QGIS User Interface
Launch QGIS
MENU BAR provides access to all the main functions and plugins
TOOLBAR provides one-click common functions, and task-specific functions
ADD DATA along the left side is the default location for the Manage Layers Toolbar
LAYER LIST shows all data layers currently added to the project
FILE BROWSER browse to geodata files and drag them onto the map canvas to open them
MAP VIEW provides a dynamic visualization of the active data layers that can be mapped
STATUS BAR provides some vital information about the current project settings
Explore MENU BAR
PROJECT menu is for Opening, Saving, setting Project Properties (such as CRS), launching Print Composer, or saving quick image of map view
EDIT menu is for adding, modifying, deleting spatial features within an editable data layer
VIEW menu is for primary Pan, Zoom, Feature Selection, and Toolbar Controls
LAYER menu is for Adding, Removing, Visibility of data layers, and for changing Layer Projections
SETTINGS menu controls the basic Project settings, Project projection, Language Locale, & other defaults
PLUGINS menu lists the installed Plugins where you can Add or Remove Plugins
VECTOR menu contains Table Manager, Topology Checker, and other useful tools (NOTE: Most of the geoprocessing functions, like Buffer, Point in Polygon, Select by Location, etc have MOVED to the Processing menu)
RASTER menu is for Raster processing functions, such as Heatmap and Zonal Stats (more are enabled with GRASS)
DATABASE menu provides basic import / export operations for databases that have ALREADY been connected using the Manage Layers Add Database buttons.
WEB menu contains the OpenLayers Plugin, where many basemaps can be added (including OSM, Google, Bing, etc), and also has the TileLayer Plugin
PROCESSING menu contains the TOOLBOX for running many geoprocessing tasks, the Model Builder for chaining tasks, and controls the additional scripts that can be run in QGIS such as Grass, Python, R, SAGA, etc.
Proceed to TOOLBAR Instructions