Applied professional course

QGIS Site Analysis and Evidence Base

Build a reproducible QGIS project that turns open data into a defensible site evidence base and map series.

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Written course content

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Client-style brief

A consultancy has been appointed on a 42-hectare edge-of-settlement site and must produce the spatial evidence base that every later workstream will rely on. The team wants one properly structured project, one set of trustworthy layers and a numbered map series that can be dropped into a report, a client presentation and a pre-application pack without being redrawn each time.

Professional scenario

Synthetic site pack: a boundary polygon, open contour and watercourse data, a settlement layer, a road network, a public rights-of-way layer, a synthetic designations layer and an aerial-style basemap tile set supplied for teaching.

Planning problem

Site analysis often produces attractive maps that cannot be defended: unstated projections, unlabelled sources, buffers with no rationale and figures that contradict each other. The professional problem is to build an evidence base that is reproducible, source-traceable and internally consistent.

Learning objectives

Set up a projected, documented QGIS project that another analyst can open and rerun.
Assess, clean and document input data before any analysis is performed.
Produce constraint, opportunity and context analysis that answers planning questions.
Derive terrain, access and proximity measures with a stated method.
Publish a numbered, legible map series with a complete source register.

Modules and lessons

0 of 9 lessons open

Module 1
Module 1 — Project setup, data assessment and structure
Build a project that is correct before it is pretty: right projection, known data, traceable sources.
Example data: Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register.
Module output: Configured QGIS project, cleaned layer set and a completed source register.
Module 2
Module 2 — Analysis that answers planning questions
Move from displaying data to producing measured findings a planner can act on.
Example data: Teaching contour, watercourse, road, footpath, bus-stop and designation layers with a synthetic services point set.
Module output: Constraints layer, opportunities layer and a measured site-analysis findings table.
Module 3
Module 3 — Cartography, checking and publication
Turn analysis into a legible, checked and reusable map series with a written narrative.
Example data: Ideeplan-owned map-template layout, north point, scale bar and legend conventions, and a teaching figure-numbering schedule.
Module output: Numbered site-analysis map series with source register and a written analysis note.

Project brief

A 42-hectare synthetic edge-of-settlement site with terrain, hydrology, access and designation data supplied for teaching.

Your role: GIS and site-analysis lead producing the evidence base for a consultancy project team.

Information available

Synthetic site boundary and topographic data.
Teaching hydrology, transport, rights-of-way and designation layers.
Ideeplan-owned project template, map template and source register.
A synthetic services and facilities point set.

Required analysis

Data fitness and limitation assessment.
Terrain, slope and aspect analysis.
Proximity and access measurement.
Composite hard and soft constraints overlay.
Net developable area calculation.

Required outputs

Configured, portable QGIS project.
Numbered site-analysis map series of at least six figures.
Completed source and licence register.
Measured findings table.
Two-page analysis note with limitations.

Presentation standard: Consistent extents and symbology across figures, complete map furniture, stated scales, and figures numbered and referenced from the text.

Marking criteria

Reproducibility: Another analyst can reopen the project and reproduce every figure and number.
Source traceability: Every layer used appears in the register with provenance and limitation.
Method justification: Buffer distances, slope bands and classifications each state a reason.
Cartographic quality: Figures are legible at their stated scale and in greyscale, with full furniture.
Consistency: Text, table and map values agree throughout the deliverable.

Quality-assurance checklist

Project and all layers share one projected coordinate system.
Every layer has a source, date, capture scale and limitation entry.
Every buffer and threshold has a written justification.
Each figure carries title, number, scale, north point, legend, source and date.
Local mapping standards, data licences and datum requirements are confirmed with the relevant authority before publication.

Common mistakes and correction tasks

Measuring areas in a geographic coordinate system. Correction: Reproject to a suitable projected system, recalculate and reissue the affected figures.
Using a 400-metre buffer with no stated basis. Correction: Replace with an evidenced walking or policy standard and record the source in the method note.
Presenting a soft constraint as absolute undevelopable land. Correction: Reclassify, restate the net developable area and explain the qualification in the narrative.
Publishing a figure without source or date. Correction: Add complete map furniture and cross-check the entry against the source register.

Final deliverable

Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note

Audience and role

Planners, GIS technicians, urban designers, graduate consultants and planning-authority officers building spatial evidence.

You act as the GIS and site-analysis lead producing the evidence base for a project team.

Prerequisites

Basic computer file management and folder discipline.
Ability to read a site plan and identify basic planning constraints.

Software access and licensing

Ideeplan Consult provides professional instruction, exercises, synthetic practice data and learning resources. It does not provide, purchase or pay for software licences on behalf of learners.

Required software

QGIS
Suggested version: QGIS 3.x long-term release. Learners or their employers must obtain lawful access.
QGIS project (official website)
Alternative: Browser-based map-reading exercise — Where a learner has no GIS software, selected exercises can be followed as view-only demonstrations. This is not full hands-on GIS training.
Spreadsheet software
Suggested version: Any modern spreadsheet application. Learners or their employers must obtain lawful access.
LibreOffice Calc (official website)
Alternative: Google Sheets — A browser-based alternative suitable for the calculation exercises. It is not identical to desktop spreadsheet software.
Word processor
Suggested version: Any modern word-processing application. Learners or their employers must obtain lawful access.
LibreOffice Writer (official website)
PDF reader
Learners or their employers must obtain lawful access from the official software provider.

Learners or their employers must obtain lawful access to any required software before starting the practical exercises.
Only official software-provider websites are linked from this site. Ideeplan Consult does not host installers.
No shared accounts, passwords, activation keys or cracked software are provided, and software credentials are never collected or stored.
Ideeplan Consult claims no endorsement, partnership or sponsorship by any software provider.
Software licence costs are not included in any Ideeplan course fee, and no trial, student, educational or free licence is promised to be available.
Where a legitimate alternative is suitable, it is identified separately and is not claimed to be identical to the required software.
If a learner lacks the required software, a view-only demonstration or browser-based exercise may be offered where possible; this is never described as full hands-on software training.

Where to obtain project data

Every exercise in this course uses synthetic or Ideeplan-owned training data. This section explains how to replace that training data with lawful local project data in your own jurisdiction when you apply the method to a real site.

