[OSM-newbies] Mapping a Technology Institute campus

[Sajjad Anwar]

Hello James.
Thank you for your explanation of the mapping procedures. Hence these
queries.


> Sajjad,
>
> How is the planning for your micro mapping party coming? Have you
> figured out yet that most of the steps that have been outlined
> previously aren't applicable in your area?
>
This is the first time me and the team of people with me doing such a
mapping event.
I'm familiar with few GIS concepts and other geographic standards. But I'm a
newbie to OSM and the mapping steps. When we thought to do the mapping, we
were just illiterate of where to begin and how to do it. I understand that
the previously discussed methods are in-applicable as the satellite imagery
of the area under consideration has very very less details. For the sake of
information,
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=11.321175&lon=75.935159&zoom=18, that link
shows the campus, but it is just the landmark being showed. We are trying to
map the approach roads, buildings in the campus, and other places of
interest.

>
> Since you are concentrating on mapping such a small area, there are
> very few places to go to find aerial photos, especially the online
> suggestions that work for most people. You're in an area with little
> coverage.
>
I agree. There are very less coverage. And probably, there is no good aerial
imagery.

>
> Also, most of the suggestions are for adding detail to an area that is
> already mapped. Since you are starting with a blank slate, we really
> need to get you started from scratch.
>


> If you can get an aerial photograph from a local source, that can
> legally be used without copyright issues, you could use that to create
> a custom background image. Without that, then you truly are limited to
> using a GPS device to gather your data.
>
Im afraid, we do not have sources for such aerial photograph to be used as a
background image.
But ofcourse I may get a map of the campus from the authorities. Im sure
they are queit old and might be sometimes useful to get an idea about the
area.

>
> GPSr devices are getting to the point where they are readily
> available, and fairly economical... at least in this part of the world
> (I just picked up a Garmin GPS18 for $5 an hour ago). I'm not sure the
> status in your part of the world.
>
Yes. GPSr devices are not economical here. But somehow I have tried to make
sure that we get 4-5 devices for the event.

>
> The GPS needs to be able to save a track of where you have been, so
> that you can later download it out of the GPS, and then upload that to
> OSM. I'm not sure if you have played with JOSM at all, but I find it
> difficult to use. The online Potlatch editor is extremely easy to use,
> with a very shallow learning curve. I upload my GPS traces with
> Potlatch, and then can use them to help me trace out the roads I just
> drove, or paths walked.
>
I have actually played around a bit with JOSM, and somehow can make my
friends to use it too.
I dont think Potlatch is a good choice as we are having a limited bandwidth
interenet connectivity.

>
> Use the GPS to trace out the major roads around the area, to basically
> create a "skeleton" map of the area. I would make sure that
> Thiruvampadi Augastianmuzhi Rd, Kettangal Mavoor Rd, and Kettangal
> Koduvally Rd are done first. Adding in SBI Junction Chathamangalam Rd,
> Dayapuram Gate Rd and Malayamma Rd next.
>
Yes. We will first trace the near by roads and the junctions. Im confused
about how we are going to get more detailed mapping to be done. We plan to
bring details as in
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=38.98774&lon=-76.94211&zoom=16&layers=B000FTF

>
> Once you get those roads into the database, you can get a better idea
> of where you want to work. It's tough to look at a blank page and try
> to work from that... Now that you have a basic "skeleton" of the major
> roads, you can look at capturing the internal roads in the campus.
> Track the roads inside the triangle formed by the main roads around
> the campus. Get them added into the database. You can also add in more
> road details for other roads outside the main triangle at this time as
> well.
>
Okay. This seems a better idea. Infact the roads around would help us to
spot the boundaries.

>
> Now, you can think about printing out the walking papers, and using
> them to help add in even more detail. You can use the GPS to capture
> footpaths, building outlines, and other amenities. The paper copy of
> the walking papers map gives you a good place to jot down notes, and
> other details.
>
At the moment, I think, the teams would be provided with the map we collect
from the authorities. They are more like a Cadastral Map.

>
> It's pretty hard to print out a blank piece of paper from walking
> papers and use that for notes in the way that was described. You
> really need at least a little bit of basic map first.
>
> I hope you can get the GPSr devices that are a necessity to get this
> project moving. Keep us informed of how you are doing. Just drop a
> note with a permalink of the area onto the newbies reflector, and a
> quick update. Any questions that arise will happily be answered.
>
> Watching a new area go from a blank screen to a mapped area is pretty
> exciting.
>
We are very well excited too :)

>
> James
> VE6SRV
>
> _______________________________________________
> newbies mailing list
> newbies at openstreetmap.org
> http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/newbies
>



-- 
Sajjad Anwar
http://geohackers.in
http://fsugcalicut.org
geohackers.in at gmail.com
+91 9995 19 13 12
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/newbies/attachments/20090921/3bd737be/attachment.html>