In a recent viz, you may have noticed the thick lines I used to represent the state of Jharkhand's boundaries (w/ thinner lines for the districts). ICYI, I thought I would quickly go over how I did that.
#RandomQGIStoTableauStuff #7: Thick borders
@QGIS @TableauPublic
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Step 1: Create an inner buffer layer w/ @QGIS
In this example, I wanted to draw a thicker border around California. So starting w/ the state layer, I created an inner buffer at -0.05 degrees (Distance). This Distance value will determine the thickness of the final border.
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Step 2: Use the Symmetrical Difference tool to extract the non-overlapping part between the original & buffer layers. You end up w/ a new polygon layer, which is basically that thin strip going around the state.
Save that layer as a shapefile.
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Step 3: You can then use this shapefile as the state border in @TableauPublic. In this case, I also added a county layer.
Varying the line widths can help to distinguish the different levels of geography (e.g. states vs. counties). But I think it also adds a nice aesthetic.
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Here's the workbook: public.tableau.com/app/profile/dennis.kao/viz/CreatingThickBorders/Sheet1
Hope you found this useful... Thanks!š
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Dennis Kao
@professorkao
Ramblings about maps, data visualization, Tableau Public, QGIS, etc. Social Work Professor by Day Data Viz & Map Designer by Night