Free access and free reuse are different things. A dataset you can view or download is not automatically a dataset you may republish, adapt or use in a paid commercial deliverable.
Confirm the current licence on the source website before you reuse anything. Terms, prices and availability change without notice.
Ideeplan Consult does not host, redistribute or resell any third-party dataset, and links only to official or openly licensed public sources.
Never use private, confidential, pirated, scraped or otherwise unauthorised data. If a source requires a licence or a fee, obtain it properly or use an alternative.
Record the version, extraction date and coverage of every dataset you use, and cite it in the report and in the map credit block.
Ideeplan training coordinates are supplied on a named local grid (IDP-LOCAL-GRID) in metres. Local synthetic training grid in metres: not georeferenced to the Earth and not suitable for overlaying with real-world basemaps without a separately supplied transformation. Never attach an EPSG code, projection file or real-world CRS to training data that has none.
When you move to a real site, obtain the coordinate reference system from the survey or the mapping agency and record it in the drawing and the report. Do not infer or guess a CRS from the numbers.
If a public source becomes unavailable, changes its terms or starts charging, use the alternative listed here — the synthetic training dataset remains available for practice either way.

Data used in this course

Base mapping and street networks
Access: Varies by jurisdiction
What you need: A base map of roads, footways, buildings, water features and place names covering the study area.
Why it is required: Every site plan, constraints plan and analysis drawing needs a locational base so the reader can orient the proposal against real streets, blocks and landmarks.
Preferred source: The national mapping agency of the country in which the site sits — National mapping agency. National mapping agencies publish the most positionally reliable base mapping. Access and licensing differ by country: some publish open products, others license mapping commercially or to registered professionals only. Confirm the terms with the agency before reuse.
Alternative: OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap Foundation and its contributors. Global, openly licensed and editable. Completeness varies sharply between areas.
Alternative: Geofabrik OpenStreetMap extracts — Geofabrik GmbH. Country and region extracts of OpenStreetMap data in GIS-ready formats.
Licence: OpenStreetMap data is published under the Open Database Licence (ODbL) 1.0. National mapping agency products carry their own licence, which is often not open.
Permitted reuse: ODbL permits copying, adaptation and commercial use provided the source is attributed and any distributed derivative database is shared under the same licence. This share-alike condition is a real obligation on consultancy deliverables that distribute data, so read it before use. Agency mapping may prohibit reuse entirely without a licence.
Required attribution: For OpenStreetMap: "© OpenStreetMap contributors", with a reference to the ODbL. Agency mapping must carry the credit wording that agency specifies.
Date, version and coverage: OpenStreetMap is continuously edited, so record the extraction date. Coverage is global. Agency mapping has a stated revision cycle and covers that country only.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: OpenStreetMap has no guaranteed positional accuracy, no consistent capture scale and uneven attribute completeness; building footprints and address data are missing in many areas. It is suitable for context and analysis, not for boundary determination or measured survey.
How to access lawfully: View directly in the browser, or download a regional extract and open it in GIS software. Do not scrape the live map tiles in bulk.
How to cite: OpenStreetMap contributors (year) OpenStreetMap [dataset]. Extracted [date]. Licensed under ODbL 1.0. Available at openstreetmap.org.
Administrative boundaries
Access: Varies by jurisdiction
What you need: Boundaries of the country, state or region, local government area and ward or district containing the site.
Why it is required: Boundaries define which authority determines the application, which policies apply and how statistics are aggregated for the study area.
Preferred source: The national statistical office or national mapping agency of the country concerned — National statistical office. Official boundaries are the only defensible source for reporting, because they match the units used in published statistics.
Alternative: Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) common operational datasets — UN OCHA. Country administrative boundary sets, usually endorsed by the national authority. Licences differ per dataset.
Alternative: Natural Earth — Natural Earth. Small-scale global boundaries in the public domain. Suitable for context maps only.
Licence: Natural Earth is public domain. HDX datasets carry per-dataset licences, commonly Creative Commons. National datasets carry the publishing authority's terms.
Permitted reuse: Public-domain boundaries may be reused freely, including commercially. Creative Commons datasets require attribution and may add conditions. An authority's boundary file may be viewable online yet still not licensed for redistribution — check before including it in a deliverable.
Required attribution: Name the publishing authority and the dataset title in the map credit block, with the licence where one is stated.
Date, version and coverage: Boundaries change through reorganisation, so record the release year and confirm it is the version in force at the assessment date. Coverage is national.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Generalised boundary files are drawn for cartography, not for legal boundary determination. Coastal and river boundaries are frequently simplified. Never use them to determine ownership or a legal limit.
How to access lawfully: Download from the publishing authority's open-data portal, or from HDX where the authority has released it there.
How to cite: [Publishing authority] (year) [Dataset title], version [x] [dataset]. Accessed [date]. Available at [official URL].
Aerial and satellite imagery
Access: Open access
What you need: Recent imagery of the site and its surroundings for context, land-use reading and change detection.
Why it is required: Imagery evidences existing site conditions, vegetation, access and surrounding development at a known date, which supports the appraisal narrative.
Preferred source: Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem — European Union / European Space Agency.
Alternative: USGS EarthExplorer (Landsat archive) — United States Geological Survey. Long historical archive, useful for change over decades.
Alternative: OpenAerialMap — Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. Openly licensed aerial imagery contributed by others. Coverage is patchy.
Licence: Sentinel data is published under the Copernicus open and free data policy. Landsat products from USGS are in the public domain. OpenAerialMap imagery carries the licence chosen by each contributor, commonly CC BY 4.0.
Permitted reuse: Copernicus and USGS products may be reused, adapted and used commercially with attribution. Imagery viewed inside a commercial web-map viewer is a different matter entirely: being able to see it in a browser does not license you to export, trace or publish it.
Required attribution: "Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [year]" for Sentinel; "Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey" for Landsat; the contributor credit and licence for OpenAerialMap.
Date, version and coverage: Record the acquisition date of the specific scene, not the download date. Sentinel-2 revisits every few days globally; Landsat covers 1972 onwards.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Sentinel-2 is 10–20 m ground resolution and Landsat is 30 m, so neither shows individual building detail. Cloud cover, shadow and seasonal vegetation change all affect interpretation. Imagery is not a survey and must not be measured from as though it were.
How to access lawfully: Register a free account with the provider, search by area and date, filter by cloud cover, then download the scene. Do not download tiles from a commercial basemap outside its terms.
How to cite: European Union / ESA / Copernicus (year) Sentinel-2 scene [ID], acquired [date] [satellite image]. Accessed [date].
Elevation and terrain
Access: Open access
What you need: A digital elevation model for slope, aspect, drainage direction and levels context.
Why it is required: Slope and drainage govern developable area, road gradients, earthworks cost and surface-water risk, so terrain shapes the layout before anything is drawn.
Preferred source: Copernicus DEM via the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem — European Union / European Space Agency.
Alternative: NASA SRTM via USGS EarthExplorer — NASA / USGS. Approximately 30 m global elevation, widely used for screening.
Alternative: OpenTopography — OpenTopography Facility. High-resolution lidar where a survey has been flown and released; coverage is limited and per-dataset licences apply.
Licence: SRTM products from USGS are public domain. Copernicus DEM instances are released under the Copernicus licence, which permits reuse with attribution. OpenTopography datasets carry the licence set by each data owner.
Permitted reuse: Reuse, adaptation and commercial use are permitted for the public-domain and Copernicus products with the required credit. Confirm the per-dataset terms on OpenTopography before including a lidar derivative in a paid deliverable.
