QGis Setup Notes

Using QGIS version 3.4.3-Madeira

Install QuickMapServices

Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins…
- QuickMapService
- Install Plugin
Close
Web > QuickMapServices > Settings
- More services
- Get contributed pack
- Save
Last version onf contrib pack was downloaded!
- OK
Visibility
- nasa (ticked)
- bing (ticked)
- google (ticked)
- mapbox (ticked)
- all others (un ticked)
- Save

Install TomBio tools

Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins…
- TomBio tools
- Install Plugin
Close

Locate the survey area

Change CRS (Coordinate Reference System) to EPSG:4326 - WGS 84 (bottom right hand corner of the window)
Web > QuickMapServices > Bing > Bing Map
Zoom in on the area

To Create the random points within a polygon

Layer > Create Layer > New Shapefile Layer…
- Filename C:\whereever\the\project\is\boundary.shp
- Geometry type polygon
- OK
Select the boundary layer (left click)
Layer > Toggle Editing (= on)
Edit > Add Polygon Feature
Mark boundary (left click) and finish with right click
- OK (leave id as NULL)
Layer > Toggle Editing (= off)
Do you want to save the changes to layer boundary?
- Save
Edit > Select > Select Feature(s)
Click on the polygon
Vector > Research Tools > Random Points Inside Polygons
- Expression 60 (= the number of points you want)
- Minimum distance between points 10 meters
- Run
- Close

Export GPX points for use in View Ranger

Right click on the random points layer
Export > Save Features As…
- Format GPs eXchange Format GPX
- Filename C:\wherever\the\project\is\points.gpx
- CRS EPSG:4326 - WGS 84
- Add saved file to map (un ticked)
- GPX_USE_EXTENSIONS YES
- OK

The file should look something like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="GDAL 2.4.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ogr="http://osgeo.org/gdal" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">
<metadata><bounds minlat="52.186767066829788" minlon="-1.128193888182918" maxlat="52.193258182429538" maxlon="-1.117239786388285"/></metadata>
<wpt lat="52.189190527945314" lon="-1.122703264375532">
  <extensions>
    <ogr:id>0</ogr:id>
  </extensions>
</wpt>
<wpt lat="52.190683732326015" lon="-1.124903206001818">
  <extensions>
    <ogr:id>1</ogr:id>
  </extensions>
</wpt>
<wpt lat="52.18855928606613" lon="-1.12247621327738">
  <extensions>
    <ogr:id>2</ogr:id>
  </extensions>
</wpt>
<wpt lat="52.190158618187283" lon="-1.120695743211964">
  <extensions>
    <ogr:id>3</ogr:id>
  </extensions>
</wpt>

Export CSV XY to convert to grid references with sheet numbers

Don’t know why this isn’t available in QGis, maybe I am missing something.

Right click on the random points layer
Export > Save Features As…
- Format Comma Separated Value CSV
- Filename C:\wherever\the\project\is\points.csv
- CRS EPSG:27700 - OSGB 1936
- Add saved file to map (un ticked)
- Layer Option, CREATE_CSVT YES
- Layer Option, GEOMETRY AS_XY
- Layer Option, SEPARATOR COMMA
- OK

The file should look something like this (12 figure grid references with spurious precision):

Y,X,id,
254912.2810871,460070.769246927,"0"
255076.548472869,459918.375857874,"1"
254842.258012982,460087.139992674,"2"
255021.620004009,460206.699737778,"3"
254793.89340851,459817.585632391,"4"
254987.211709348,460410.746274626,"5"
255032.448489482,460043.630676199,"6"
255366.670451529,460317.504679373,"7"
255106.919742886,460166.875878207,"8"

Export boundary for reference purposes

A polygon can’t be exported as GPX so it needs to be converted to a track to be exported.

Select the boundary layer (left click)
Edit > Select > Select Feature(s)
Click on the polygon
Vector > Geometry Tools > Polygons to Lines
- Selected features only (ticked)
- Run
- Close
Right click the new line layer
Export > Save Features As…
- File name C:\whereever\the\project\is\boundary.gpx
- CRS EPSG:4326 - WGS 84
- Add saved file to map (un ticked)
- GPX_USE_EXTENSIONS YES
- FORCE_GPX_TRACK YES

The resulting file should look like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="GDAL 2.4.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ogr="http://osgeo.org/gdal" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">
<metadata><bounds minlat="52.679782899781813" minlon="-2.679492437047489" maxlat="52.695697527520039" maxlon="-2.650486284870098"/></metadata>
<trk>
  <extensions>
  </extensions>
  <trkseg>
    <trkpt lat="52.690123302974932" lon="-2.677763072961032">
    </trkpt>
    <trkpt lat="52.691600303568372" lon="-2.669037645070273">
    </trkpt>
    <trkpt lat="52.693648963609128" lon="-2.667622710817716">
    </trkpt>