Category: ArcGIS Pro

Rectangles are the most common shape of maps in GIS software, but why stop there?

In GIS software like ArcGIS Pro, it is possible to create map layouts in non-rectangular shapes without too much hassle. But that is not the case in QGIS (yet!), so let’s look at ways to make creative map shapes in QGIS.

In this post, I explain how to download a Sentinel 2 image from the Copernicus Open Access Hub. I want to use this image to make some unique map-layouts.

I want to make an NDVI map, so I take the NIR and Red bands from the image (band 8 and 4), add them to QGIS, and use the Raster Calculator to make an NDVI image

I use the latest country-border polygon from GADM to clip the raster layer

I want to show the NDVI data of the area near the city of Aalborg, in some different shapes.

I start by creating two polygon layers, and create a big polygon in one layer and a small polygon (near Aalborg) in the second layer . The small polygon is the one that will define the layout, so get creative!

I use the Difference tool in QGIS to cut out the shape of the small polygon in the large polygon.

The outcome looks something like this:

Depending on your creative skills, you can make some cool shapes. You can also import a pre-made polygon and use that instead.

Here are the 3 versions I ended up with:

You can also add some of the classical map elements