Required attribution: Credit the mission and steward, for example "Contains modified Copernicus DEM data" or "SRTM data courtesy of NASA/USGS".
Date, version and coverage: SRTM was captured in 2000 and does not reflect later earthworks. Copernicus DEM is compiled from more recent acquisitions. Both are near-global; note the tile version.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Global DEMs are roughly 30 m horizontal resolution with vertical error typically measured in metres, and they represent surface height including tree canopy and buildings, not bare ground. They are screening tools only and never a substitute for a topographic survey for design levels.
How to access lawfully: Register with the portal, select tiles covering the study area, download, then reproject into the local projected coordinate system before deriving slope.
How to cite: [Mission] (year) [Product name], tile [ID] [dataset]. Accessed [date]. Available at [official URL].
Land cover and land use
Access: Open access
What you need: A land-cover classification showing built-up area, cropland, vegetation, bare ground and water.
Why it is required: Land cover supports constraint mapping, loss-of-agricultural-land arguments, green-infrastructure analysis and the growth narrative in a settlement study.
Preferred source: ESA WorldCover — European Space Agency.
Alternative: Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) — European Commission Joint Research Centre. Built-up surface and settlement layers, useful for urbanisation trends.
Alternative: The land-use record of the local planning authority — Local planning authority. Where published, an authority's own land-use survey is more authoritative locally than any global product.
Licence: ESA WorldCover and GHSL products are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Local authority land-use records carry the authority's own terms and are often view-only.
Permitted reuse: CC BY 4.0 permits copying, adaptation and commercial use with attribution. A land-use map an authority displays on a public viewer may not be licensed for extraction — ask the authority for a data licence rather than digitising the screen.
Required attribution: Credit the producer, product name, year and the CC BY 4.0 licence in the map credit block.
Date, version and coverage: State the product year, for example WorldCover 2021. Coverage is global at that epoch, so it will not reflect development completed since.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Global land cover is typically 10–100 m resolution with class accuracy in the region of 75–80 per cent, and it confuses similar classes such as bare ground and low-density development. Verify against imagery and a site visit before relying on any single pixel.
How to access lawfully: Download the tiles covering the study area from the producer's portal, or consume the published web service inside GIS software.
How to cite: [Producer] (year) [Product name] v[x] [dataset]. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Accessed [date].
Population, housing and socio-economic statistics
Access: Varies by jurisdiction
What you need: Census or survey figures for population, households, household size, tenure, employment and deprivation for the study area.
Why it is required: Need assessments, demand forecasts, catchment tests and infrastructure sizing all rest on published population and household evidence rather than assertion.
Preferred source: The national statistical office of the country concerned — National statistical office. Census and official survey outputs are the defensible baseline because they are the figures an authority and an inspector will recognise.
Alternative: WorldPop — WorldPop, University of Southampton. Modelled gridded population where census small-area data is unavailable.
Alternative: UN Data — United Nations Statistics Division. Comparable national indicators for context and benchmarking.
Licence: WorldPop datasets are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. National statistical outputs carry the office's own terms; many are open with attribution, some restrict redistribution of microdata.
Permitted reuse: CC BY 4.0 statistics may be reused commercially with attribution. Microdata and small-area tables are often released only under a licence agreement or safeguarded access, and must never be re-identified or redistributed.
Required attribution: Cite the office, the table or dataset reference and the reference year beneath every derived table and chart.
Date, version and coverage: Record the census or survey reference year, not the download year, and state the geography level used, for example ward or enumeration area.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Census data ages quickly between rounds, small-area figures may be rounded or suppressed to protect confidentiality, and modelled gridded population is an estimate that can be materially wrong at neighbourhood level. Do not present modelled counts as observed counts.
How to access lawfully: Download the published table or dataset from the statistical office's release page, or the gridded raster from the producer's portal.
How to cite: [Statistical office] (year) [Table or dataset title], reference year [year] [dataset]. Accessed [date]. Available at [official URL].
Cadastral, land-tenure and ownership information
Access: Paid or licensed
What you need: Parcel boundaries, plot numbers, registered interests and tenure status for the site and adjoining land.
Why it is required: Site extent, ransom strips, access rights and assembly risk cannot be assessed without knowing who holds what, and multi-ownership changes the phasing strategy.
Preferred source: The land registry or lands bureau with jurisdiction over the site — Land registry / lands bureau. Only the registry can confirm a registered interest. Many registries provide official searches for a fee.
Alternative: The local planning authority's public application register — Local planning authority. Site boundaries submitted with previous applications indicate extent, though never ownership.
Licence: Registry information is normally supplied under a licence for a stated purpose, and is frequently charged per title or per search.
Permitted reuse: Reuse is usually limited to the transaction or instruction for which the search was made. Redistributing register extracts, republishing parcel data or placing ownership information on a public website is commonly prohibited and may also breach data-protection law where an owner is a living individual.
Required attribution: State the registry, the title or parcel reference and the search date, and keep the extract itself in the confidential appendix rather than the public document.
Date, version and coverage: Registry information is correct only as at the search date and coverage is limited to registered land, which in many jurisdictions is a minority of all land.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: Registry boundaries are often general boundaries, not precise legal lines, and unregistered, customary or communal tenure may not appear at all. Never present a cadastral extract as a boundary determination.
How to access lawfully: Apply through the registry's official search service and pay the prescribed fee. Never use an unofficial copy, a scraped parcel dataset or a leaked register.
How to cite: [Land registry] (year) Official search of title [reference], searched [date]. Reproduced under licence.
Planning policy, allocations and application history
Access: Public, view-only
What you need: The adopted development plan and its policies map, supplementary guidance, site allocations and the planning history of the site and its neighbours.
Why it is required: Policy compliance is the test the proposal will be judged against, and nearby decisions show how the authority has actually applied that policy.
Preferred source: The local planning authority with jurisdiction over the site — Local planning authority. Most authorities publish the plan, the policies map and a searchable application register on their own website.
Alternative: The national or regional government planning portal for the country concerned — National or regional planning body. Where a local plan is unpublished, regional policy and national guidance still apply.
Licence: Policy documents are usually published for public inspection under the authority's copyright, with reuse terms that vary and are often limited to non-commercial reproduction with acknowledgement.
Permitted reuse: Quoting a policy with a citation is normal professional practice. Republishing whole documents, policies-map data layers or bulk application records generally requires the authority's permission, and scraping a register is not an acceptable substitute for asking.
Required attribution: Cite the authority, plan title, adoption date and the policy reference for every policy relied on.
Date, version and coverage: Plans are replaced and policies are superseded, so record the adoption date and confirm the plan is the one currently in force. Coverage is that authority's administrative area only.
Scale, accuracy and limitations: A published policies map may be indicative rather than definitive at parcel level, emerging plans carry limited weight, and the register may lag current decisions. Confirm anything decisive with the authority in writing.
How to access lawfully: Download the plan from the authority's website and search the application register by address or reference. Request the policies-map data layer from the authority if you need it in GIS.
How to cite: [Authority] (year) [Plan title], adopted [date], Policy [reference]. Available at [official URL] [accessed date].

