EN | PT

In my last post, I have tried to show how I used QGIS 2.6 to create a map series where the page’s orientation adapted to the shape of the atlas features. This method is useful when the final scale of the maps is irrelevant, or when the size of the atlas elements is  similar, allowing one to use a fixed scale. On the other hand, when using a fixed scale is mandatory and the features size are too different, it is needed to change the size of the paper. In this second part ot the post, I will try to show how I came to a solution for that.

As a base, I used the map created in the previous post, from which I did a duplicate. To exemplify the method, I tried to create a map series at 1:2.000.000 scale. Since I was going to change both width and height of the paper, I did not need to set an orientation, and therefore, I deactivated the data defined properties of the orientation option:

ith some maths with the map scale, the size of the atlas feature and the already defined margins, I came up with the following expressions to use, respectively,  in width and height:

((bounds_width( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1 + 10

((bounds_height( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1 + 30

Allow me to clarify. (bounds_width( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) is the atlas feature’s width in meters when represented at 1:2.000.000. This is multiplied by 1000 to convert it to millimeters (the composer’s settings units). In order to keep the atlas feature not to close to the margin, I have decided to add 10% of margin around it, hence the multiplication by 1.1. To finish I add the map margins value that were already set in the previous post (i.e.,20 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm)

As one can see from the previous image, after setting the expressions in the paper width and height options, it’s size already changed according to the size of the atlas features. But, as expected, all the itens stubbornly kept their positions.For that reason, it has been necessary to change the size and position expressions for each of then.

Starting by the map item size, the expressions to use in width and height were not difficult to understand since they would be the paper size without the margins size:

((bounds_width( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1

((bounds_height( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1

To position the items correctly, all was needed was to replace the “CASE WHEN … THEN … END” statement by the expressions defined before. For instance, the expressions used in the X and Y options for the legend position:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 297 ELSE 210 END) - 7

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 210 ELSE 297 END) - 12

Became, respectively:

(((bounds_width( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1 + 10) - 7

(((bounds_height( $atlasgeometry ) / 2000000.0) * 1000.0) * 1.1 + 30) - 12

Changing the expressions of the X and Y position options for the remaining composer’s items I have reached the final layout.

Once again, printing/exporting all (25) maps was only one click away.

Since QGIS allows exporting the composer as georeferenced images, opening all maps in QGIS I got this interesting result.

As one can see by the results, using this method, we can get some quite strange formats. That is why in the 3rd and last post of this article, I will try to show how to create a fixed scale map series using standard paper formats (A4, A3, A2, A1 e A0).

Disclaimer: I’m not an English native speaker, therefore I apologize for any errors, and I will thank any advice on how to improve the text.

EN | PT

As always, the new QGIS version (QGIS 2.6 Brigthon) brings a vast new set of features that will allow the user to do more, better and faster than with the earlier version. One of this features is the ability to control some of the composer’s items properties with data (for instance, size and position). Something that will allow lots of new interesting usages. In the next posts, I propose to show how to create map series with multiple formats.

In this first post, the goal is that, keeping the page size, the map is created with the most suitable orientation (landscape or portrait) to fit the atlas feature. To exemplify, I will be using the Alaska’s sample dataset to create a map for each of Alaska’s regions.

I have started by creating the layout in one of the formats, putting the items in the desired positions.

To control the page orientation with the atlas feature, in the composition tab, I used the following expression in the orientation data defined properties:

CASE WHEN bounds_width( $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry ) THEN 'landscape' ELSE 'portrait' END

Using the atlas preview, I could verify that the page’s orientation changed according to the form of the atlas feature. However, the composition’s items did not follow this change and some got even outside the printing area

To control both size and position of the composition’s items I had in consideration the A4 page size (297 x 210 mm), the map margins ( 20 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, 5 mm) and the item’s reference points.

For the map item, using the upper left corner as reference point, it was necessary to change it’s height and width. I knew that the item height was the subtraction of the top and bottom margins (30 mm) from the page height, therefore I used the following expression:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 297 ELSE 210 END) - 30

Likewise, the expression to use in the width was:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 210 ELSE 297 END) - 10

The rest of the items were always at a relative position of the page without the need to change their size and therefore only needed to control their position. For example, the title was centered at the page’s top, and therefore, using the top-center as reference point, all that was needed was the following expression for the X position:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry)  THEN 297 ELSE 210 END)  / 2.0

On the other hand, the legend needed to change the position in both X and Y. Using the bottom-right-corner as reference point, the X position expression was:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 297 ELSE 210 END) - 7

And for the Y position:

(CASE WHEN  bounds_width(  $atlasgeometry ) >=  bounds_height( $atlasgeometry) THEN 210 ELSE 297 END) - 12

For the remaining items (North arrow, scalebar, and bottom left text), the expression were similar to the ones already mentioned, and, after setting them for each item, I got a layout that would adapt to both page orientation.

From that point, printing/exporting all (25) maps was one click away.

In the next post of the series, I will try to explain how to create map series where it’s the size of the page that change to keep the scale’s value of the scale constant.