Tag: en_gb

Today marks the initial release of our brand-new QGIS plugin, XLSForm Converter.
As the name suggests, the plugin converts XLSForm survey files into ready-to-use QGIS projects with a preconfigured survey attribute form.

Migrating to QField was never easier!

Even more exciting is that the converted QGIS project includes all the necessary settings for use with QField, thanks to a nifty QFieldCloud integration. With just a single checkbox, you can upload your generated project to the cloud and begin gathering data—either as a standalone surveyor or collaboratively as part of a team.

We believe this provides a fantastic solution for organisations and groups familiar with XLSForm—or already working with templates—who want to leverage QGIS-powered QField to conduct spatial surveys.

Plugin highlights

The plugin adds an algorithm to QGIS’ processing toolbox that converts a XLSForm file – Microsoft Excel’s .xls or .xlsx as well as LibreOffice Calc’s .ods – into a QGIS project containing a main survey layer and a basemap.

The layer’s geometry type will reflect the first geometry-driven question type found in the XLSForm, namely a point geometry for geopoint, a line geometry for geotrace, or a polygon geometry for geoshape.

For XLSForm repeat blocks, the algorithm generates additional layers and configures parent-child relationships to bind them to the main survey layer. These layers are hidden from the layer tree by default, keeping the project simple and user-friendly—even for users unfamiliar with QGIS.

For questions that capture media content—such as photographs, videos, and audio clips—the converter sets up the project so users can easily record them in QField with a single tap.

Pro tip: Since the converter is an algorithm, you can use it to build complex, model-driven survey projects via the QGIS Processing Modeler. You can also run conversions in headless environments using qgis_process. The possibilities are endless!

QFieldCloud-facilitated deployment to QField

As mentioned earlier, the converted project can immediately be used in QField to conduct surveying. The best way to deploy these projects to your QField-running devices is via QFieldCloud . The algorithm comes with a parameter that – when checked – will automatically upload the generated project to QFieldCloud.

That functionality requires the QFieldSync plugin to be installed and enabled in QGIS. Just log in to your QFieldCloud account via QFieldSync, and let the algorithm take care of the rest. It’s magical! If you haven’t yet tried QFieldCloud, this might be a good time to do so by signing up for a free community account .

Of course, you’ll always be able to copy these projects manually onto devices via USB cable or the numerous file import options available in QField.

XLSForm-what?

XLSForm is a form standard designed to simplify the authoring of forms using spreadsheet programs like LibreOffice Calc or Microsoft Excel. They are simple to get started with and allow for the authoring of complex forms in no time. The syntax is beginner-friendly, and the building of surveys by adding rows onto a spreadsheet is surprisingly intuitive.

The standard has been widely adopted across various sectors, including public health, humanitarian relief, disaster response, local governance, and non-profit organisations.

Over here at OPENGIS.ch, we believe this plugin can be instrumental to preexisting operations and projects interested in migrating to a QField surveying environment where spatial considerations are front and center. If you are interested in discussing this further, do not hesitate to contact us .

🚀 QField has officially hit 1 million downloads – thanks to you! 🎉

Let’s not beat around the bush: QField has hit 1+ million downloads. What started as an ambitious open-source project has transformed into a global tool that’s changing how professionals collect spatial data in the field. This big milestone is the result of years of dedication, with over 50,000 hours invested by our team. Our GeoNinjas contributed 14% of QGIS, while also driving open-source projects like ModelBaker and SwissLocator.Thank you for making GIS nerds the unsung heroes of fieldwork everywhere. Here’s to changing the world, one field at a time!

🚀 GET QFIELD NOW

From Switzerland to the world!🇨🇭

Born in the Swiss Alps, raised by open-source, and now roaming the globe, QField has gone international! What started in Switzerland is now in the hands of field mappers, researchers, and GIS pros on six continents. Thank you for taking QField worldwide! 🌍

Mapping the world one field at a time.

