FOSS4G 2022 workshops

Creating Hillshades and 3D Terrain anywhere in the world with QGIS and MapTiler
2022-08-23, 16:00–18:00 (Europe/Rome), 209

QGIS has powerful tools for creating amazing visualizations, and now you can use them on cloud terrain data. This workshop shows you how to connect to cloud datasets, navigate the range of hillshade options and explore tools for taking your visualizations to the next level.


QGIS has a wealth of options and tools for creating outstanding visualizations with terrain data. However, it can be confusing at first to navigate your way through all the options and get the best results. The goal of this workshop is to highlight the easy ways to access global datasets via the MapTiler plugin, then draw on the expertise of the demonstrators to show how amazing results can be achieved with OpenSource software.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to create maps and visualizations that look amazing, without having to use other specialist graphics software.

This workshop will cover: * Using the MapTiler plugin for QGIS to connect to a global terrain dataset. * Using the MapTiler plugin to access vector basemaps and satellite imagery. * Creating effective hillshades using the native options in QGIS. * Using the Relief Visualization ToolBox plugin to produce beautiful, realistic hillshades. * Using the QGIS2threeJS plugin to create interactive 3D scenes with terrain and satellite imagery.

I am an Honorary Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, where I teach GIS to postgraduates on various courses, including the MSc in GIS and a popular course on Spatial Data Visualization. I'm also a technical writer for MapTiler, helping share the news about the great geo data, software, and services they provide.

I try to promote OpenSource Geo as much as possible; I'm a committee member of OSGeo UK and co-chaired FOSS4G UK 2019. My Twitter profile is the best place to find the QGIS tips and tricks I like to share: @MapNav_Tom