3

I am trying to create a map of our parish cemetery. I almost have a file with the centre point of each headstone plotted and now want to add a rectangle to each point to lay out the grave positions of both existing and future plots.

I understand that GRASS has a module v.mkgrid but this appears to want to create a uniform grid with uniform spacing where my real world cemetery does not have graves in straight lines and equal distances apart.

A previous answer to a similar question suggested the CAD Tools plugin or Rectangles ovals digitising plugin neither of which I can find using Plugin Manager

I am using QGIS 1.8 Lisboa on a PC.

Two question then:-

Does QGIS have what I need to do this ? How do I find the 'missing' plugins ?

nigellaw
  • 1,105
  • 3
  • 12
  • 28

1 Answers1

2

Your simplest option is to use the "Rectangles, Ovals and Diamonds" plugin as suggested. You will need to download and install it as I don't think it comes out-of-the-box. To find it this plugin go to Plugins->Fetch Python Plugins.

A dialog box will open and automatically connect to a number of repositories. When it has finished connecting, type "Rectangles" in the search bar at the top and it should show you the plugin. Select and install it.

It should appear in your toolbar but if you don't see it after installing, right-click the toolbar and click the check box beside its name in the popup.

Using this tool is simple. You will want extra attributes in you point file though. One for Height, Width and possibly Rotation. You don't have to have all your gravestones the same size or orientation either.

One "gotcha" I have found with this tool is that very occassionally, if you have just edited your shapefile, the tool will not create the buffers. Simply make sure your edits are saved, remove the shapefile and then re-add it to the layers again and the tool will work fine.

MappaGnosis
  • 33,857
  • 2
  • 66
  • 129
  • Thanks for that but the specified plugin doesn't appear in the Official QGIS plugin repository and with the Lisboa version of QGIS you have to input the url/path to the required 3rd party repository. I have found a zip file containing version 0.1.7 of "Rectangles Ovals and Diamonds" Plugin but dont know if this is the latest version and more importantly how to get the plugin installed from the unzipped source. Any help with either the url/path to the required repository or instruction on how to install from the source I have found would be very useful :) – nigellaw Dec 29 '12 at 12:43
  • for installation instructions see http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/26979/how-to-install-a-qgis-plugin-when-offline – underdark Dec 29 '12 at 13:59
  • Thanks Underdark, finally got plugin installed now have to figure out how to use it :) – nigellaw Dec 29 '12 at 18:34