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Tony Expertstarted a discussion
Do you really need QGIS just to check what's inside a file?
I noticed I was opening full GIS software dozens of times a day just to answer: "what's in this GeoJSON?" Feels like using Photoshop to view a PNG. I started using Quick Look (Space in Finder) as a lightweight way to preview GIS data. Now I can instantly see maps, attributes, and metadata without opening anything heavy. How do you handle this? Any lightweight tools or just QGIS every time?
GeoPreview lets you preview geospatial files directly in Finder on macOS.
Instead of opening QGIS just to check a file, just press Space and instantly see it on a map.
Supports GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, KML, GPX, LAS and more.
Includes:
• attribute table view
• multi-layer support
• dataset folder preview (.gdb, shapefile folders)
• export to other formats
Everything runs locally — no uploads, no tracking.
GeoPreviewPreview GIS files directly in Finder (GeoJSON, SHP, GPKG)
Tony Expertleft a comment
Hey everyone 👋 I built GeoPreview because I was constantly opening QGIS just to quickly check files. It felt like overkill for something that should take 1 second. So I made a tool that lets you press Space in Finder and instantly preview GIS data. Would love your feedback: - does this solve a real problem for you? - what formats or workflows should be next?
GeoPreviewPreview GIS files directly in Finder (GeoJSON, SHP, GPKG)
Tony Expertleft a comment
I couldn’t find a good lightweight way to preview GIS files on macOS. So I started experimenting with using Quick Look in Finder (press Space to preview files instantly). It actually feels surprisingly fast for formats like GeoJSON, Shapefile, GPKG. I ended up building a small macOS tool around this idea. It lets you press Space in Finder and instantly preview GIS data on a map. Supports...
Do you also open QGIS just to quickly check a file?
Tony ExpertJoin the discussion
Tony Expertstarted a discussion
Do you also open QGIS just to quickly check a file?
I realized I was doing this dozens of times a day: open QGIS → load layers → wait → zoom… just to see what’s inside. Feels like overkill. Curious: how do you usually inspect GIS files quickly? Is there any lightweight workflow you rely on?