[OSM-newbies] Startup mapping questions

[Dirk-Lüder Kreie]

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Piet Stevens schrieb:
> Hi,
> 
> I have been fascinated by the openstreetmap project, but now I have the
> following questions:
> a. working with JOSM vs with Potlatch: I have found working with Potlatch
> easier. I have been unable to get a Yahoo background to JOSM because where
> to find wms plugin? The chippy5000 etc... path is never available.

Can't really say as I'm using this for a long time now.

> b. when uploading traces with Potlatch, I receive immediate feedback on
> whether the upload succeeded, and I can see all traces I have uploaded, so
> it is easy to keep track. I cannot find such functionality in JOSM. But
> then, if I want to work on those traces in JOSM, when I download from OSM
> into JOSM, I get no traces. Why? Is that normal? When JOSM uploads, does it
> upload any traces?

GPX tracks are not uploaded by the editors, neither JOSM nor Potlatch.
There is however the Tab "GPS Traces" on the OSM site which lets you do
this, and which you can use to get the GPX data uploaded for both
Potlatch and JOSM to use.

> c. what happens if I edit an area with JOSM and upload, and before I see
> anything on the map, I also edit this area in Potlatch? Which set of data
> will be there?

Yes, the data will be there immediately after the Upload from JOSM
finishes or respective the update from Potlatch finishes. The maps are
not immediately rerendered on every change as that would be very
inefficient.

> d. for one area that I have added ways to, some of them come from JOSM and
> some from Potlatch. Does that explain the difference in color? Some ways are
> darker grey than others. See the area around lat 31.24 and lon 121.56.

The colouring in Potlatch depends on the tagging.
JOSM has the Mappaint plugin which I suggest you install.

> e. I started to add tags to ways. It is not clear whether I should copy the
> tag to every way that makes up 1 street, or whether it is enough to add the
> tag to 1 way.

I'm not sure I understand your question correctly, but every way needs
to have the appropriate tags.

> f. I am uploading traces and ways in Shanghai, China. We have residential
> streets with 2 lanes in each direction and a middle divider. Should I call
> that a residential street or not?

If it's not used for through traffic you call it residential, if it's
more for through traffic you tag it appropriately (unclassified,
tertiary, secondary...)

> g. I understand that for dual carriageways, the points should be in pairs. I
> find that difficult to do. I usually put a way in one direction, to ensure
> all the ways point in the right direction, and then at the end of the trace,
> I turn back, and put ways in the other direction. Is there an easy process
> to ensure the points are always in pairs?

In JOSM it's quite easy to see. There was a Plugin even to do it for
you, but I'm not sure it works with the current version.

> h. in JOSM, I find it difficult to delete a point or a way. Can someone
> re-clarify the instructions? (select way, shift-click on point, delete does
> not seem to delete the way)

Which instructions?

> i. I have a case where 1 street is currently made up of 2 ways, but I cannot
> seem to join them as per the instructions. I select one way, and then
> shift-clicking on the other should join, but nothing happens. Any idea why
> that could be?

shift click just adds the second way to the selection, you need to
select "combine way" from the tools menu. It might be necessary to
switch directions of one of the ways beforehand. (tools->reverse ways)

> g. We also have elevated highways on top of normal streets. I understand I
> should put these on different layers. But do I then put 2 ways on top of
> each other, with the normal street (layer 0) wider than the elevated
> highway? How to do that?

this is something the renderer has to worry about.

- --

Dirk-Lüder "Deelkar" Kreie
Bremen - 53.0952°N 8.8652°E

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