[GIS] How to use map composer in a stand-alone script

pyqgispythonqgis

I'm trying to follow the map rendering section from the pyqgis cookbook, but I'd like to test this as a standalone application. I can do the first part, using simple rendering, but I'm a bit stuck doing the second example using the map composer as a standalone script.

Here is a standalone example for the bit I can do:

from qgis.core import *
from qgis.gui import *
from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
from PyQt4.QtXml import *

QgsApplication.setPrefixPath("/usr/", True)
QgsApplication.initQgis()

fh = open("eg.csv","w")
fh.write("""
x,y,name
153.0278, -27.4679, Brisbane
144.2500, -23.4500, Longreach
145.7753, -16.9256, Cairns
""")
fh.close()

uri = "eg.csv?delimiter=%s&xField=%s&yField=%s" % (",", "x", "y")
layer = QgsVectorLayer(uri, "eglayer", "delimitedtext")
QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayer(layer)
img = QImage(QSize(800,600), QImage.Format_ARGB32_Premultiplied)
color = QColor(255,255,255)
img.fill(color.rgb())
p = QPainter()
p.begin(img)
render = QgsMapRenderer()
lst = [ layer.getLayerID() ]  # add ID of every layer
render.setLayerSet(lst)
rect = QgsRectangle(render.fullExtent())
rect.scale(1.1)
render.setExtent(rect)
render.setOutputSize(img.size(), img.logicalDpiX())
render.render(p)
p.end()
img.save("render.png","png")

What I'd really like to do is the same, but use QgsComposition, and save as for example pdf. The cookbook says:

When using composer in a standalone application, you can create your own map renderer instance the same way as shown in the section above and pass it to the composition.

This bit I couldn't do, all my attempts either get an empty map, or a segfault.
I'm running linux mint 13, using qgis 1.8.0. It would be great if someone could show me how to modify the simple example to one that uses the composer.

Best Answer

Based on the comments, this answer works for versions prior to 2.4
For future reference, here is a working standalone example. 

from qgis.core import *
from qgis.gui import *
from PyQt4.QtCore import *
from PyQt4.QtGui import *
from PyQt4.QtXml import *

QgsApplication.setPrefixPath("/usr", True)
QgsApplication.initQgis()
app = QgsApplication([], True)

fh = open("eg.csv","w")
fh.write("""
x,y,name
153.0278, -27.4679, Brisbane
144.2500, -23.4500, Longreach
145.7753, -16.9256, Cairns
""")
fh.close()

uri = "eg.csv?delimiter=%s&xField=%s&yField=%s" % (",", "x", "y")
layer = QgsVectorLayer(uri, "eglayer", "delimitedtext")
print layer.isValid()
layerset = []
QgsMapLayerRegistry.instance().addMapLayer(layer)
layerset.append(layer.getLayerID())

myMapRenderer = QgsMapRenderer()
myMapRenderer.setLayerSet(layerset)
mapRectangle = QgsRectangle(140,-28,155,-15)
myMapRenderer.setExtent(mapRectangle)

comp = QgsComposition(myMapRenderer)
comp.setPlotStyle(QgsComposition.Print)
composerMap = QgsComposerMap(comp, 5,5,200,200)
composerMap.setNewExtent(mapRectangle)
comp.addItem(composerMap)
printer = QPrinter()
printer.setOutputFormat(QPrinter.PdfFormat)
printer.setOutputFileName("out.pdf")
printer.setPaperSize(QSizeF(comp.paperWidth(), comp.paperHeight()),    QPrinter.Millimeter)
printer.setFullPage(True)
printer.setColorMode(QPrinter.Color)
printer.setResolution(comp.printResolution())

pdfPainter = QPainter(printer)
paperRectMM = printer.pageRect(QPrinter.Millimeter)
paperRectPixel = printer.pageRect(QPrinter.DevicePixel)
comp.render(pdfPainter, paperRectPixel, paperRectMM)
pdfPainter.end()
app.exitQgis()
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