[HOT] JOSM "mini tasking manager" Plugin

[Andrew Buck]

Its a good idea, and something the TODO list plugin was originally 
intended to do, in addition to its current functionality.  I am the one 
who came up with the original idea for the plugin, but I am terrible 
with Java so Gnonthgol coded it up based on my idea.

I wanted to also add the "area coverage feature" like you are describing 
as well as a "follow along way" function so you could follow along 
linear features like roads/waterways at some fairly close in zoom level 
along a long feature and it would track which parts you have examined.

So I definitely think your idea has merit.  My only quibble would be to 
not add a second layer with squares, as OSM objects.  You could do that, 
but its a bit hacky. Also I don't remember how well the TODO list deals 
with objects in other layers.  Fortunately, you don't have to add the 
squares as objects anyway, since the todo list can track them internally 
without them being OSM objects, and plugins can draw to the map view 
themselves.  Think about things like the validator plugin (which draws 
non osm object features to its own layer), or the fast draw plugin 
(which draws non osm objects to the active map layer as temporary lines 
that then get turned into proper OSM objects.

So aside from the implementation details, I would say yes, this is 
definitely a good idea and one I would support being added directly to 
the TODO plugin as additional functionality.

-AndrewBuck



On 9/23/20 9:44 AM, Mike Thompson wrote:
> Dear fellow humanitarian mappers,
> 
> When I am mapping or validating a task from the tasking manager, I often 
> find myself "panning and scanning", that is, zooming into a level at 
> which I can quickly tell if everything that appears in imagery is 
> mapped, and then systematically panning over the entire area of the task 
> area (either with the mouse, or <ctrl>+an arrow key).  This works until 
> I find something that needs to be mapped, or needs to be mapped 
> differently, in which case I zoom in, do the mapping... and forget where 
> I was with the "pan and scan"  (keyboard shortcut "8" - zoom previous 
> helps a little, but if multiple zooms/pans of the map are performed it 
> can be difficult to "get back to where you were").
> 
> I have come up with a prototype of a new plugin which might help.  It 
> divides the downloaded area in JOSM into a grid of smaller rectangles, 
> and adds the rectangles to the Todo List (also adds the rectangles to a 
> new data layer which is blocked from being uploaded from, or downloaded 
> into). As each of these rectangles is reviewed, you can "Mark" it in the 
> Todo List, and the Todo List will automatically zoom/pan the map to the 
> next rectangle.
> 
> Questions:
> 1) Would this be useful?
> 2) Does this functionality already exist?
> 3) Should I proceed with development?
> 4) Should it be its own plugin, or should it be combined with other 
> functionality of use to this community (for example, I could move the 
> duplicate building script functionality into this plugin)?
> 
> Mike
> 
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