Combining raster and vector data

As discussed in Chapter 2, Data Creation and Editing, raster and vector data are the main sources of GIS data. These are often analyzed separately. However, more complex analyses sometimes require a combination of raster and vector data. We often need to convert raster data to vector data and vice versa. QGIS has this ability and uses GDAL calls (Polygonize and Rasterize) respectively. In the following exercises, we will use both raster and vector datasets to explain how to convert between these different data types. We will also look at how to access layer and zonal statistics, and finally, how to create a raster heatmap from point data.

Converting between rasters and vectors

Tools for converting...