Bushwalk Australia

It's been more than 4 years since I last posted about generating maps to print, and I'm wondering if anyone has made any progress as I obviously haven't been trying. I just did a fresh install of QGIS recently and following the list_spatial_web_services_user_guide.pdf and a helpful video on youtube I have nice clean LIST Topo basemaps loaded into QGIS with the custom scales added. I still have a bunch of questions though and I'm going round in circles trying to find clues.

1. Custom scales as defined in the list spatial web services guide work great (everything is as crisp as expected) when running WGS84 / EPSG3857, but if I overlay the 1:25k Topographic Index (outlines of all the 1:25k maps and names) then the rectangles for each map outline are skewed. If I run GDA94 Zone 55 / EPSG28355 as suggested elsewhere, the rectangles are nice and horizontal but the maps don't display well at the custom scales. Is this a problem with different LIST layers being setup differently, is one outdated, are there other custom scales I don't know about, or am I missing something ?

2. Maps like the new 1:50k downloadable from TASMAP or NSWTOPO maps on Avenza look like they use much better vector data for contours etc. Are there public sources of such data ?

3. I looked for data to add, like TASVEG layers in LISTMap (as mentioned on the NSWTopo Maps) but looking in the LIST browser version they're not much use as they're just blocks of colour overlay. What do I need to look for to either edit that information or style it to use in QGIS ?

4. Even once I find good sources of vector data for watercourses, contours etc, how can you manipulate these with custom colours or styles ?

I'm trying to learn but I'm a bit over my head with all the terminology. Any suggestions appreciated.

I'm not fully understanding what is going on here but I think each layer has to have the same CRS when you add it to your project.
Can you start with (WGS84) EPSG:4326 then convert to EPSG:4283 (GDA94). I find this process ensures correct display when switching to EPSG:28355 (GDA94/MGA Zone 55).
Shape does change between GDA94 and MGA Zone 55. I believe this is to do with the UTM grid not being parallel lines and in Tasmania this is accentuated as you go further south.
These pictures show the change between GDA and GDA MGA. This project is saved with GDA94/MGA Zone 55.
Not sure will help or confuse.

GDA94 MGA(UTM)

GDA

This is Victoria the project was saved with GDA94. The two pics show the disrtortion when switching from GDA to GDA/MGA.

Original GDA94 project



Switched to GDA94 /MGA55

Another note - If you use data with web mercator CRS then switch to GDA94/MGA55 your map will disappear as if by magic.
I had to convert to WGS84,save it then GDA94, save it, to avoid this. It may be possible to go direct to GDA94 then save.
Then GDA/MGA will display.

CasualNerd wrote:4. Even once I find good sources of vector data for watercourses, contours etc, how can you manipulate these with custom colours or styles ?

I'm trying to learn but I'm a bit over my head with all the terminology. Any suggestions appreciated.

Drop me a PM or just ask questions on here. I have some style files that can be used with data from the LIST Open Data portal

https://listdata.thelist.tas.gov.au/opendata/

Happy to coach you through any issues, plus there are heaps of great youtube videos - this guy is especially good - https://www.youtube.com/c/KlasKarlsson/videos

PS - I also run this group https://wildcaretas.org.au/branches/friends-of-gis/

here is a quick lesson on how to categorise layers (like tasveg)

https://docs.qgis.org/3.10/en/docs/trai ... ation.html

Thanks guys.
nielmny you're right, as soon as I started changing the layers the map disappears - but only on certain changes, I'm sure there's a pattern. I've been looking through the layer information and most of the LIST layers I was using were WGS84 / 3857 But using only those layers and the basemap set to that and things still don't display correctly. I'll try again when I have time using fresh projects and try a few different ways of adding things.

tastrax thanks heaps, I looked through the open data but missed that page with the downloadable files. Will make some attempts and post again with questions.

CasualNerd wrote:2. Maps like the new 1:50k downloadable from TASMAP or NSWTOPO maps on Avenza look like they use much better vector data for contours etc. Are there public sources of such data ?

ELVIS - https://elevation.fsdf.org.au/
Source for high quality DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data for NSW, parts of TAS & Qld