Where no suitable public source exists in your jurisdiction, complete the exercise with the synthetic training dataset and record the data gap as a limitation in your report. Stating a limitation honestly is professional practice; inventing data is not.

Method and limitations

Structure the project, prove the data, justify every threshold, then publish maps that carry their own evidence. Analysis that cannot be reproduced is not evidence.

The method taught here is jurisdiction-neutral professional practice. Statutory tests, validation lists, density and parking standards, open-space and drainage requirements, accessibility standards, consultation procedures and appeal routes differ by country and by authority. Local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed with the relevant authority before any of this method is applied to a real site. Nothing here is legal advice and no course confers a licence or a right to practise.

All example material is synthetic teaching data, publicly available information or Ideeplan-owned method. No client name, commissioned document, confidential project file or copyrighted third-party course material is used or distributed.

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Enrolment status

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Progress, assessment and certificates

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Assessment formats planned for the Academy

Written briefs, required deliverables and marking criteria are published inside the course content above for open review. None of them can be submitted or marked at present.

Practical planning task
GIS mapping exercise
Site-appraisal task
Feasibility assessment
CAD or drawing task
Revit coordination task
Planning-report task
Policy-assessment task
Transport or access analysis
Environmental or green-infrastructure exercise
Final course project

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Practical resources

Resources for this course

13 resource records · 13 with a written preview · 0 with a file under preparation · Download access not yet enabled.

All demonstration material is synthetic, publicly licensed or owned by Ideeplan Consult and is labelled as demonstration material. No confidential client file, personal information, private agency document or unreleased project drawing is used.

Practical project brief
Sets the professional situation, the role the learner takes and what must be produced.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Brief
Format
Written brief shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — One brief governs the whole course: every lesson exercise contributes to the same final deliverable.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- A 42-hectare synthetic edge-of-settlement site with terrain, hydrology, access and designation data supplied for teaching.
- Your role: GIS and site-analysis lead producing the evidence base for a consultancy project team.
- Available information: Synthetic site boundary and topographic data.
- Available information: Teaching hydrology, transport, rights-of-way and designation layers.
- Available information: Ideeplan-owned project template, map template and source register.
- Available information: A synthetic services and facilities point set.
- Required analysis: Data fitness and limitation assessment.
- Required analysis: Terrain, slope and aspect analysis.
- Required analysis: Proximity and access measurement.
- Required analysis: Composite hard and soft constraints overlay.
- Required analysis: Net developable area calculation.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Client-style instruction and problem statement
Gives the learner the instruction as a practitioner would receive it, and names the problem to be solved.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Brief
Format
Written statement shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — Scenario framing applies to every lesson in the course.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
Module 1 learner worksheet — Module 1 — Project setup, data assessment and structure
Lists the practical steps the learner carries out in this module, in order.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Worksheet
Format
Written worksheet shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Configured QGIS project, cleaned layer set and a completed source register.
Lessons supported
3 — Supports the 3 lessons in module 1, which build one shared output.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Coordinate systems, project structure and reproducibility — Set up the teaching project with a projected CRS, a fixed folder structure and relative paths, then reopen it from a moved copy to prove portability.
- Assessing data fitness before using it — Run a fitness assessment on six teaching layers and write a one-line limitation statement for each.
- The source register and licence discipline — Complete the source register for the full teaching dataset and flag two layers that would need a licence check before publication.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Module 2 learner worksheet — Module 2 — Analysis that answers planning questions
Lists the practical steps the learner carries out in this module, in order.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Worksheet
Format
Written worksheet shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Constraints layer, opportunities layer and a measured site-analysis findings table.
Lessons supported
3 — Supports the 3 lessons in module 2, which build one shared output.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Terrain, slope and aspect for developable area — Produce slope bands for the teaching site and calculate the area in each band inside the red line.
- Buffers, proximity and access measures — Produce walk-catchment and network-distance measures to services and compare the two results in writing.
- Overlaying constraints into a composite picture — Build a composite constraints layer with a hard/soft classification and derive the net developable area.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Module 3 learner worksheet — Module 3 — Cartography, checking and publication
Lists the practical steps the learner carries out in this module, in order.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Worksheet
Format
Written worksheet shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Numbered site-analysis map series with source register and a written analysis note.
Lessons supported
3 — Supports the 3 lessons in module 3, which build one shared output.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Layout, symbology and legibility — Produce three figures at a stated scale with complete map furniture and test each in greyscale.
- Consistency checking across the series — Run a cross-figure consistency check and log every mismatch with a correction.
- Writing the analysis narrative — Write a two-page analysis note keyed to the figure numbers with a limitations section.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Task checklist
Confirms every required piece of work has been produced before submission.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Checklist
Format
Written checklist shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — A single task checklist tracks progress across all modules.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Configured, portable QGIS project.
- Numbered site-analysis map series of at least six figures.
- Completed source and licence register.
- Measured findings table.
- Two-page analysis note with limitations.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.

