes that the data is in the new projection. It does not check if a projection file already exists.

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Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
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Annex

Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Assign projection to Shapefile

Select file that will be assigned projection
Enter appropriate projection information > OK

4.11.2 Re-project shapefile

The tool re-projects a shapefile from one projection to a different projection
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Reproject Shapefile

Select file that will be re-projected
Click Open

Enter appropriate projection information
Click OK

Click Yes to add it to map
4.11.3 Buffer shapes

How might I use this?

This tool creates buffer shapefiles at selected distances from the original features.
This could be useful for example to depict distances from water resources
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Buffer Shapes

Select layer to buffer
Decide if buffering is applied to all shapes or just selected ones
If selecting features, click to select feature to buffer, or hold down control key and click on multiple features
Select distance; remember it is the same units as the userâ€™s data, in this case decimal degrees
Decide if you want to combine overlapping buffers
Set name of resulting shapefile > OK

4.11.4 Calculate polygon areas

How might I use this?

This tool allows the calculation of the areas of a selected shapefile, for example for use in calculating the spatial area of a site for a proposed refugee camp, or the

total area under various land uses for livelihood impact assessment
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Calculate Polygon Areas

If it can not detect the shapefile units > OK > Select the layer
Set the shapefile units
Set the units of the area you want to create
Click Calculate. This will add a new column added in the attribute table, containing the areas of each feature
4.11.5 Clipping shapefiles

How might I use this?

Shapefiles provided to you by another organisation may cover a large area, of which you are only interested in a small part. Clipping the shapefile to a smaller extent can make the file easier to handle
Clip shapefile with a line
Locate:
â€¢ The input shapefile that you want to clip.
â€¢ A shapefile containing at least one polygon (or line) to clip with.

Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Clip Polygon with Line

Select the polygon to be clipped
Select the clip file
Name the result file
Click OK

Clip shapefile with a polygon
You can clip a polygon by using a second polygon
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Clip Shapefile with Polygon

Select the shapefile you want to clip
or
Browse for one by clicking

Select polygon shapefile to clip with from the drop-down list or browse for one

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
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Google Earth
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Annex

Click Select Shapes and select shapes from the map

Naviagte to file to save shapefile Click >Done

The number of shapes that you selected will be displayed on the bottom of the form
Click > OK

The outlines of your clipped shapes should now be displayed on the screen
Clipping with lines
Select both the polygon to clip and the line to clip it with
No projection needs to be set when using the clipping tools. They should work with whatever coordinates they are given
4.11.6 Erase shapefile with polygon

How might I use this?

This tool creates â€˜holesâ€™ within a polygon area, so it is a reverse of clipping (see above)
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Erase Shapefile With Polygon

Select the shapefile to erase and the shapefile to erase with
Name the result file
Click OK

The new shapefile with an erased portion can be added to the legend as a separate layer
4.11.7 Export selected shapes to a new shapefile

How might I use this?

This tool enables you to select a feature or set of features from one shapefile and export them into a new shapefile. This can be useful for creating a separate symbolisation for a certain area of your map
Select the feature to be exported to new shapefile
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Export Selected Shapefile To New Shapefile

Enter name of new shapefile and click on Save

Query Box Click Yes

4.11.8 Export shapes to new shapefile by mask

How might I use this?

This tool uses one shapefile or its features as a mask to select features from a second shapefile and export them. It is a more powerful version of the clipping tools described above
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Export Shapes To New Shapefile By Mask

Select the shapefile that features are to extracted from and the shapefile to be used as mask
Select feature or features within mask file to be used to for selection of the features exported shapefile
4.11.9 Merge shapes

This tool allows the user to merge two or more shapefiles into one shapefile
Main Menu > Plug-ins > GIS Tools

Main menu > Vector > Merge Shapefiles

Select the shapefiles to be merged
Enter output file name and click Merge Shapefile

4.12 Downloadable plug-ins

MapWindow can make use of a wide range of plug-ins in addition to the ones supplied with the main program. Some of the available plug-ins are described in this sectionâ€”see also Appendix 4B which has a URL to obtain them, and details of further useful plug-ins
4.12.1 Online data plug-in
The MapWindow â€˜Online Dataâ€™ Plug-in is open-source and intended to allow easy access to online data sources, provided by ArcIMS or OGC compliant web servers. The tool may be used to access any WFS, WMS, or ArcXML data source. Example data sources are provided in the server drop-down list inside of the tool. A list of websites for WFS and WMS can be found in Appendix 4A
Main Menu > Plug-In > Online Data Plug-In

Main Menu > On-Line Data > Browse Catalogue

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
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Annex

Tip: If you have any previous Shape2Earth beta versions, they should be un-installed prior to installing the latest version of Shape2Earth.

