🌍 Using Earth Engine in QGIS¶

With the code and algorithm tools below, the underlying Earth Engine assets are added as a WMS via our own custom QGIS Data Provider. To modify data pulled from Earth Engine, you must export it via the Export tools. The exception is if the retain as vector layer option is selected for the Add Feature Collection algorithm.

To export data, you may use the Export Image as GeoTIFF algorithm. For feature collections added with the retain as vector layer, you may also right-click on the layer and use QGIS' built-in export functionality.

Code Usage¶

You can use Earth Engine datasets programmatically within QGIS using the Python Console:

import ee
from ee_plugin import Map

image = ee.Image('USGS/SRTMGL1_003')
vis_params = {
    'min': 0, 'max': 4000,
    'palette': ['006633', 'E5FFCC', '662A00', 'D8D8D8', 'F5F5F5']
}
Map.addLayer(image, vis_params, 'Digital Elevation Model')
Map.setCenter(-121.753, 46.855, 9)

Earth Engine algorithms are available from:

The Processing Toolbox (Processing > Toolbox > Google Earth Engine)
The Plugin Menu (Plugins > Google Earth Engine)

See available algorithms for more details.

example algorithm

Model Designer¶

Earth Engine algorithms can be integrated into QGIS Model Designer workflows:

Open Processing Toolbox > Models > Create New Model
Add and chain EE algorithms with other QGIS algorithms
Save your custom processing model for repeated use

An example model is provided for the hillshade example below:

Saving Your Project¶

Any layers and model workflows can be saved in your QGIS project file.

Be sure to re-authenticate if opening the project on a new machine or after token expiry.

⚙️ Available Algorithms¶

The following algorithms are currently implemented in the plugin:

Algorithm Name	Description
Add EE Image	Loads a single Earth Engine image for viewing
Add Image Collection	Loads a filtered Earth Engine image collection for viewing
Export GeoTIFF	Exports an EE image as a Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF to disk
Add Feature Collection	Loads a feature collection from Earth Engine

📌 Each algorithm includes in-dialog documentation to help guide usage directly within QGIS.

🗺️ Map Functions¶

The plugin supports several Map API functions similar to the Earth Engine Code Editor:

Function	Description
`Map.addLayer(eeObject, visParams, name, shown, opacity)`	Adds a dataset to QGIS.
`Map.centerObject(object, zoom)`	Centers the map on an object.
`Map.getBounds(asGeoJSON)`	Returns map bounds.
`Map.getCenter()`	Gets the current center of the map.
`Map.setCenter(lon, lat, zoom)`	Moves the center of the map.
`Map.getScale()`	Returns the current map scale.
`Map.getZoom()`	Returns the current zoom level.
`Map.setZoom(zoom)`	Sets a new zoom level.

For more details, check the Earth Engine API Documentation.