Example data and drawing base

Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register. GIS exercises are planned around plain, checkable formats: CSV and clearly labelled local-grid JSON on the named grid IDP-LOCAL-GRID. GeoJSON is not used for local-grid training data because the format asserts WGS 84 degrees. No QGIS project file, GeoPackage or raster file is claimed.

Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available

Resource type: GIS exercise pack
Format: CSV and local-grid JSON (planned) — no GeoJSON, QGIS project, GeoPackage or raster file is claimed
Status: Planned
Data classification: Synthetic demonstration data
Licence or ownership: Synthetic demonstration material prepared by Ideeplan Consult. No client file, personal information, private agency document or unreleased project drawing is used.
Related deliverable: Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported: 9 — One demonstration data base is used by every lesson so results stay comparable.
Access: No account required — written preview is public

Demonstration data item	What it contains and how it is used
Data ownership and licence	Synthetic training data prepared and owned by Ideeplan Consult. It is fictional: it is not a real client project, a real site or a real location, and it must not be presented as one. Free to study on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Module 1 input — Module 1 — Project setup, data assessment and structure	Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register.
Module 2 input — Module 2 — Analysis that answers planning questions	Teaching contour, watercourse, road, footpath, bus-stop and designation layers with a synthetic services point set.
Module 3 input — Module 3 — Cartography, checking and publication	Ideeplan-owned map-template layout, north point, scale bar and legend conventions, and a teaching figure-numbering schedule.
Lawful sourcing where real data is substituted	Where a learner substitutes real data, use only openly licensed or lawfully obtained sources, record the publisher, dataset title, version and access date, and cite them in the final deliverable. Do not use restricted, confidential or personal data.

Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.

Analysis and calculation template
Structures the analysis so assumptions are visible and checkable. Any figures used in a template are teaching assumptions, not market evidence. Local costs, policies, standards and valuation assumptions must be independently confirmed before any of this is applied to a real project.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Suitability matrix
Format
CSV matrix (planned)
Status
Planned
Data classification
Synthetic demonstration data
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — The same analysis structure is completed progressively through the course.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Record every assumption on its own labelled row, with the source or reason beside it.
- Module 1 working section — Configured QGIS project, cleaned layer set and a completed source register.
- Module 2 working section — Constraints layer, opportunities layer and a measured site-analysis findings table.
- Module 3 working section — Numbered site-analysis map series with source register and a written analysis note.
- Required output carried into the analysis — Configured, portable QGIS project.
- Required output carried into the analysis — Numbered site-analysis map series of at least six figures.
- Required output carried into the analysis — Completed source and licence register.
- Required output carried into the analysis — Measured findings table.
- Required output carried into the analysis — Two-page analysis note with limitations.
- Check row: totals, units and areas reconcile before the result is carried into the deliverable.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Final deliverable template
Sets the expected structure and presentation standard for Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Planning-report template
Format
Structured document outline (planned)
Status
Planned
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — The final deliverable draws on every module output.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Final named deliverable — Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
- Section 1 — Configured QGIS project, cleaned layer set and a completed source register.
- Section 2 — Constraints layer, opportunities layer and a measured site-analysis findings table.
- Section 3 — Numbered site-analysis map series with source register and a written analysis note.
- Must be present — Configured, portable QGIS project.
- Must be present — Numbered site-analysis map series of at least six figures.
- Must be present — Completed source and licence register.
- Must be present — Measured findings table.
- Must be present — Two-page analysis note with limitations.
- Presentation and submission standard — Consistent extents and symbology across figures, complete map furniture, stated scales, and figures numbered and referenced from the text.
- Sources and citations: list every dataset, publisher, version and access date used, and state clearly where synthetic Ideeplan training data was used.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Quality-control checklist
Professional checks to run before the work is treated as finished.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Checklist
Format
Written checklist shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — Quality control is applied to the whole submission, not to a single lesson.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Project and all layers share one projected coordinate system.
- Every layer has a source, date, capture scale and limitation entry.
- Every buffer and threshold has a written justification.
- Each figure carries title, number, scale, north point, legend, source and date.
- Local mapping standards, data licences and datum requirements are confirmed with the relevant authority before publication.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.

Marking and review rubric

States what a satisfactory professional standard looks like for each criterion.

Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available

Resource type: Marking rubric
Format: Written rubric shown on this page
Status: Draft
Data classification: Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership: Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable: Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported: 9 — One rubric reviews the final deliverable produced across all modules.
Access: No account required — written preview is public

Criterion	Satisfactory standard
Reproducibility	Another analyst can reopen the project and reproduce every figure and number.
Source traceability	Every layer used appears in the register with provenance and limitation.
Method justification	Buffer distances, slope bands and classifications each state a reason.
Cartographic quality	Figures are legible at their stated scale and in greyscale, with full furniture.
Consistency	Text, table and map values agree throughout the deliverable.

Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.

