Opening and viewing the data in QGIS

The data you get from LDS will be in a tiled format. The tiled format is ideal for sharing data over the internet. This does mean that you have to find a way To use the data, you should either:

Merge all the data into a single, large dataset.
Create a Virtual Raster dataset.
The key difference between these two options lies in their storage implications. Merging the data creates an entirely new dataset, which requires additional storage space. On the other hand, a Virtual Raster is a compact file that references the tiles you downloaded from LINZ. While this method may be more efficient, it can complicate the process of saving and transferring files. Next, are two examples of how to do this in QGIS.

Merge data into one set

Merging data into a single set in QGIS is straightforward. First, load the data into your QGIS project. Then, locate the merge tool under the following menu: Raster > Miscellaneous > Merge. Select your data, click ‘Run’, and voila, you have your dataset! Note that this creates a temporary set, so don’t forget to save the file.

Example

A video that shows how to merge the dataset downloaded in the previous video. Also shows how to set up the hillshade view.

Create a Virtual raster

The process of setting up a Virtual Raster dataset is almost identical. Load the data into your QGIS project, then find the Virtual Raster tool under the following menu: Raster > Miscellaneous > Build Virtual Raster. Select your data, click ‘Run’, and you now have your virtual dataset! If you plan to move your data, remember to also move all associated files.

Next -Acquire data from OpenTopography