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The QGIS Project#

Each map type of an autoMaps project needs to consist of:

  • a MapType object (see this section)
  • a generator class (a subclass of MapGenerator) (see this section)
  • one or more QGIS print layouts in an associated QGIS project file (described here)

The main configuration automapsconf.py of an autoMaps project references a QGIS project via its FILEPATH_QGIS_PROJECT option (see Main Configuration). This project is used to bring all the geodata together, to define the symbology, the labels etc. Details on this process are beyond the scope of this user guide but can be found in the QGIS docs.

At least one QGIS print layout is needed to export maps with autoMaps. It is linked to the MapType via its print_layout argument.

Before the map export is executed, the associated QGIS project is automatically loaded into memory by autoMaps and modified by the processing steps of the respective MapGenerator. This way, the sophisticated cartographic capabilities of QGIS can be used to prepare the general styling and layout, which is then used to create a concrete map as defined by the user. Take a look at the description of the demo project to get an impression of this workflow.