2nd QGIS User Conference
27.05.2016 06:08 · Notes · qgis, conferences, travels, meetings
The second (and first for me) QGIS User Conference is over. More than 150 participants, 9 workshops in three parallel sessions, 18 presentations from people all over the world: two incredibly busy days flew really fast.
Workshops from QGIS core developers and the most experienced community members were interesting and useful for both beginners and those who have been using QGIS for a long time. Personally, I managed to attend four workshops:
- From data model to QGIS project — Matthias Kuhn and Andreas Neumann were showing how to prepare data and setup QGIS to comfortably use datasets containing lots of interdependent tables with and without spatial information.
- QGIS Cartography Tips and Tricks — Alexandre Neto demonstrated QGIS capabilities to create beautiful printed maps. The workshop was dedicated not only to the use of Print Composer and Atlas functionality but also highlighted powerful QGIS features for layer styling, labeling, using map themes, and multiple styles for a single layer.
- Advanced Processing — actually, I attended this workshop not as an ordinary participant, but as a second mentor. Together with Victor Olaya we showed some “secret” features of Processing that could take analysis productivity to the next level.
- Your first steps in Python with QGIS — led by Martin Dobias and targeted at beginners who want to automate their work by developing scripts and plugins. I attended this workshop to see how others talk about PyQGIS and maybe borrow some ideas for my own workshops.
18 presentations on a wide range of topics once again confirmed that QGIS turned from a “pet project” into a full-fledged competitor of such well-known products as ArcMap and MapInfo a long time ago. It was very interesting to listen to reports on the migration of government agencies to QGIS as well as on using QGIS in conservation and educational institutions. Presentations about new QGIS features, plugins, and other related developments, such as QGIS Server clients, were also captivating.
Many thanks to the organizers for their hospitality and impeccable organization of the conference.