(Note)
This document was prepared based on the materials distributed by
Professor Ryosuke Akahori (Aichi Institute of Technology)
at the iRIC training workshop held in Santiago, Chile, in December 2025.
Sometimes, the SRTM downloader built into the iRIC software may not function properly.
In such cases, an alternative method can be used to prepare SRTM data as topography data for iRIC by using other GIS software instead of the iRIC pre-processor.
This article describes a practical procedure using QGIS.
1. Installing QGIS
1.1
Open the following website:
https://qgis.org/download/
1.2
Click the icon “skip it and go to download”.
1.3
In the section “offline (Standalone) installers:”, click
“long term version for Windows (3.40 LTR)”.
(Note: the currently available version may vary depending on the date.)
1.4
The download process will start automatically.
(This may take some time depending on network conditions.)
1.5
Double-click the downloaded installer file
QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.40.12-1.msi
to start the installation process.
(Note: the version number may vary depending on the date.)
2. Installing the SRTM Plugin
2.1
Click the menu item “Plugins”, and select
“Manage and Install Plugins”.
2.2
Enter “SRTM-Downloader” in the search box of the dialog that appears.
2.3
Select the “SRTM-Downloader” plugin from the search results and install it.
3. Downloading SRTM Data
3.1
Launch QGIS and create a new project.
3.2
In the “Browser” window, double-click “Open Street Map” under “XYZ Tiles”.
3.3
Change the CRS (map projection) to “EPSG:4326 – WGS84” by clicking the projection setting menu at the bottom-right of the window.
3.4
Adjust the map view in the main window to display the target area.
3.5
Click “Plugins”, move the pointer over “SRTM Downloader”, and then click “SRTM Downloader”.
3.6
In the dialog that appears, click “Set canvas extent”, then click “Download”.
3.7
A login dialog will appear.
If you have not created a user account to access the SRTM dataset, please create one by following the on-screen instructions.
3.8
Right-click the top-level layer name displayed in the “Layers” window, select “Export”, and click “Save As”.
3.9
Set the following options and save the file:
- File format: GeoTIFF
- CRS: EPSG:4326 – WGS84
- Output folder: As desired
- File name: As desired
The exported GeoTIFF file can now be used as topography data in iRIC.
Notes
- This procedure is useful when the built-in SRTM downloader in iRIC does not work properly.
- QGIS provides a flexible and reliable alternative for preparing SRTM topography data.
- This method is suitable for both practical analysis and training or workshop environments.
Environment
- QGIS: 3.40 LTR (or equivalent)
- Coordinate Reference System: EPSG:4326 (WGS84)
- Target software: iRIC