[OSM-dev] Slippy Map Elevation Overlay

[MilesTogoe]

Graham Jones (Physics) wrote:
> I sometimes think that the main slippy map has a bit too much plain 
> white, especially in undeveloped places where there are not many roads 
> such as the Pennines or North Yorkshire Moors in Northern England - I 
> keep wondering if this is an un-mapped area, or if there is nothing 
> there....
>
> The cycle map is very good with shaded elevation contours, but the 
> main osmarender and mapnik maps do not include this.
> I would like this sort of shading to be available for the main map 
> too, but I am not convinced that rendering it into the tiles is good, 
> because sometimes those extra colours or contour lines are a 
> distraction, so it would be nice for the user to be able to switch 
> them off.
>
> I wondered if there is any reason why we could not create an overlay 
> of elevation information (contours and or shading) that could sit on 
> top of the main map as a user selectable leayer?
>
> I have had a quick go at http://maps.webhop.net/srtm.html.  It sort of 
> works - the high ground stands out, and you can see the shape of the 
> ground, and you can switch the overlay off and on.  It does not work 
> that well as an overlay though because it is not really transparent 
> enough.  I find that sometimes the transparency works quite well and 
> you can see the map underneath, and others it is practically opaque.
pretty nice, though when zoomed in, it gets blocky - maybe this is 
actually how the parcel boundaries are, maybe you where just trying to 
get stuff prototyped.    I keep thinking it would be nice to integrate 
OSM data with free satellite data like java based WorldWind NASA data as 
the background - haven't really researched this yet.