The numbers tell a story 📖

One million downloads might sound like just a number, but for us, it represents something much bigger. It’s 1'000'000 times someone chose an innovative, flexible mobile mapping solution. It’s 1’000’000 instances of fieldwork made easier, more efficient, and more accurate.

From humble beginnings to over 1 million downloads, QField has officially gone from “little app that could” to “open-source overachiever. ” Thanks to the power of open source (and probably some caffeine).

QField has hit 1 million downloads in over 150 countries.

QField’s top user countries 🏆

QField’s passport is full! 🌍 We’re blown away by how far our geospatial tool has travelled: from mountaintops to city blocks, you’re mapping it all. Our amazing global user community is making QField a true #DigitalPublicGood.A map made in heaven! 💚

Mapping knows no borders, just like QField’s growing community.

More than just an app 📱

This cross-platform flexibility helps professionals collect GIS data anywhere, anytime. QField goes wherever you do. Android? Check. iOS? Check. Desktop? Check. If it has a screen, we’re probably on it. Collect GIS data anywhere, anytime.

QField isn’t just software, it’s a community-driven project that turns complex geospatial challenges into precise, actionable data. Every download represents a connection to our core mission: making professional-grade mobile GIS accessible, reliable, and straightforward.

QField’s Journey: Mapping our milestones 📍

Our roadmap is packed with milestones and highlights that will continue to push the boundaries of mobile GIS.

QField toQFieldCloud ☁️

You can play a key role in the sustainable growth of QField, the open-source digital good. Your support  can take many forms, like contributing… or:

This not only streamlines and enhances your fieldwork but also gives you access to the full QField ecosystem with all its advantages. At the same time, you directly contribute to the continuous improvement of QField, ensuring its impact grows for everyone.

💚 SUPPORT US

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

As long time sponsors of FOSSGIS, we stepped up the game this year and became Platinum Sponsors for FOSSGIS 2025. We are proud to be part of a thriving open-source GIS community and to contribute to such a great conference. Here’s a recap of everything we were involved in:

🚀 Talks & Presentations

🌍 QField: New Strategy and Application Potential
Berit and Marco presented how QField, with over 1 million downloads and 350,000 active users, is now recognized as Digital Public Good aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Marco also shared the vision and mission behind QField’s development — highlighting our commitment to empowering field teams across the globe with open, user-friendly tools for data collection.
Real-world stories illustrated how QField helps bridge data gaps to support informed, sustainable decision-making.
👉 View talk

⚙️ QField in Practice: Fieldwork Made Easy
Berit and Michael led an interactive workshop demonstrating how to develop a QField project from scratch. The goal was for each participant to create and sync their own field study project using QFieldCloud, focused on collecting data on flowering plants in the picturesque “Schlussgarten.”
👉 View session

🌐 When Web Meets Desktop
Matthias demonstrated how Django can be used to build consumable geodata layers via OGC API - Features endpoints. His talk covered how to use Python and Django ORM to elegantly define data models and business logic, offering an alternative to complex database logic.
👉 View talk

☁️ Extending QFieldCloud – Ideas and Practical Examples
Michael showed how QFieldCloud can be extended with Django apps, sharing practical implementations such as automated project generation and integration of remote sensing workflows.
👉 View talk

fossgis25-poster-extending-qfc Download

🔌 QField Plugins – Examples and Possibilities
In a lightning talk, Michael introduced useful QField plugins, explained how to install and use them, and explored how they can enhance your mobile GIS workflows.
👉 View talk

🧪 Hands-on qgis-js: Building Interactive QGIS-Based Web Maps
In this practical workshop, Michael guided participants through using qgis-js, an exciting new project that brings QGIS functionality directly into the browser.
👉 View session

💬 QGIS AMA Expert Session
Matthias and Marco hosted a live Q&A session where attendees could ask everything about QGIS development, best practices, organisation and real-world applications.

