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Installing QGIS pypopRF Plugin

This guide walks you through the process of installing the pypopRF plugin for QGIS. The plugin provides advanced population mapping capabilities with support for age-sex structure analysis, water masking, and spatial constraints.

System Requirements

QGIS Version

  • QGIS 3.10 or later (recommended: QGIS 3.28 or later)
  • Both Long Term Release (LTR) and latest versions are supported
  • Python 3.9 - 3.12 compatibility

Operating Systems

  • Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
  • Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 or other Linux distributions
  • macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later

Hardware Requirements

  • Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB recommended for large datasets)
  • Multi-core processor recommended for parallel processing
  • SSD storage recommended for better performance
  • Sufficient free disk space for analysis outputs

Installation Methods

  • Open QGIS
  • Go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins
  • In the Plugins dialog:
    • Select All or Not installed from the left sidebar
    • Type "pypopRF" in the search bar
    • Find "pypopRF Population Mapping" in the list
    • Click Install Plugin
  • Wait for automatic dependency installation
  • Click Close when complete

The plugin will appear in your Plugins menu and toolbar as "pypopRF Population Mapping".

Method 2: Manual Installation

For offline installation or specific versions:

  • Download the plugin ZIP file:

  • Install in QGIS:

    • Go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins

  • Select Install from ZIP from the left sidebar

    • Click Browse and select the downloaded ZIP file
    • Click Install Plugin

  • Plugin Location:

  • Windows: C:/Users/<username>/AppData/Roaming/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/

Dependencies

The plugin automatically installs required Python packages:

  • numpy (1.26.4)
  • rasterio (1.4.3)
  • geopandas (1.0.1)
  • scikit-learn (1.4.2)

Post-Installation Steps

Enable the Plugin:

  • Go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins
  • Find "pypopRF Population Mapping" in the list
  • Check the box next to it to enable

Verify Installation:

  • The pypopRF icon should appear in your QGIS toolbar
  • The plugin should be listed under Plugins → pypopRF
  • Test plugin launch to ensure all dependencies are installed

First Launch:

  • Click the pypopRF icon or find it in the Plugins menu
  • The plugin interface should open showing all available tabs:
    • Project
    • Input Data
    • Settings
    • Console

Getting Help

  • Check GitHub Issues for known problems
  • Search existing solutions in the documentation
  • Create a new issue with detailed error information
  • Contact the WorldPop SDI team for support

Updating the Plugin

The plugin includes automatic update notifications:

Automatic Updates:

  • QGIS will notify you when updates are available
  • Click "Update" when prompted

Manual Updates:

  • Go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins
  • Select Installed from the left sidebar
  • Click Upgrade All or find pypopRF and click Upgrade Plugin
  • Wait for dependency updates to complete

Next: Quick Start Guide