Correction-task sheet
Common professional mistakes and the correction the learner practises.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Correction-task sheet
Format
Written task sheet shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — Correction tasks address mistakes that can appear anywhere in the course.
Access
No account required — written preview is public
- Measuring areas in a geographic coordinate system. — Reproject to a suitable projected system, recalculate and reissue the affected figures.
- Using a 400-metre buffer with no stated basis. — Replace with an evidenced walking or policy standard and record the source in the method note.
- Presenting a soft constraint as absolute undevelopable land. — Reclassify, restate the net developable area and explain the qualification in the narrative.
- Publishing a figure without source or date. — Add complete map furniture and cross-check the entry against the source register.
Resource file not yet available. The written instructions on this page are complete and can be followed without any download, account, enrolment or payment.
Submission guidance
How the finished work should be assembled and presented for professional review.
Written preview available — downloadable file not yet available
Resource type
Checklist
Format
Written guidance shown on this page
Status
Draft
Data classification
Ideeplan-owned demonstration material
Licence or ownership
Ideeplan Consult-owned teaching material. Free to read on this page; redistribution is not permitted.
Related deliverable
Site-analysis evidence base: numbered map series, source register and analysis note
Lessons supported
9 — Submission guidance covers the single final deliverable.
Access
No account required — written preview is public

Media status

Video lessons for this course

Video lessons: Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Narration: Professional narration — planned, not produced
Captions: Not yet produced
Transcript: Not yet produced
Software demonstration: Genuine screen capture from the real application only — no mockup, simulated interface or AI-generated screen.
Software version and operating system: No software version is published until it has been read from the actual recorded session. Until then the version reads “To be stated from the recorded session”.
Production plan: Prepared for professional review
Enrolment, payment and downloads: Disabled

Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required. The written lesson on this page is complete and can be read in full without a video, an account, enrolment or payment.

Authentic software screen capture only — non-negotiable standard

Applies to every software demonstrated in the Academy, including AutoCAD, QGIS, Revit, ArcGIS, SketchUp, Lumion, Civil 3D, Rhino and any other software used. The final video must accurately represent what a learner sees when using the stated software version.

Every demonstration is a genuine screen recording or screenshot captured from the actual installed software being taught.
The exact software name, version, operating system and relevant workspace are stated on screen and in the lesson notes, as read from the recorded session.
The real interface is shown: menus, panels, toolbars, properties, layer controls, settings and the command line or log.
The real cursor, tool selection, commands, settings and the resulting output are visible.
Capture is 16:9 and readable at 720p, with clear, unhurried cursor movement; the screen stays clear enough for learners to follow.
The view zooms in whenever text, settings, coordinates or field values would otherwise be hard to read.
The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software.
Useful keyboard shortcuts are shown alongside the menu path, never instead of it.
Differences between software versions or operating systems are stated wherever the interface may display differently.
Steps are numbered on screen, with callouts pointing at the actual control being used.
Any annotation is added only after recording and must never alter or misrepresent the software interface.
Captions and a complete transcript are produced before professional review.
Any presenter window stays small, is positioned clear of technical content, and is hidden on mobile widths and on dense technical screens.

Interface visibility on every recording

The full application interface is shown at the beginning of every demonstration, with the application identity and exact version clearly visible.
The relevant menu bar, ribbon, toolbar or toolbox stays visible while each step is explained; the interface context is never cropped away.
Layers, properties, project browser or data panels are shown wherever applicable.
The command line, status bar or coordinate/CRS information is shown wherever relevant.
Real cursor movement and visible clicks are captured, with visible cursor highlighting or click indicators.
The selected tool and its effect are visible, and complete dialog boxes and settings are shown whenever one is opened.
The resulting drawing, map, model or output is shown in the recording.
Zoom is used only when necessary for small text or settings, always retaining enough context to identify the application and tool in use.
The standard applies to every software course and is verified before any video is marked recorded or approved; if the required authentic interface is not visible, the lesson remains “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”

Never used

Generic website mockups standing in for a software workspace.
Simulated, redrawn, reconstructed or redesigned replica interfaces for any software.
AI-generated software screens, panels, dialogs or map canvases.
Generic illustrations replacing the real interface.
Unverified screenshots taken from any source other than the recorded session.
Fake video players, placeholder thumbnails or invented durations.
Invented menus, tool names, command names, dialog options or keyboard shortcuts.
Hiding important controls or covering them with a presenter window.
Annotations that alter or misrepresent the recorded software interface.
Claiming or implying that a simulated screen is an authentic software demonstration.

QGIS — what the recording must show

Exact QGIS version to be stated from the recorded session. Operating system to be stated from the recorded session; menu positions and file dialogs differ between systems.

1.Project CRS: Project Properties, the CRS tab and the selected coordinate reference system.
2.Layer loading: the Data Source Manager or Browser panel and the layer added to the canvas.
3.Layer properties: the Layer Properties dialog and each tab used in the lesson.
4.Symbology: the Symbology tab with the real renderer, classes and colour settings.
5.Attribute tables: the attribute table, field values, selection and expression use.
6.Processing tools: the Processing Toolbox with the tool searched and opened by its real name.
7.Analysis settings: every parameter in the tool dialog, including output location.
8.Map layout: the Print Layout window, page setup and map item.
9.Legend, scale and north arrow: each item added from the real layout toolbar.
10.Export and quality checks: the export dialog settings and a check of the exported file.

No authentic software recording or screenshot exists yet. Every software lesson remains “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”

Real professional classroom experience — every lesson

Applies to every future Academy lesson, software-based or not. The finished lesson presents as authentic professional training, professionally narrated and screen-led: video + written guide + supporting data + practical task + quality checklist + final named deliverable.

Lesson structure

1.Professional introduction.
2.Realistic project situation.
3.Learner role within that situation.
4.Problem statement.
5.Learning objectives.
6.Required software and data.
7.Step-by-step demonstration.
8.Explanation of the professional reasoning behind each action.
9.Practical learner task.
10.Checkpoint or pause activity.
11.Common mistake and its correction.
12.Quality-control review.
13.Final recap.
14.Named learner deliverable.

Video requirements

Professional narration that is clear, natural and paced for instruction, synchronised with the screen action.
Authentic screen recording from the actual software, with visible menus, tools, panels, commands, settings and outputs.
Natural cursor movement and deliberate pacing, with a clear explanation of why each action is taken.
Realistic corrections and troubleshooting shown, not edited away.
Clear 16:9 screen capture.
Captions and a complete transcript.
Chapter titles and lesson sections.
A small presenter window only where useful; it never covers technical content and is hidden on mobile or dense technical screens.

Never produced as a lesson

Automated slideshows.
Generic screen tours.
Silent software demonstrations.
Marketing videos presented as lessons.
AI-avatar presentations.
Simulated software tutorials.
Fast montages without explanation.
An invented tutor, instructor identity, voice, recording, thumbnail or completion status.

Lessons use only synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned examples. No confidential client information is used.

No genuine professional recording exists yet. Until one does, every lesson remains “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.” Enrolment, payments, certificates and protected learner access stay disabled during this production stage.