4.12.2 Shape2Earth

How Might I Use This?
This Plug-in can grab imagery from Google Earth (GE) and allows you to convert your files to be compatible with GE by converting shapefiles to Keyhole Markup Language (KML) for viewing in GE. The only things needed are Shape2Earth, Google Earth (See Chapter 3 for more information), Microsofts .NET Framework 2.0 and MapWindow
There are thousands of freely available shapefiles that can be downloaded and turned into KML using Shape2Earth. Shapefiles have become the standard for posting geospatial data on the Web. Nearly all geospatial applications can read and write shapefiles
Download and install Shape2earth by following the on-line instructions available at:

 http://www.shape2earth.com/

Shape2Earth will run in a fully functional evaluation mode for 14 days. After this, it will run in a degraded mode until is has been purchased and activated with a valid license key

Export to KML

Select the layer you want to export

Main menu > Plug-ins > Shape2Earth

Main Menu > Shape2Earth > Export to KML

A window will appear, if you wish to purchase then Register, if not:

Click > Run Unregistered

If your shapefile has no projection a new window will appear asking you to define one
Shape2Earth needs to know the projection of the shapefile in order to convert the coordinates to WGS84 for viewing in Google Earth. If your shapefile does not have a .prj file, you can try and see if there is any associated metadata that

may help you set the appropriate projection. (See chapter 1 for more information)
A new window will appear: Shape2Earth Evaluation
KML tab
Click KML tab
Layer name will default to the base name of the Shapefile you can alter this by typing in the box
Basic Polygon Height can be altered. Shape2Earth offers several options:
â€¢ Clamped To Ground - all data lays directly on the ground with no height values used.
â€¢ Extruded Relative To Ground - a height value of 5 meters will be extruded 5 meters above the ground at any given location.
â€¢ Absolute - height is the actual height regardless of the underlying terrain.

To use an attribute field in the GIS attribute data for the height value, set a single arbitrary height that will be applied to all features
If height data is already present in the attribute table for the layer use the Z value
GIS Data tab
To view attribute data from the Shapefile
Click > GIS Data tab
Layer Name Select the field that you would like to use as the name for each Placemark in Google Earth
Select Attributes to Write to KML by checking the relevant boxes
To sort all of the features so that they will be seen in alphabetical order in Google Earths table of contents:

Check Order by Feature Name

The selected attributes are written into the KML description tag as an HTML table, and are seen in the Google Earth balloons that pop-up when a feature is selected
Properties tab
There are options for display when dealing with points, either as a point shapefile, or as centerpoints created for polygons
Click Properties > Check Create Labels

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
MapWindow
Annex

To change the icon

Click on the icon button next to the Style label
A new window will appear
Select the point you would like to use
Click OK

Change the number next to the Icon text box
If you do not want to see the point, but just the text, then change the number next to the Icon label to zero
Additional point options

Check Create Label Rollover

The label rollover is a different icon and label that will be made visible when a user 'hovers' over the point in Google Earth. The options for the label rollover are the same as that for the Style Icon
Query tab
You can look at your attribute data and search for specific information
Click Query Tab > Load Data

Balloon tab
You can add information about your organisation

Click Balloon tab

Fill in the boxes required. For more information on HTML see Appendix 3C

Options tab
There are various options for exporting the file
Click Options tab

Export All - Export everything in the selected layer
Export Selectedâ€”Export everything you have selected in GIS Data
Export Current View â€“ Export the present image on your screen to KML

Click > File > Export > Save as KML/KMZ

Navigate to where you want to save the file
Click > Save

It will automatically load the KML file in Google Earth after the KML has been saved, you can then continue editing the file as needed

Quick map overlay

This allows you to save your present map view as a .bmp, .jpeg, .gif file
Main Menu > Shape2Earth > Quick Map Overlay

Navigate to folder you want to save file and name it
Click > Save

You can then open these directly into Google Earth. For more on using image overlays in Google Earth see chapter 3
Get Image from Google Earth

This enables you to get a image from Google Earth
Open Google Earth (For more information see chapter 3)

Main Menu > Get Image From GE

A new window will appear on your Google Earth 3D Viewer
Use the navigation tools in GE to position the area you want data for in the 3D viewer
Click > Capture

A new window will appear
Navigate to where you want to save the file and name it
Click > Save

This will create a .jpeg and .jpgw file (the geographic reference) for your area
View > Add Layer > Navigate to file > Open

4.12.3 MapWindow shapefile to grid plug-in

How might I use this?

