QGIS Python Programming Cookbook - Second Edition

Rasterizing a vector layer

Sometimes, a raster dataset is a more efficient way to display a complex vector that is merely a backdrop in a map. In these cases, you can rasterize a vector layer to turn it into an image.

Getting ready

We will demonstrate rasterizing a vector layer using the following contour shapefile, which you can download:

https://github.com/GeospatialPython/Learn/raw/master/contour.zip

Extract it to your /qgis_data/rasters directory.

How to do it...

We will run the gdalogr:rasterize algorithm to convert this vector data to a raster:

1. Start QGIS.
2. From the Plugins menu, select Python Console.
3. Import the processing module:

           import processing 
   

4. Run the algorithm, specifying the input data, the attribute from which to draw raster values, 0