<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>To imports and talk-ca mailing list,</div><div><br></div><div>As you may know, I'm in Canada until May studying at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I'm doing one class in GIS and this week the teacher just introduced us to some data on the geography computers we can use for our project. It is from the UBC Plant Ops division and has a lot of exciting data for the Point Grey campus ( <a href="http://osm.org/go/WJQi9HNV-">http://osm.org/go/WJQi9HNV-</a> ).</div>
<div><br></div><div>I think it would be great to have some of this data in OSM, as it would benefit both sides. For example they have all the bicycle rack locations, but we add the capacity to each node, and with the locations it would be easier to do that. I'm going to write an e-mail to my professor to see who his contact in Plant Ops is and then contact them to ask for OSM import permission. From the start of the class he became he became aware of me and that I have OSM connections, our first "Web 2.0 and Neogeography" lecture is on Monday (my hand is going to be raised so often).</div>
<div><br></div><div>For importing I suppose it will just be about using a shp2osm script on each of the files and then opening them in JOSM for a quick check before uploading (it's a relatively small area). I should probably read some of the wiki pages about importing, but I have two questions:</div>
<div>1) Should the source tag be used on every node/way(that has other tags), or just on the changesets?</div><div>2) Most layers imported I think will be none or few existing data, but some (like bicycle_parking) will have a fair few duplicates. Are there any good tools for that (does the US tiger remove dupes work for this?) or is it showing/hiding layers with JOSM?</div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I had a bit of a look at the data in ArcGIS available and wrote these notes on what's there:</div>The prof made a point of Plant Ops not using GIS, it's originally in a CAD program and so there is no metadata. For a lot of files it's just nodes with no data besides the co-ordinates and an id.<br>
<br>It seems to geographically match OSM road shapfiles, which I aligned to GPS, so I don't see realignment being needed.<br><br>There is a folder for each year 1995, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 - the file names and types inside vary. I think we only care about the latest data (so maybe if I request a new update rather than use 2009 even, assuming that isn't too much work or it will be used for Geog students anyway)<br>
<br>2009 Contains:<br>Annotation/BigAnno, BuildingAnno, RoadsAnno - all positioned text labels e.g. road names<br>Base/Buildings - outlines with (street?) number and name, OSM has a lot already from Yahoo! Imagery<br>Base/Contours - very detailed but out of the scope of OSM<br>
Base/SiteAll - I think a lot of layers combined<br>Base/SiteRoadOutline - beyond the scope of OSM, and I think OSM already has all the roads.<br>BikeFacilities/BikeRacks, BikeStorage (secure), CyclistFacilities (showers, lockers, washbasin + public/private)<br>
Campus/Benches, Bollards, StreetLights, Trees - it's a lot of information, but I know OSMers who gather this data.<br>Campus/PatiosAndCourtyards, Plazas, SoftLandscaping - too much information?<br>Campus/BlueLights - aka blue posts, emergency phones connected to security. OSM(me) has refs & names, but only half of the 24 so far.<br>
Campus/CatchBasins - don't know what, but a lot of nodes<br>Campus/Landmarks - anything with a plaque it seems (including trees, totem poles, artwork, stones and benches). Some have links to photo files on a PlantOps drive. I think it would duplicate nodes too much. Notes field often include names and there is a field for condition (dirty, weather damage, etc.)<br>
Campus/ParkingLots - I think all are in OSM (some may just be nodes).<br>Campus/WaterFeatures - not many and perhaps not all of them, but it might be handy to have the outlines without getting wet feet.<br>Grids - 5 different grids of varying sizes<br>
Routes/Lanes, Paths, Roads, Walkways - OSM definitely has more paths and walkways but maybe I could just open these in JOSM to quickly find the ones we're missing.<br>Signage - BelkinSigns (no idea, only 13), BuildingDirections (only contains a number field and condition), FacultySigns (don't know, of type D or F), RoadSignage (B,C,D,no exit, O, P, PA, R, S, Scool, SP, ST, Y) - not useful or out of OSM scope?<br>
Signage/Kiosks - contains NumPanels, ViewableArea, and LockingMech. amenity=information and probably has telephones and vending machines next to it.<br>Signage/MapBoards - only 15. amenity=infromation information=map.<br>
WasteManagement/CardboardDumpsters - amenity=recycling but probably intended for residents/staff of the nearby building<br>WasteManagement/GarbageDumpsters, TrashBins - it's a lot of information, but I know OSMers who gather this data.<div>
<br></div><div>Please let me know your thoughts. I originally wandered if it's worth it (it's not a large scale import) but I think it would give me valuable import experience (including the agreement side) and in the short time I'm still here it might aid me make some more OSM contributors. Also, it will make the UBC coverage go way beyond University of Victoria, and kick their mapping ass/arse!<br clear="all">
<br>-- <br>Gregory<br><a href="mailto:osm@livingwithdragons.com" target="_blank">osm@livingwithdragons.com</a><br><a href="http://www.livingwithdragons.com" target="_blank">http://www.livingwithdragons.com</a>
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