For the conversion of vector data to raster (grid) data. The raster representation is suitable for displaying continuous quantities such as rainfall, and elevation
The plug-in requires MapWindow GIS software which can run on Microsoft Windows operating system (98, 2000, XP, Vista)
Download, install and unzip plug-in using the directions provided from:

www.mapwindow.org/download.php

File: shapefiletogrid_v1.1.zip

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
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Annex

Copy the file ShapefileToGrid.dll to the MapWindow\Plugins directory. This directory is often located in C:\ProgramFiles\MapWindow\Plugins

Main Menu > Plug-ins > Edit Plug-ins > Refresh List

Check Shapfile to Grid > Apply > OK

Icon Toolbar

Select vector layer:
Use a loaded layer: using the drop down menu select a layer from your map.

Use file from Disc: you can browse for a file

Choose a field:
Click on the drop down menu for Select the attribute field for grid cell values

A list of possible fields that contain data is displayed. Only numeric fields are shown. The values of the selected field will be used as the resulting grid values
Click Next

A new window will appear: Select grid properties

You can specify how the result grid looks
Grid cell size
This is the size of the grid square pixel. The grid cell size should be in the same units as the current map units. The current map units are specified by the current project projection
Choose the grid cell size:
â€¢ Same as an existing grid. This option is only enabled if there is a grid layer loaded in MapWindow. Choose this option when you want to overlay the newly created grid with an existing grid in your future analysis.
â€¢ As specified below. Enter the cell size of the new grid. The cell (grid pixel) size should be in the map units of the current project.

Grid Extent
The grid extent is defined by the Y and Y coordinates of the upper right and lower left corner of the grid
Choose the grid extent:
â€¢ Same as an existing shapefile or grid. If there is a shapefile of a grid layer loaded

in MapWindow. The maximum and minimum X and Y values of the new grid will be the same as the maximum and minimum X and Y values of the selected grid or shapefile.
â€¢ As specified below. Enter the minimum X, maximum X, minimum Y and maximum Y of the new grid.

Grid data type
The selection of grid data type will affect the size of the resulting grid file.

â€¢ ShortDataType: Short integer â€¢ LongDataType: Long integer â€¢ FloatDataType : Floating-point precision â€¢ DoubleDataType: Double precision

Grid file type
Supported output grid formats are ASCII Grid (text file), USU Binary grid and GeoTiff (binary files)
Grid file name
Click Navigate to folder and choose file name of the new grid
Click Finish

A message showing selected result grid properties will be displayed
Click OK and calculation will start
A new window will appear: Grid Calculation Finished

Click Yes

If the new grid is later added to MapWindow using the shading is displayed by default causing incorrect display of grids created from line shapefiles
To remove this error:
Right-click layer > Properties > Colouring Scheme
Uncheck Compute Hillshade

4.12.4 DXF to shapefile converter

This is a plugin to convert from AutoCad DXF (Data eXchange Format) files into ESRI Shapefiles

Download and uncompress the file DXFtoShapefile-BinariesOnly.Zip

www.mapwindow.org/download.php?show_details=13

Copy the file to the MapWindow\Plugins\ directory

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This directory is often located in C:\ProgramFiles\MapWindow\Plugins

Toolbar > Plug-ins > Edit Plug-ins > AutoCAD DFX Importer > Apply > OK

Toolbar > Plug-ins > Check AutoCAD DFX Importer

DXF to Shapefile Converter

Toolbar > Importers > Import AYTOCAD DXF File

Browse for file and select output shapefile type. Click Convert

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
MapWindow
Annex
4.13 Export a map

How might I use this?

Although you can print maps directly from MapWindow, you can also export your maps into .jpeg , .bmp or .gif files. This allows you to share finished maps with people who do not have MapWindow or other GIS software, to email map outputs and add them to reports
Edit > Export > Map

A new window will appear
Navigate to file location, choose a name and specify file extension ( .jpg, .bmp or .gif)
Click OK

Export map image with the geographic location
Edit > Export > Export a Geo-Referenced Map Image

A new window will appear
Navigate to file location, choose a name and specify file extension ( .jpg, .bmp or .gif)
This means that a file will be written along with the image file which specifies the geographic location of the image. This is useful if at a later stage you need to load the map image into any GIS software
Export a scale bar
Edit > Export > Scale Bar

A new window will appear
A new window will appear
Navigate to file location, choose a name and specify file extension ( .jpg, .bmp or .gif)
Export a north arrow
Edit > Export > North Arrow

This also will prompt you for a location to save the image.

