Visualizing Multi-Temporal Data with Time Manager

Introduction

In a distant universe, 500 milliseconds ago, you embarked on a mission of temporal exploration and spatial pattern analysis

Introduction to Time Manager

Time Manager is a plugin of QGIS 1.8 that allow for surfing through temporal geospatial data. It is more orientated towards visualization than spatial pattern analysis. Regardless having the ability to go back and forth in time allow for less copies of a single dataset to work with, better organized

Requirements

Windows/Macintosh/Linux Compatible

Installing Time Manager

Setting Repository

Start QGIS
Click "Plugins" on the toolbar. A drop down menu will appear.
Click "Fetch Python Plugins"
Click "Repositories"
Click "Add"
Name your plugin "Time Manager"
Type in "https://github.com/anitagraser/TimeManager" in the URL field
Click "OK" to exit.

Installing Plugin

Click "Plugins"
Search "Time Manager"
Click "Install Plugin" and wait for confirmation of install.
Click "Close" to exit.

Enabling Plugin

Click "Plugins" on the toolbar. A drop down menu will appear.
Click "Manage Plugins"
Search "Time Manager"
Enable "Time Manager"
Click "OK" to exit.

Enabling User Interface

Time Manager should appear under "Plugins" drop down menu.
If not, right click on the toolbar, drop down menu will appear; scroll down to Time Manager and check.
Time Manger should now be at the bottom of your screen.

Getting Data

Getting CSV data

Proceed to data.seattle.gov
Search & open Seattle Real Time Fire 911 Calls
Click "Export", A drop down menu will appear.
Scroll down to "Download As"
Download a copy of this dataset in XLSX format

Getting Vector data

Proceed to data.seattle.gov
Search & open Street Network Database
Download a copy of this polyline shapefile in ZIP format
Search & open Neighbourhoods
Download a copy of this polygon shapefile in ZIP format

Preparation of Data

Spreadsheet

Import to Libreoffice or Openoffice or Microsoft Excel

LibreOffice Calc/OpenOffice Calc

Right click on "datetime" column and proceed to "Format Cells".
Find and click "User defined" in "Numbers" tab.
Change format to the following: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
Save file in CSV format.

Microsoft Excel

Right click on "datetime" column and proceed to "Format Cells".
Find and click "Custom" in "Numbers" tab.
Change format to the following: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
Save file in CSV format.

Importing Data

Importing a Spreadsheet to QGIS

Start QGIS and click "Layer" on the toolbar. A drop down menu will appear.
Click "Add Delimited Text Layer".
Browse to location of Seattle_Real_Time_Fire_911_Calls.csv file.
Click on the "OK" button.

Right click on the imported spreadsheet on the Layers panel. A drop down menu will appear.
Click "Save As"
Format should be "ESRI shapefile"
CRS should be "WGS84"
Name of file is "Seattle.shp"
"Add saved file to map" should be enabled.
Save file to a desired location.
Click on the "OK" button.

Importing a Vector Polyline/Polygon to QGIS

Start QGIS and click "Layer" on the toolbar. A dropdown menu will appear.
Click "Add Vector Layer".
Browse to location of your "Seattle.shp" file.
Click on the "Open" button to import.

Importing a Single Dataset to Time Manager

Click on the "Settings" button.
Click "Add Layer".
Choose "Seattle.shp" as the Layer.
Choose "Datetime" column as the Start Time.
Click "OK" to confirm and exit.

Visualizing the Distribution of the Type of Emergency

Right click on seattle.shp, click "properties" from the drop down menu.
Browse to the "Style" tab.
Change symbology from "Single Symbol" to "Categorized"
Choose "Type" as the column.
Pick a gradient color ramp.
Click on the "Classify" button.

Result: Categorized Symbology

Points in Polygon Spatial Analysis

Click "Vector" on the toolbar. A drop down menu will appear.
Click "Analysis" from the drop down menu. Another drop down menu will appear.
Click "Points in Polygon"
Choose "Neighbourhoods.shp" as the input polygon vector layer.
Choose "Seattle.shp" as the input point vector layer.
Choose a output shapefile name, for this tutorial I chose "area.shp".
Click "OK" to process.
Click "Close" afterwards to exit.

Result:Bi-Weekly

Result:Monthly

Animation with Time Manager

Importing multiple datasets

Click on the "Settings" button.
Click "Add Layer".
Choose "Seattle_Start.shp" as the Layer.
Choose "Datetime" column as the Start Time.
Click "OK" to confirm and exit.

Repeat process with "Seattle_End.shp" as the Layer.
Change the offset to -20
Click "OK"

Result: Visualization

Screencast of Visualization