🤝 At the Booth

Our QField booth was buzzing with activity all week – from plugin demos and project showcases to deep dives into QFieldCloud and field mapping workflows. We had great conversations, received valuable feedback, and met many enthusiastic users.

💚 Supporting Open Source

We were proud to be Platinum Sponsors of FOSSGIS 2025. Supporting open-source events like this is essential for fostering innovation, collaboration, and community-driven growth in the GIS world.

👋 Looking Ahead

Thank you to the organisers, speakers, and everyone who joined us in Münster. We left the event full of ideas, motivation, and appreciation for this community – and we’re already looking forward to the next FOSSGIS!

#QField #QFieldCloud #FOSSGIS2025 #OpenSourceGIS #QGIS #SupportOpenSource

Sorry, this entry is only available in French.

The “Security project for QGIS” is now public ! Pledge now !

The goal of this project is to mutualize funding to improve QGIS security to the highest levels.

Oslandia and other involved partners, especially OPENGIS.ch are OpenSource “pure players” and main contributors to QGIS. This project is an initiative by Oslandia and is endorsed by the QGIS.org association. We work closely with the community of developers, users and stakeholders of QGIS. This project involves QGIS core committers willing to advance QGIS security.

Global context

New regulations like NIS2 and CRA in Europe, as well as other international or local regulations will be activated within the next couple of years. They require software and software producers to improve their cybersecurity practices. OpenSource softwares, while usually having a special treatment, are concerned too. Estimated costs of CRA impact on an opensource project amounts to +30%.

As for QGIS, we consider that the project stays behind what would be sufficient to comply with these regulations. We also do not fulfill requirements coming from our end-users, in terms of overall software quality regarding security, processes in place to ensure trust in the supply chain, and overall security culture in the project.

We have been discussing this topic with clients having large deployments of QGIS and QGIS server, and they stressed the issue, stating that cybersecurity is one of their primary concerns, and that they are willing to see the QGIS project move forward in this area as soon as possible. QGIS faces the risk of IT departments blocking QGIS installations if they consider the project not having enough consideration for security.

Also, requests to security@qgis.org have grown significantly.

Project goals

Oslandia, with other partners and backed by clients and end-users, launch the “Security project for QGIS” : we identified key topics where security improvements can be achieved, classified them, and created work packages to work on, with budget estimations.

• The main goal is simple : raise the cybersecurity level for the QGIS project
• Fulfill cybersecurity requirements from regulations and end-users
• Make QGIS an example of security-aware OpenSource project, helping other OSGeo projects to improve

While QGIS and QGIS server are the main components on which this project focus, improving QGIS security as a whole also needs to consider underlying libraries ( e.g. GDAL/OGR, PROJ, GEOS…).

This project is a specific effort to raise the level of security of QGIS. Maintaining security in the long term will need further efforts, and we encourage you to sponsor QGIS.org, becoming a sustaining member of QGIS.

Memory safety, signing binaries, supply chain management, contributing processes, plugin security, cybersecurity audits and much more topics are included in this project. You can see all items as well as work packages on the dedicated website :

https://security.qgis.oslandia.com

Project organization – Pledge !

Any organization interested in improving QGIS security can contribute to funding the project. We are looking for an estimated total amount of 670K€, divided into 3 work packages Pledge now !

Once funded, Oslandia and partners will start working on Work Package 1 in 2025. We intend to work closely with the QGIS community, QGIS.org, interested partners and users. Part of the work are improvements over the current system, other require changes to processes or developer’s habits. Working closely with the user and developer’s community to raise our security awareness is fully part of the project.

We will deliver improvements in 2025 and until 2027. You can see the full list of topics, work packages and estimated budget on the project’s dedicated page : security.qgis.oslandia.com . You are invited to participate, but also to help spread the word and recruit other contributors !

We want to especially thank Orange France for being a long-time supporter of OpenSource in general and QGIS particularly, and the first backer of the Security Project for QGIS !

Should you have any question, or need further material to convince other stakeholders, get in touch !