OpenStreetMap
I am new to this mapping thing in OSM. I started some days ago and I could not stop. It’s like a voluntarily OCD. At the same time it is kind of hard. There is a lot to learn, and I mean a lot. Unfortunately there is no simple tutorial on how to edit simple things in the one editor I chose, Id. And who would come up with the bright idea to name an editor id?? How do you google support for it? There are some questions popping up all the time 1. What do I call a regular bicycle/walking path? Is it path or foot-path or bicylcle-path? I chose foot-path for walking/biking and path for the things which people have made by cutting through the forrest. 2. How do I model residential area trees? And bushes? I ended up using landuse=grass to tag open grass fields.
I also noted that I could upload GPS traces, I did so with a couple but I can only access them on by one when editing the map. How do I access them all? I made them public but they do not show up when I add the public GPS-traces.
Well well, time will tell. Maybe it is just the OSM server that are working on something else for the moment.
Back to editing, a colorful map of my surroundings await :-)
Discussion
Comment from escada on 18 September 2014 at 16:16
Do you know the help forum for OpenStreetMap (http://help.openstreetmap.org), the place to be to search for questions+answers.
Furthermore there are the fora for general questions, editor questions, and country specific topics at http://forum.openstreetmap.org
And of course the wiki is also great to look for how things have to be tagged.
Back to your path question: some communities (country dependent), state that a path is something small, where no 4-wheeled vehicle can pass. A footpad is a path with a traffic sign that gives explicit access to pedestrians. Similar a cyclepath requires a traffic sign (blue circle, white bike).
But please contact your Swedish community (irc, forum, mailing list, …) to see whether there are specific rules/guidelines for Sweden.
Happy mapping
Comment from arogen on 18 September 2014 at 16:27
Thank you escada!
I will check this fora out. I normally google things because it is faster than posting questions, but the thought of IRC had crossed my mind. I am glad to hear there is at least one channel then.
I also appreciate you clearing this path/foot path issue. Luckily I did it the right way ( I think ) so I don’t have to change them all. Now I am off to check out the Swedish community of mappers.
Have a good day, and happy mapping on you too :-)
Comment from Sanderd17 on 18 September 2014 at 17:28
Single trees that have some importance can be mapped with natural=tree: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:natural%3Dtree (including species information)
A tree row can be mapped as natural=tree_row: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:natural%3Dtree_row
And for the bushes, take a look at the complete list: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:natural Natural=scrub seems to fit the best to your description, but it could also be natural=heath.
About the paths, there is indeed some controversy (https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Path_controversy), but the rules used are mostly consistent within the country you are. So it’s definitely worth trying to communicate with other mappers nearby.
Here’s a nice map showing all mappers and their editing location: http://resultmaps.neis-one.org/oooc If you set your location in your profile, you also see other mappers who set their location and that are nearby. Apart from that, certainly go on the mailing list of your country. Mailing lists seem to be used more often than forums and IRC, certainly for country-specific communication.
Regards, Sander
Comment from arogen on 18 September 2014 at 17:47
Thank you Sander!
Great info! One thing more, I wonder if I should have say forest areas all the way up to roads so that the dots connect? Or should there be a space in between?
So many questions. I will definitely go check out nearby mappers and IRC/Mailing lists :-)
Comment from RM87 on 18 September 2014 at 18:55
If there is some empty space (grass, ditch, etc..) between road and the forest then do not connect the nodes of road and forest area. If the forest ends directly at the road, then you may connect the nodes.
Comment from arogen on 18 September 2014 at 19:06
Ok, thanks RM87!
Comment from escada on 19 September 2014 at 05:34
I disagree with RM87. Landuse/landcover etc. should never be connected to a road. The line you draw in OSM represents the middle of the road. The forest never ends in the middle of the road. Unfortunately landuse=highway, which could be used to actually draw the complete width of the road, is still under discussion.
It might be ok to connect the forest to the way if it’s a small path, but even then it makes it much harder to edit the path afterwards. As far as I know common practice is to separate forest and streets
Comment from arogen on 19 September 2014 at 05:41
Thanks Escada. I will separate my patches then. I thought about it myself. While it isn’t that hard to separate nodes it is easier to draw the say forest with a space to the road. The only problem as I see it is that the maps won’t be as good looking as they would otherwise :-)
Comment from escada on 19 September 2014 at 06:38
I know, but one of the OSM-rules is “do not map for the renderer”. We’re here to add correct data, not to make nice pictures :-)
Comment from arogen on 19 September 2014 at 06:41
I did not know that. I need to find these rules and read them. I am watching a video now on how to use JOSM, but when done I will go and read up on the rules. Thanks for pointing it out :-)
Comment from escada on 19 September 2014 at 15:58
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tagging_for_the_renderer
Comment from Brian H Wilson on 13 May 2015 at 23:24
So how do you get OSM img files to show up in your Monterra?
I put some into my SD card Garmin folder and they don’t show up in the map under “Setup Map/Map Information”
Comment from arogen on 14 May 2015 at 05:48
Hi brian. Well, just download the IMG-file that you want. Then place it in the Garmin folder as you said. I know some people have complained that they don’t show up unless you put them on your devices memory and not the external SD-card. There is also alot of conflicts with other IMG-files. Try to rename some of the other ones to say example.imgx or so, adding just a letter to the extension to disable them.
But the most important thing is to restart the device once the IMG-file is there. It should work. Keep fighting.