[OSM-dev] Contest for the best UI: Howto enter ways in the applet?

[Andy Robinson]

Imi et al,

My opinions on this:

A.
Types of way.

We have reached the point where being able to properly identify the way type
is important. While the focus to date has been on streets we have notable
amount of gps data relating to other ways, so being able to properly
identify/label these now is becoming important:

1.1	HIGHways (All motorised traffic routes)
1.2	BRIDLEways	(for Dobbin and the green wellie brigade)
1.3	CYCLEways	(for yours truly :)
1.4	FOOTways (for Nick!)
1.5	RAILways (including tramways etc)
1.7	WATERways (eg rivers and canals etc)
1.8	SEAways (Ferry crossings and routes)
1.9	AERIALways (not to be confused with flight paths. Includes ski lifts
etc)
(1.10	Boundaries) - less important perhaps but will be needed at some
point.

If the applet had a drop down list you would select the appropriate way type
before creating nodes and segments for that type. Where the way has more
than one function I would suggest you select the major use as you would want
it to appear in the overall map (ignoring specialised maps for specific user
types for now). Other uses can be covered with later tagging.

With the type set it's then possible to display the different ways in a
different colour or format when viewing (or editing). More on colours below
under F.

B.
Creating a Way:

This is where I run into problems. I'm not even sure why we need to be
focusing on being able to link up a number of line segments into a single
way at this point in time. Obviously it helps for naming but surely if we
name one segment (or a few if we like) then a client can collect those
names, do a merge (user input if required) and then name the collection as
one and return same to the server. Do we need this functionality now. Is it
a priority. I'm not so sure.

Anyhow, if it is a priority how to implement. In the Applet it's not
feasible to have all the segments for a particular way in view at the same
time so how can we select them all. Better to "add" following selection with
the first instance "create" being possible with just a single segment.

If the applet listed all the way names in its current field of view you
could select which way the selected segments are to be added to.

Then you would need to know which segments are assigned to a way and which
are not. Again, a colour change or a different border colour might work. Or
perhaps a change from a dashed to a solid line in the editor. This would
also sort the problem of inserting new segments within a way as it will be
easy to see when one is not associated.

C.
Selecting segments for inclusion in a way:

Is the right mouse click used in the Applet (noting the 1 button mac users
though). Or click a select button first and then segments are toggled on or
off as they are left mouse clicked. Bit like when you select a segment for
naming.

D.
Inserting into a way:

Currently we have to delete a segment to insert a new node. We need to split
the segment (in half) first in future so that the two spit segments carry
the same properties as the original. Then the new node position can be
adjusted manually and the job is done.

E.
Deleting:

Not sure why we would want to delete a way. We might though want to change
properties (name perhaps for now) across all segments making up the way. So
a global change for name might be good. I'm thinking of a change to add the
numeric eg E565 after an alpha name. This would be start (ignoring the need
for other tags for now)

I can't think why we would want the ability to delete the whole way in one
shot. Could ruin a lot of editing in a single mouse click. However we do
need to be able to remove segments for a way. This can be done in the same
way as for selecting segments for inclusion but then select a "none" label
from the drop down way name selection list.

F.
Way colours:

The problem here is that this is user preference depending upon country.
Waterways are easy in blue but after that it gets difficult. I think for now
pick a set of arbitrary colours that make the different way types stand out
against each other bearing in mind the prominent ways in urban areas are
Highways (streets). In the countryside its more evenly balanced across the
types.

G.
Displaying way names

Look at any traditional map and you see only a few instances of the name
displayed, and in fact only once for most street mapping levels. I also note
that the alpha/numeric reference for most roads is usually separate from any
street name. This is the case for on-line maps too. Displaying names in the
viewer needs to be selective for the zoom level to avoid clutter, perhaps by
reference to the length of the way involved.

H.
Way width:

At some point we need to distinguish between the major and minor ways for a
specific type. Traditionally this is done with a mixture of line thickness
and colour change. I would put this further down the list of requirements
for now. At least until we agree on the different sub-divisions (eg class)
of each way type.


As always this is brushing the surface only and ideas a practical ones
rather than implementable in an applet. Hope it helps though.

Andy

Andy Robinson
Andy_J_Robinson at blueyonder.co.uk 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: dev-bounces at openstreetmap.org [mailto:dev-bounces at openstreetmap.org]
>On Behalf Of Immanuel Scholz
>Sent: 23 February 2006 13:28
>To: dev at openstreetmap.org
>Subject: [OSM-dev] Contest for the best UI: Howto enter ways in the applet?
>
>Hi,
>
>how would you like to have the ways (streets) entered within the user
>interface of the applet?
>
>
>Some inspiration:
>
>What additional buttons are needed? "new way", "change way", "delete way"?
>Where to get cool images for the buttons?
>How should the user select the necessary line segments?
>How could the user change an existing ways line segments?
>How to differentiate between several ways laying on top of each other?
>What looks a way like?
>
>
>Ciao, Imi.
>
>
>
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