Professional narration and screen-first production

Every Academy lesson is planned as a professionally narrated, screen-led practical lesson with captions and a complete transcript.
No AI avatar, virtual presenter or artificial talking head is used, and no named person is imitated. No lesson is described as human-narrated, instructor-led by a named person or personally presented unless that is factually true.
No instructor identity is published until a real, named professional has recorded and approved the lesson.
Recordings are screen-first: the GIS view, planning drawing, AutoCAD or Revit workspace or document remains the main subject of the frame.
Any presenter picture-in-picture normally occupies about 8–10% of the frame, never covers technical content, and is reduced or hidden on small screens.
The Principal Consultant portrait is reserved for approved introductions and conclusions. It is never used as a repeated course thumbnail, and the Academy remains company-first.

No lesson has been recorded and no narration has been produced. Scripts exist as production plans only, and every lesson video status remains “Not recorded”.

Demonstration material is synthetic, publicly licensed or owned by Ideeplan Consult. No confidential client file, unauthorised agency dataset or private project information is used.

Methods are jurisdiction-neutral. Learners must confirm local laws, policies and technical standards before applying them to a real project.

A production plan describes how a lesson would be recorded. It is not a recording, and it does not create an enrolment, account, payment or reserved place.

9 lesson production plans · suggested recording time about 90 minutes in total (a planning estimate, not a recorded duration) · every lesson video status: Not recorded.

Lesson 1 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Coordinate systems, project structure and reproducibility
Learning objective
Choosing a projected coordinate system suited to measurement, the difference between layer and project CRS, on-the-fly reprojection risks, folder and naming conventions, and what makes a project reopenable by a colleague a year later.
Narration focus
Build a project that is correct before it is pretty: right projection, known data, traceable sources.
Screen action
Set up the teaching project with a projected CRS, a fixed folder structure and relative paths, then reopen it from a moved copy to prove portability.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register.
Expected learner output
The project opens from a relocated folder with no broken paths and every layer reports the intended CRS.
Suggested length
About 8 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Choosing a projected coordinate system suited to measurement, the difference between layer and project CRS, on-the-fly reprojection risks, folder and naming conventions, and what makes a project reopenable by a colleague a year later.
2. 2.Set up the teaching project with a projected CRS, a fixed folder structure and relative paths, then reopen it from a moved copy to prove portability.
3. 3.The project opens from a relocated folder with no broken paths and every layer reports the intended CRS.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 2 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Assessing data fitness before using it
Learning objective
Interrogating attribute tables, checking geometry validity, identifying capture scale and currency, spotting duplicated or overlapping features, and recording what a dataset can and cannot support.
Narration focus
Build a project that is correct before it is pretty: right projection, known data, traceable sources.
Screen action
Run a fitness assessment on six teaching layers and write a one-line limitation statement for each.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register.
Expected learner output
Every layer has a recorded source, date, capture scale and stated limitation.
Suggested length
About 10 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Interrogating attribute tables, checking geometry validity, identifying capture scale and currency, spotting duplicated or overlapping features, and recording what a dataset can and cannot support.
2. 2.Run a fitness assessment on six teaching layers and write a one-line limitation statement for each.
3. 3.Every layer has a recorded source, date, capture scale and stated limitation.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 3 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
The source register and licence discipline
Learning objective
Building a register that records provenance, licence, permitted use and required attribution; why unlicensed or unattributed data invalidates a professional deliverable; and how to substitute when data cannot be used.
Narration focus
Build a project that is correct before it is pretty: right projection, known data, traceable sources.
Screen action
Complete the source register for the full teaching dataset and flag two layers that would need a licence check before publication.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Synthetic site boundary, open-style topographic, hydrology, transport and designation layers, plus an Ideeplan-owned project folder template and source register.
Expected learner output
No layer enters the analysis without an entry in the register.
Suggested length
About 12 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Building a register that records provenance, licence, permitted use and required attribution; why unlicensed or unattributed data invalidates a professional deliverable; and how to substitute when data cannot be used.
2. 2.Complete the source register for the full teaching dataset and flag two layers that would need a licence check before publication.
3. 3.No layer enters the analysis without an entry in the register.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 4 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Terrain, slope and aspect for developable area
Learning objective
Building a surface from contours, deriving slope and aspect, choosing planning-relevant slope bands, and translating terrain into a statement about developable and constrained land.
Narration focus
Move from displaying data to producing measured findings a planner can act on.
Screen action
Produce slope bands for the teaching site and calculate the area in each band inside the red line.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Teaching contour, watercourse, road, footpath, bus-stop and designation layers with a synthetic services point set.
Expected learner output
Band thresholds are stated with a reason and areas sum to the site area.
Suggested length
About 8 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Building a surface from contours, deriving slope and aspect, choosing planning-relevant slope bands, and translating terrain into a statement about developable and constrained land.
2. 2.Produce slope bands for the teaching site and calculate the area in each band inside the red line.
3. 3.Band thresholds are stated with a reason and areas sum to the site area.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 5 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Buffers, proximity and access measures
Learning objective
Choosing buffer distances that reflect a policy or an evidenced walking standard rather than a round number, straight-line versus network distance, and reporting proximity honestly.
Narration focus
Move from displaying data to producing measured findings a planner can act on.
Screen action
Produce walk-catchment and network-distance measures to services and compare the two results in writing.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Teaching contour, watercourse, road, footpath, bus-stop and designation layers with a synthetic services point set.
Expected learner output
Every distance used names its justification and the method behind it.
Suggested length
About 10 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Choosing buffer distances that reflect a policy or an evidenced walking standard rather than a round number, straight-line versus network distance, and reporting proximity honestly.
2. 2.Produce walk-catchment and network-distance measures to services and compare the two results in writing.
3. 3.Every distance used names its justification and the method behind it.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 6 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Overlaying constraints into a composite picture
Learning objective
Combining absolute constraints, qualified constraints and opportunities without letting a soft constraint masquerade as a hard one; handling overlaps; and calculating a defensible net developable area.
Narration focus
Move from displaying data to producing measured findings a planner can act on.
Screen action
Build a composite constraints layer with a hard/soft classification and derive the net developable area.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Teaching contour, watercourse, road, footpath, bus-stop and designation layers with a synthetic services point set.
Expected learner output
Hard and soft constraints are separately identifiable and the area calculation is reproducible.
Suggested length
About 12 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Combining absolute constraints, qualified constraints and opportunities without letting a soft constraint masquerade as a hard one; handling overlaps; and calculating a defensible net developable area.
2. 2.Build a composite constraints layer with a hard/soft classification and derive the net developable area.
3. 3.Hard and soft constraints are separately identifiable and the area calculation is reproducible.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 7 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Layout, symbology and legibility
Learning objective
Print layouts, scale selection, legend order, hierarchy of line and fill weights, colour choices that survive greyscale printing and colour-vision differences, and the minimum furniture every professional map carries.
Narration focus
Turn analysis into a legible, checked and reusable map series with a written narrative.
Screen action
Produce three figures at a stated scale with complete map furniture and test each in greyscale.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Ideeplan-owned map-template layout, north point, scale bar and legend conventions, and a teaching figure-numbering schedule.
Expected learner output
Each figure carries title, figure number, scale, north point, legend, source and date, and remains readable in greyscale.
Suggested length
About 8 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Print layouts, scale selection, legend order, hierarchy of line and fill weights, colour choices that survive greyscale printing and colour-vision differences, and the minimum furniture every professional map carries.
2. 2.Produce three figures at a stated scale with complete map furniture and test each in greyscale.
3. 3.Each figure carries title, figure number, scale, north point, legend, source and date, and remains readable in greyscale.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 8 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Consistency checking across the series
Learning objective
Ensuring extents, symbology and terminology match across figures, cross-checking map figures against report text, and catching the classic contradiction between a stated area and a mapped area.
Narration focus
Turn analysis into a legible, checked and reusable map series with a written narrative.
Screen action
Run a cross-figure consistency check and log every mismatch with a correction.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Ideeplan-owned map-template layout, north point, scale bar and legend conventions, and a teaching figure-numbering schedule.
Expected learner output
Numbers quoted in text match the mapped values exactly.
Suggested length
About 10 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Ensuring extents, symbology and terminology match across figures, cross-checking map figures against report text, and catching the classic contradiction between a stated area and a mapped area.
2. 2.Run a cross-figure consistency check and log every mismatch with a correction.
3. 3.Numbers quoted in text match the mapped values exactly.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.
Lesson 9 · Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.
Writing the analysis narrative
Learning objective
Converting mapped findings into short, evidenced planning statements, separating observation from recommendation, and stating the limitations of the evidence base.
Narration focus
Turn analysis into a legible, checked and reusable map series with a written narrative.
Screen action
Write a two-page analysis note keyed to the figure numbers with a limitations section.
Required software
QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader
Example data
Ideeplan-owned map-template layout, north point, scale bar and legend conventions, and a teaching figure-numbering schedule.
Expected learner output
Every statement points to a figure and no recommendation is presented as a finding.
Suggested length
About 12 minutes (planning estimate)
Captions and transcript
Required before professional review
Narration
Professional narration — not yet produced
Demonstration sequence
1. 1.Converting mapped findings into short, evidenced planning statements, separating observation from recommendation, and stating the limitations of the evidence base.
2. 2.Write a two-page analysis note keyed to the figure numbers with a limitations section.
3. 3.Every statement points to a figure and no recommendation is presented as a finding.
Quality review checklist
- Technical content (map, drawing, model or document) fills the majority of the frame and stays legible at 720p.
- Presenter picture-in-picture, if used, stays at roughly 8–10% of the frame, never covers legends, dimensions, labels or annotations, and is hidden on mobile widths and dense technical screens.
- Software shown is limited to QGIS, Spreadsheet software, Word processor, PDF reader, with no suggestion of provider endorsement.
- Capture is a genuine screen recording from the real application — no mockup, simulated interface, AI-generated screen or unverified screenshot.
- The exact software name, version and, where relevant, operating system are read from the recorded session and stated on screen.
- Menus, panels, toolbars, layer controls and the command line or log are visible and legible; the view zooms in wherever text, settings or coordinates would be hard to read.
- The full application interface is shown at the beginning; menus, tools and panels stay visible throughout and the interface context is never cropped away, with zoom retaining enough context to identify the application and tool.
- Real cursor movement with visible highlighting or click indicators is captured; the selected tool, its effect, complete dialogs and the resulting output are all shown.
- The exact command, menu path or tool name is shown as it appears in the software, with useful keyboard shortcuts alongside it and alternative locations explained for other versions.
- Numbered on-screen steps and callouts point at the real controls being used; no menu, tool or command is invented.
- Until an authentic recording exists the lesson reads: “Video lesson: Not recorded — authentic professional recording required.”
- All data on screen is synthetic, publicly licensed or Ideeplan-owned, and is labelled as demonstration data.
- Narration states that methods are jurisdiction-neutral and that local laws, policies and standards must be confirmed.
- Captions and a transcript are produced before the recording can move to professional review.
- No client name, confidential file or private project information appears on screen at any point.

