Georeferencing

Q: How can maps be georeferenced in GRASS?

A:

• old way: Use modules i.group + i.target + i.points/i.vpoints + i.rectify

• new way: Use the tool in the gis.m GUI File menu.

Quick tutorial for GUI Georectifier

Start up in the location you want the new map to be rectified INTO (not the xy location where it's from).

Open any georeferenced map(s), raster or vector, or some combination of multiple layers in a normal map display to serve as a base map for georectification.

Start the georectifier.

• Decide if you are going to georectify vectors or rasters and check the appropriate radio button
• Create a group if you don't already have one. This uses i.group for raster and its own routine for vectors (to create a group folder, etc). All maps that can be georectified with the same ground control points can go into the same group
• Select a reference xy map that you can use to set GCP's
• Start georectifying

When georectifying, you click on a GCP in the xy map and click on the corresponding point on the base map. You can also enter coordinates if you want. You can delete any GCP or exclude from computations. You can check the RMS error for all active points. This routine bypasses i.points and i.vpoints to create a points file. The points file can be used for rasters or vectors, since georectifying of both is supported.

When you are ready to georectify the map, pick the polynomial you want to use (dependent partly on the number of points you have), and press the button. This will use i.rectify for rasters and v.transform for vectors. AFAIK, 3rd order polynomial georectification is still broken in i.rectify. But the rest should work well.

The georectified map(s) are projected into your active location/mapset.

Other methods

• QGIS has a georeferencing plugin
• Use gdal_translate to assign GCPs and gdalwarp to rectify the image. See the i.warp script in the GRASS AddOns page.