[Talk-GB] building shapes from OS Street View

[Ed Avis]

TimSC <mapping at ...> writes:

>I have done a small test of automatically tracing buildings from OS 
>Street View.

>http://osm.org/go/eurUp7x0Q-
> 
>The biggest problem I can see is where roads or text labels obsure the 
>buildings.

Yes, in those cases you just have to guess where the building might go,
usually by assuming it is rectangular.  The OS Street View map simplifies
many buildings to rectangles anyway.  Can the code notice that the outside
of the building is not the usual light-coloured background, and so either
guess a plausible outline for the obscured bit, or flag the building for
extra manual checking?

>I guess the fundamental question is, is this 
>quicker than doing the whole thing manually?

Undoubtedly, and also on the whole less error-prone.

Once this gets going we can produce a 'buildings noname' map for people to go
out and verify the position and street address of buildings.

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>