In Article previous we have discussed some SQL functions for spatial processing . In this article we will see a function a little more complicated to put at work: the aggregation function for two layers of polygons. This operation is the one called Union in ArcGis. The purpose of the operation is to obtain a layer with all the intersections of the entities of the two original layers, and, also, all non-intersecting entities.
Let’s use the following example. We have a first layer “rectangles”
A second layer “circles”
That overlaps spatially:
What we want to obtain is a layer containing all the polygons of both layers but creating polygons to overlay areas:
We will proceed by following the same method used in the previous article, i.e. by developing an SQL query including several sub queries.
In the first place, we will develop a query that will build the polygons of the overlapping areas (the intersections) of both layers. These polygons appear in yellow in the next picture.
We will resume the request used in the previous article:
selectcircle.id as id1, rectangles.id asid2, st_intersection(circle.geom, rectangles.geom) asthe_geom fromcircle, rectangles wherest_intersects(circle.geom, rectangles.geom) group bycircle.id, rectangles.id
You will notice that the select is built not just to retrieve intersected geometries, but also the identifiers of the original entities (circle.idandrectangles.id). Of course, you can recover other attributes, or all by changing this part of the request.
To these polygons, we will add the rest of the areas occupied by the rectangle layer (in yellow in the following picture)
select0 as id1, rectangles.id asid2, st_difference(rectangles.geom,
What we get to do with this request is to extract all the intersection areas (as in the previous query) and convert them in a single multi-polygon. The request removes the difference of this multi- polygon with the layer of rectangles.
Finally, these polygons, we are going to add the rest of the areas occupied by the layer circles to these polygons (yellow in the following image)
We will proceed likewise the rectangles, by using a multi- polygon of intersection areas and calculating the difference with the layer circles:
One of the most common techniques in GIS in order to treat non-spatial data is that of the join. We use a geographical layer having geometries, as support for another layer having no location data. To this end, we will use a common field to both tables, that allows “the joining” the records from the geographic table to those of the non- geographic table. Therefore we created a new virtual table where the attributes of the non- geographic table can be used to be mapped with the geometry of the first table. For this join to work it is necessary that for every registration of geographical table corresponds a record in the non- geographic table, and only one. Because if more than one is found, the join cannot work. In that case we have a “relationship” between the tables, never a “juncture”.
QField allows you to do fieldwork on QGis projects with Android phones or tablets.
In this article we will discuss how to install QField on a mobile device and how to install and work on a QGis project. Continue reading “QField: the mobile device of QGis for Android”
If you start to feel tired of managing your data as shape files (this format dates back to the eighties!) and you yearn for a genuine database for your projects, most certainly, you will be looking to use PostGis. There is a big gap, and the ‘jump’ is, by no means, an easy one. In this article, we will discuss an alternative solution, the SpatiaLite database. And, believe me, it is much more easier…. Continue reading “How to create a SpatiaLite database with QGis”