Transparency Mapping Prerequisites 2016
To participate in the workshop, you'll have to install some software on your computer prior to the workshop. It'll probably take about an half hour to get everything set up.
These instructions cover installation for Mac OS and Windows 10.
If you have any issues with this, don't hesitate to contact David Riordan, Rosalie Yu, or Michael Krisch for assistance.
This tutorial will walk you through the installation of the following pieces of software:
- Google Earth Pro - Google Earth is a geobrowser that accesses satellite and aerial imagery, ocean bathymetry, and other geographic data over the internet to represent the Earth as a three-dimensional globe.
- QGIS - A cross-platform free and open-source desktop geographic information system (GIS) application that provides data viewing, editing, and analysis.
- Adobe Illustrator - Adobe Illustrator is a paid application, although a free 1-week trial is available through Adobe. Typically, we focus our teaching around open-source tools. Unfortunately, open-source competitors fall short in a lot of the exercises we will take you through on Saturday. Adobe Illustrator is installed on the Journalism School's lab computers, so you can use what you learned even without buying Illustrator for your laptop. So, prior to the workshop, please sign-up for the 1-week trial. If you have already completed a 1-week trial with the Adobe Suite, please come see Michael Krisch 9am-12pm Tuesday-Thursday for assistance.
- Go to https://www.google.com/earth/download/gep/agree.html
- Click Agree and Download circled in red to begin the download
- Locate and open the GoogleEarthProMac-Intel.dmg file, double-click to open the installer.
- Follow the steps to install the software.
- Go to http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html and download QGIS for your platform.
- On the next window click the link circled in red to begin the download.
- Locate the QGIS-2.16.dmg file, double-click to open. You will see the following files inside.
- Before install, open and read 0 READ ME BEFORE INSTALLING.rtf to make sure your machine has the right setup
- Double-click or right click on 1 GDAL Complete.pkg to open and install the package.
- Click OK when prompted.
- Follow the steps to install the software.
- Repeat Steps 5 through 7 to install 2 NumPy.pkg, 3 matplotlib.pkg, and 4 Install QGIS.pkg.
-
Go to http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html and click on Free Trial
-
Locate and open the Illustrator_Installer.dmg file
-
Double-click the app icon to install the application
4. Sign in with your Adobe ID. Click Sign Up to create an Adobe ID, if you do not have an existing one.
(Please sign-up for the 1-week trial. If you have already completed a 1-week trial with the Adobe Suite, please come see Michael Krisch 9am-12pm Tuesday-Thursday for assistance.)
- Go to and agree to the terms of service
- Google being Google, it will automatically detect you have a Windows computer and give you the correct installer. Download it and run the installer
- Agree to let software be installed
- Explore the earth in style
- Go to http://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html
- Download
QGIS Standalone Installer Version 2.16 (64 bit)
- Launch the installer
- Allow it to install
- Follow the installer's steps. Don't install any of the included data sets. Sit back for a few minutes while it copies everything it needs.
- Go to http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html and click on Free Trial
- Locate and open the Illustrator_Installer.exe file
- Double-click the app icon to install the application
- Sign in with your Adobe ID. Click Sign Up to create an Adobe ID, if you do not have an existing one. (Please sign-up for the 1-month trial. If you have already completed a 1-month trial with the Adobe Suite, please come see Michael Krisch 9am-12pm Tuesday-Thursday for assistance.)