Overview

5.8.0+

Astun Technology have provided a QGIS plugin which may be used to convert a QGIS Print Composer Template into an iShare GIS Print Template. This means that new custom Print Templates can be easily designed for iShare GIS using the 'what you see is what you get' tools in QGIS.

Requirements

• iShare GIS V5.8.0 or above configured for the HiDPI Print Plugin.

• QGIS 3 (tested with 3.18.3) or QGIS 2 (tested with 2.18.18)

• An Astun Services account

Limitations

While efforts have been made to ensure that the conversion process should produce an iShare GIS print template that is very similar to the original, the process is automated, and therefore we cannot guarantee that the output will be exactly the same. If there are obvious differences, please log on to the Helpdesk and Customer portal to create a Support Request outlining the problem and attach the QGIS print template to it and we will investigate whether improvements could be made to the converter.

Step 1 - Install the iShare GIS Print Template Export plugin

Download the QGIS Plugin

Download the iShareGISPrintTemplateExport plugin.

To download the .zip file you need to click on the Code dropdown and click Download ZIP e.g.

Open

Copy Plugin to the QGIS Python plugin folder

• Extract the zip file

• Copy the iShareGISPrintTemplateExport folder to the QGIS Python plugins folder e.g. on Windows.

Configure the Plugin

• Open QGIS

• Make sure that the Project is using absolute "Save paths". To do this select Project Properties from the QGIS Project menu.
  
  

  Open

  

• Now we need to configure the folder where your exported print templates will reside. Select Options from the QGIS Settings menu and click on the Layouts tab (QGIS 3) or Composer tab (QGIS 2).

• Now you can click on the Add new path button 

  Open

  

   to add a valid path.

QGIS 3	QGIS 2

QGIS 3	QGIS 2
Open	Open

• Now you are ready to configure the actual plugin. If you look on the toolbar you will see the new button for the iShareGIS Print Template Export plugin e.g.

  Open

  

• Click on the button and select the Settings tab.
  

  
  Enter the Astun Convert URL which is the URL to the Astun Services and the Username and Password that you have been provided with by Astun Technology. You will need to replace [username] in the following URL with your customer user name.
  Better Code Block

  
  
  

• Click OK.

Step 2 - Create your QGIS Template

Create your template using QGIS Layout / Composer

• Open QGIS

• Select New Print Layout (QGIS 3) or New Print Composer (QGIS 2) from the Project menu or the corresponding Layout / Composer Manager if you have an existing template you wish to use.

QGIS 3	QGIS 2

QGIS 3	QGIS 2
Open	Open

• The template must contain a single Map element.

• It must also contain a single Legend element. The legend's display can be controlled by the user in iShare GIS.

• Labels may be added for displaying text. This text can either be static, predefined dynamic such as the user's name or editable where the user provides a map title for instance.

• You can also add shapes such as coloured rectangles to create panels and or add images, scale bars or north arrows . For details on how to use the QGIS Print Composer please see the QGIS Documentation or sign up to one of the Astun Training courses.

  
  
  

• You can also add Predefined Dynamic Labels which are dynamically populated with information from iShare GIS or User-Editable Labels which are manually populated by the user when they select to print the map in iShare GIS.