[OSM-newbies] Confused: JOSM upload compared to GPX upload

[Rick Collins]

I'm not sure, but I think you don't understand the difference between 
your GPX track file data and the OSM data in the database.  Your GPX 
data can be uploaded to the server, but only as GPX data.  It is 
never a part of the map database.  The only way it can be viewed is 
when you look at the map in Potlatch or download the data in 
JOSM.  The GPX data that is directly uploaded to the server is 
intended to be used only as a template to drawing ways for the 
database.  I think of this as electronic tracing paper.

When you download data from the server to JOSM, you get both the OSM 
data for the database ways and nodes as well as any track data that 
is public.  Uploading from JOSM can only upload the OSM data, not 
anything in the track layer or a GPX layer you have directly loaded.

I don't care for this myself as it requires me to do *all* the work, 
especially the detail work of placing nodes.  The other way to get 
GPX data into the map is to convert the GPX layer to a data layer in 
JOSM.  You can first load the GPX data and then convert that layer to 
a data layer.  If you have downloaded the existing map data, you can 
merge the two layers into one for editing.  Or you can first edit the 
track layer to cull superfluous nodes and then merge.  Or you can 
just edit the track layer and directly upload it to the server as OSM 
data, but you will later need to download the data to connect the 
various new ways with any previously existing ways.

I'm not sure this is any clearer, but its a start.  :^)


At 08:12 PM 10/24/2007, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>A few questions regarding JOSM's upload feature.
>
>If I have this correctly, JOSM allows a user to import a GPX file, set
>up what needs to be set up, (ref, highway, name...), and directly
>syncrhonise with OSM, otherwise you can manually upload a GPX file to
>the server, then use Potlatch to process. Am I right?
>
>Unless I am missing somthing, a JOSM user cannot see anywhere on the
>site where his submitted work is (except to open potlatch and see what
>ways are rendered), but manual GPX uploaders can directly see what has
>been done on their login page. When I look at my member page on OSM, it
>looks as if I have never done anything for the project, even though I'm
>an active JOSM user, and this could be true of the members
>geographically close to me... No way to tell! Is there an easier way of
>seeing the activity of JOSM users on the site?
>
>Finally, I can export GPX data from JOSM, except my zone contains half
>of Paris and associated suburbs (2 mb file) and not just the ways I have
>been working on. 2 questions: 1) is it useful to do a JOSM upload and
>also a GPX export, and 2) if so is there a way to "crack out" my
>added/modified data and leave the rest?
>
>Cheers,
>Daniel