top of page

QGIS | Animations

> Objective 


  • This section shows how to create animations in QGIS for different types of maps and visualisations.  


> Index / Table of Contents 


  • Introduction  

  • Tutorial(s)  

    • 3D maps 

    • Heatmaps 

    • GRIB files  

    • Choropleths 

    • Aerial images and objects  

    • Meteor Ground tracks  

    • Population movement tracks  

    • Raster models 

    • QGIS installation  


> Summary and Highlights 


Introduction 

Different type of maps and visualisations can be animated in QGIS. The following tutorials explain how to create animations.   


Tutorial(s) 

3D maps 

3D maps are three dimensional data visualizations. 

  • Create a 3D map and an animation from a DEM  

Mariëlle Geers-Plasmans (Geojuffie): “3D kaartweergave en animatie“ 

Language(s): Dutch  

Time: 10m 37s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apXaAMzWw_E  


Heatmaps 

Heatmaps are 2D graphical representations of data in which values are depicted by colors. 

  • Create a heatmap visualisation and animation  

Ujaval Gandhi: “Animating Time Series Data (QGIS3)”/ “Geanimeerde gegevens tijdreeks (QGIS3)” 

Language(s): English, Dutch 

Chapters: overview of the task, get the data, procedure     

EN: https://www.qgistutorials.com/en/docs/3/animating_time_series.html  

NL: https://www.qgistutorials.com/nl/docs/3/animating_time_series.html  

 

GRIB files 

GRIB files (General regularly-distributed information in binary form) are a special binary format used to store gridded meteorological data, both historical and forecast. As it is highly compressed, it is suitable for internet up- and downloading. 

  • Visualise storm Eunice  

Hans van der Kwast: “Visualising Wind from a GRIB Mesh Layer in QGIS and Create an Animated GIF”  

Language(s): English  

Time: 12min 12s 

Chapters: introduction (start-1:15), adding the data (1:15-1:55), styling GRIB mesh with arrows (1:55-3:24), adding a counter (3:24-6:17), adding scale bar and legend (6:17-8:40), exporting the frames (8:40-9:08), create animated GIF in GIMP (9:08-10:18), style GRIB mesh with traces (10:18-end)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgVBP2jxF14  

  • Visualise precipitation data 

Hans van der Kwast: “Visualise Precipitation Data from Mesh in Animations and Graphs” 

Language(s): English  

Time: 9min 6s 

Chapters: introduction (start-1:15), styling the precipitation mesh (1:15-1:56), animating the precipitation mesh (1:56-2:31), more ramps and blending (2:31-3:18), calculate precipitation sum with mesh calculator (3:18-4:41), extract values at point (4:41-6:46), make graphs with the Data Plotly plugin (6:46-end)  

https://youtu.be/OBi4wuxLiAE 


Choropleths 

Choropleths are statistical thematic maps that represent spatial variations of a quantity. 

  • Join tables and create animations using the temporal controller  

Hans van der Kwast: “Create Animated Choropleth with the QGIS Temporal Controller” 

Language(s): English 

Time: 19m 14s  

Chapters: introduction (start-0:32), prepare the world map (0:32-1:32), prepare data tables (1:32-4:26), join data from different tables (one to one) (4:26-6:18), normalize the data (6:18-6:50), convert string to data attributes (6:50-7:53), join temporal data with polygons (7:53-8:53), styling the map (8:53-11:34), setting up the temporal controller (11:34-13:06), adding decorators and counter (13:06-17:36), export frames and create animated GIF (17:36-end) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnDiG2h6N8M  


Aerial images and objects  

Aerial images are photographs taken from the air. 

  • How to use the temporal controller to animate aerial images and objects  

Mariëlle Geers-Plasmans (Geojuffie): “Temporal controller in QGIS 3.14” 

Language(s): Dutch 

Time: 8m 48s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWri0vsrxO0   


Meteor Ground tracks  

A ground track is the course over ground a meteor follows. 

  • Create an animation with meteor ground tracks  

Hans van der Kwast: “Create Animations of Meteor Ground Tracks with the QGIS Temporal Controller” 

Language(s): English 

Time: 11m 29s 

Chapters:  introduction (start-1:34), import CSV file into QGIS (1:34-2:40), use geometry generator to make lines from points (2:40-4:05), interpolated Line renderer (4:05-5:00), setting up the Temporal Controller (5:00-5:56), adding a counter (5:56-9:09), adding Copyright Label Decoration (9:09-9:29), export animation to GIF (9:29-end) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MpdsqbQsYY  


Population movement tracks  

  • Track people to see how they move and interact with their surroundings   

Erik Meerburg (3D geoinformation research group): “Urbanism GIS Course 18: Time” 

Language(s): English 

Time: 9m 35s 

Chapters: getting start (end-0:29), time aware fields (0:29-1:27), combining data sets (3:34-7:00), time aware data (7:00-end)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vpntcXbVWI  


Raster models 

Raster models is a method to store and present geographic information through a grid of cells. 

  • Visualise temporal raster outputs of models  

Hans van der Kwast: “Visualise temporal raster model outputs in QGIS using the temporal controller” 

Language(s): English 

Time: 5m 40s 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C9Ame79IdQ  


> QGIS Installation  


Do you still need to install QGIS? The QGIS installation and update section explains how to install QGIS on Windows and macOS.  


Useful Links 


QGIS Training Manual

QGIS User Guide

GIS OpenCourseWare

Mariëlle Geers-Plasmans (Geojuffie) YouTube channel

Ujaval Gandhi (QGIS Tutorials and Tips website)

Hans van der Kwast YouTube channel

Erik Meerburg (3D geoinformation research group)    



#QGIS, #Animations, #Temporal controller, #3D maps, #Heatmaps, #GRIB files, #Choropleth, #Aerial images, #Objects, #Meteor Ground tracks, #Population movement tracks, #Raster models  

Mariëlle Geers-Plasmans. (2020, July 2). 3D kaartweergave en animatie [Video]. YouTube. 

bottom of page