Appendix 4A: WMS and WFS Links

Web Map Service (WMS) produces maps of spatially referenced data from geographic information. WMS-produced maps are generally rendered in a pictorial format such as PNG, GIF or JPEG. Web Feature Service (WFS) returns actual vector data
The following are useful links to WMS and WFS servers
http://www2.dmsolutions.ca

http://demo.cubewerx.com

http://www.geographynetwork.com

http://www.lifemapper.org/services

http://www.demis.nl/home/pages/wms/demiswms.htm

http://mapserv2.esrin.esa.it

http://terraservice.net

http://vision.edina.ac.uk

http://datamil.delaware.gov/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home

http://www.refractions.net

http://www.pcigeomatics.com

How to use the guide
Humanitarian Mapping
GPS
Google Earth
MapWindow
Annex
Appendix 4B: Additional downloadable
plug-ins for MapWindow

There is a wide and ever-growing range of open-source plug-ins that can be used with MapWindow. In addition to those in section 4.12, here are some more that can be useful
Download plug-ins using the directions provided from:
http://www.mapwindow.org/download.php

Waypoint+ to Shapefile

How might I use this?

To export a map image as a bitmap (.BMP) or graphic interchange file (.GIF) This is a standalone program to convert WayPoint + text format files to ESRI Shapefile format files. The program will optionally reproject the data from lat/long during conversion
Georeferencing tool

How might I use this?

Allows you to georeference an image or raster data file by clicking three points on the image and providing the realworld coordinates for those points.
The image can optionally be rectified such that north is straight up. The appropriate world file will then be written
MonoComp

How might I use this?

A tool for georeferencing aerial photos and for digitising photo content into GIS shapefiles
Text to Shapefile

How might I use this?

This Plugin allows you to create shape files from text files containing at
least the x, y and key fields
GPS and sampling tools

How might I use this?

The mwGPS plug-in is designed to allow any COM port enabled, NMEA-0183 protocol GPS unit to be used with MapWindow to display GPS location and information and log various information with it.

Function
Description
+
Addition
-
Subtraction
*
Multiplication
/
Division
%
Percentage
^
Raise to power
\
Integer division
abs(x)
Absolute value
â€œatn(x), atan(x)â€
Inverse tangent
cos(x)
Cosine
sin(x)
Sin
exp(x)
Exponential
fix(x)
Integer part
int(x)
Integer part
dec(x)
Decimal part
â€œln(x), log(x)â€
Logarithm natural
â€œlogN(x,n)â€
N-base logarithm
rnd(x)
Random
sgn(x)
Sign
sqr(x)
Square root

Appendix 4C: Field calculator table

The field calculator allows you to build an expression and use the results to populate an attribute column. The following table gives some functions that can be used
Function
Description
cbr(x)
Cube root
tan(x)
Tangent
â€œroot(x,n)â€
n-th root (the same as x^

â€œmod(a,b)â€
Division remainder
â€œmcm(a,b,...)â€
Minimum common multi-
â€œgcd(a,b,...)â€
Greatest common divisor
â€œlcm(a,b,...)â€
Lowest common multiple
>
Greater than
>=
Equal or greater than
<
Less than
<=
Equal or less than
=
Equal
<>
Not equal
Month(d)
Month
Day(d)
Day
Hour(d)
Hour
Minute(d)
Minute
Second(d)
Second
â€œSum(a,b,...)â€
Sum
â€œVar(a,b,...)â€
Variance
â€œStdev(a,b,...)â€
Standard deviation
-------------- next part --------------
por si sirve.

On Apr 28, 2009, at 6:50 PM, Pedro-Juan Ferrer Matoses wrote:

> Estoy separando el pdf en archivos txt por capítulos (que es más
> cómodo para usar con OmegaT)
>
> He referenciado los archivos en la página de la traducción [1].
>
> Toda vía no me he puesto a traducir nada, pero no penséis que este
> tema está "frío".
>
> Un saludo,
>
> [1] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Traducci%C3%B3n_del_Field_Guide_to_Humanitarian_Mapping_de_MapAction#Archivos_txt
>
> -- 
> Pedro-Juan Ferrer Matoses
> Ingeniero en Geodesia y Cartografía
> Valencia (España)
> _______________________________________________
> Spanish mailing list
> Spanish at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/spanish
>