the QGIS Interface
Included in this tutorial:
The Default Mapping Interface
Navigating a Map
Software version in examples: QGIS-LTR 3.34.14-Prizren (MacOS)
Credits: Ruju Joshi (2025)
This tutorial reviews the QGIS interface, including its toolbars and navigating around a map.
The Default Mapping Interface
the Default QGIS Mapping Interface
The default QGIS mapping interface includes
Menu Bar: Provides access to all QGIS tools and settings, organized by categories (e.g., Project, Edit, View).
Project Toolbar: Provides tools for managing the project, such as saving, opening, and printing the project.
Map Navigation Toolbar: Contains tools for zooming, panning, and navigating the map canvas.
Selection Toolbar: Offers tools for selecting, deselecting, and editing map features.
Attributes Toolbar: Allows quick access to feature attribute tables and editing functions.
Data Source Manager Toolbar: Facilitates the addition, removal, and management of data sources like layers, databases, or web services.
Digitization Toolbar: Provides tools for creating and editing vector data, including drawing new features or modifying existing ones.
Label Toolbar: Includes tools for adding and configuring labels to map features for better visualization.
Browser Panel: Allows quick navigation and access to data files, databases, and remote resources.
Layers Panel: Lists all layers in the current project and controls their visibility, order, and properties.
Map View: Displays the actual map canvas, showing spatial data and analysis results.
Layer Styling Panel: Allows customization of layer symbology, labels, and rendering styles.
Status Bar: Provides information about the current project, map scale, coordinate position, and other status indicators.
TIP: You can change the default settings by going to View in the main menu bar. You can customize preview mode, panels and toolbars.
Navigating around Map in the Interface
The default Pan tool is used for basic movements around the map canvas, such as panning and zooming, with your mouse. The Pan tool can be found in the Map Navigation Toolbar or by clicking through View (on the Main Menu Bar) > Pan Map.
locating the Pan Map Tool
With the Pan Map tool you can –
Click and drag the map to pan across the canvas.
Scroll your mouse wheel to zoom in and out.