GeoDrafter Stream Survey – from field file to stream profiles in QGIS
GeoDrafter Stream Survey is a free QGIS plugin that turns the points from a stream survey into stationed cross-sections perpendicular to the stream centreline. It reads the field file and its codes, extends each profile from the bank top with terrain from Danmarks Højdemodel or a local terrain model, marks every point as measured, terrain model or transition, checks the data and exports to CSV, HEC-RAS, MIKE and PDF profile sheets. It runs on QGIS 4 and 3.40.
Install
GeoDrafter Stream Survey is being tested in QGIS 4 before it is released in the official QGIS plugin catalogue. When it is approved, it can be installed in QGIS from Plugins ▸ Manage and Install Plugins by searching for “GeoDrafter Stream Survey”.
| Works with | QGIS 3.40 or newer, including QGIS 4.x (Qt6) |
|---|---|
| Price | Free |
| Licence | GNU GPL, version 2 or later |
| Telemetry | None. The plugin only contacts the data services you choose – INSPIRE hydrography for the stream centreline and Danmarks Højdemodel with your own Dataforsyningen token – and sends no usage data. |
| Source code and issues | GitHub |
What it does
A stream survey gives you a set of points measured across the stream at intervals: bottom, water level, bank tops and sometimes structures and drains. The plugin reads the field file – an Emlid Flow CSV or shapefile, a DXF, or another CSV or text file – and uses a code table to tell what each point is. If your crew uses other codes, the code translator maps them to the plugin's codes.
The stream centreline comes from INSPIRE hydrography, from a line of your own or from the surveyed points. Stations are counted downstream along the centreline, and each cross-section is laid out perpendicular to it, so the profiles have a well-defined position and direction. Structures and drains are kept as their own objects along the stream.
Terrain extension saves field work
Hydraulic models need cross-sections that reach well beyond the bank tops, but walking every profile far out into the field takes time. Stream Survey extends each measured profile from the bank top with terrain from Danmarks Højdemodel – using your own Dataforsyningen token, stored in the QGIS password store – or from a local terrain model. The crew can then concentrate on the stream itself and the bank tops instead of every point far out in the field.
Every point keeps its source: measured, terrain model or transition. Whether terrain from the elevation model is accepted is for the municipality or the client to decide, and the source marking shows exactly what was measured in the field and what was added from the model.
Data check, profiles and export
Before export, the data check tests the survey against limits that can be set per municipality, so a survey is checked against the requirements of the municipality it is made for. Each cross-section can be viewed in the profile view, and the long profile shows the survey along the stations.
The survey can be exported to CSV, HEC-RAS and MIKE for hydraulic modelling and to PDF profile sheets for reports. Each survey is kept in its own GeoPackage, so points, centreline, cross-sections and structures stay together in one file that can be archived or handed over.
How to use it
- Open GeoDrafter Stream Survey from Plugins ▸ GeoDrafter and create a new survey; it is saved as one GeoPackage.
- Import the field file and check that the codes are read correctly, using the code translator if your codes differ.
- Choose the stream centreline – INSPIRE hydrography, your own line or the surveyed points – and generate the stationed cross-sections.
- Extend the profiles with terrain if needed, run the data check, and export to CSV, HEC-RAS, MIKE or PDF profile sheets.
Requirements
Stream Survey needs QGIS 3.40 or newer, including QGIS 4.x, and has a Danish and an English user interface. Terrain extension from Danmarks Højdemodel needs your own token from Dataforsyningen; with a local terrain model no token is needed.
Questions
Which field files can it read?
Emlid Flow CSV and shapefiles, DXF, and other CSV or text files with point codes. A code table says what each code means, and the code translator maps other code lists to the plugin's codes.
Is terrain from Danmarks Højdemodel accepted instead of measured points?
That is for the municipality or the client to decide. The plugin marks every point as measured, terrain model or transition, so it is always clear what was measured in the field.
Do I need a token?
Only for terrain from Danmarks Højdemodel, which needs your own token from Dataforsyningen, stored in the QGIS password store. With a local terrain model, or without terrain extension, no token is needed.
Which programs can use the export?
The plugin exports to CSV, to HEC-RAS and MIKE formats for hydraulic models, and to PDF profile sheets for reports.