Course production standard

Recordings are screen-first: the planning drawing, GIS view, AutoCAD or Revit workspace stays the main subject of the frame.
Any presenter picture-in-picture normally occupies no more than about 8–10% of the frame and never covers maps, legends, drawings, dimensions or annotations.
On mobile and on dense technical screens the presenter window is reduced further or hidden entirely.
The Principal Consultant portrait is reserved for approved introductions, explanations and conclusions. It is not used as a generic thumbnail for every course.
Narration is planned for professional human delivery. No AI narration, AI presenter or recorded lesson exists today.

No lesson has been recorded. Every lesson media status is “Not recorded”.

Any example data used in teaching is synthetic, publicly licensed or owned by Ideeplan Consult, and is clearly labelled as demonstration data. No client file, confidential document or unauthorised project material is used.

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Discuss a Project

QGIS Site Analysis and Evidence Base

Written teaching content: available for review

Written course content

Client-style brief

Professional scenario

Planning problem

Learning objectives

Modules and lessons

Module 1 — Project setup, data assessment and structure

Coordinate systems, project structure and reproducibility

Assessing data fitness before using it

The source register and licence discipline

Module 2 — Analysis that answers planning questions

Terrain, slope and aspect for developable area

Buffers, proximity and access measures

Overlaying constraints into a composite picture

Module 3 — Cartography, checking and publication

Layout, symbology and legibility

Consistency checking across the series

Writing the analysis narrative