[OSM-talk] Newbie - queries and usability suggestions

[SteveC]

* @ 18/11/06 01:53:53 PM gps at wittongilbert.free-online.co.uk wrote:
> OK I'm new here, but having a few issues - I'm reasonably computer
> savy so it worries me slightly that you will loose potential
> volunteers because the userfriendlyness is (a bit) rough around the
> edges.

Hello and welcome :-)

> I've uploaded a track, and started doing some mapping from it.  That's
> fine.  But because my track in above 54' N it doesn't render on
> slippy.  Is there anything I can do to progress getting the North of

It won't, as the slippy map is beta and only a week or so old

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Slippy_Map

> England and Scotland rendered?  (I understand Glasgow is started but
> also not rendering...)

We're working on getting the rest of the world in there, and more up to
date.

> NONE of the editing tools I've tried are exactly what I'd call user
> friendly - not sure the best way to feedback on these.  The API is not
> bad, but of course slow - but also seems to lack adding a node to an
> existing way - seems a bit poor.  JOSM is faster but seems to freeze a
> lot (perhaps my track is too large) - unable to do certain tasks like
> select lines, I also seem unable to get pop-out windows all the time
> when I click things like add node to give choice of adding a node or
> adding a node to a segment? It seems intermittent.   Moving the track
> about is not intuitive - right click and slide?  Where did that come
> from? Merkator?  Can't get it to actually let me edit!

I actually find that pretty intuitive, but yes there are lots of rough
edges. I'm guessing you're not a coder or you would have fixed them
yourself. There is a bug tracking tool for JOSM where you might want to
submit things:

http://josm.eigenheimstrasse.de/report/1

> Can I not edit a Way once its created - i.e. add an extra node? (Seems
> strange to me)

You can in JOSM, use the new-node-in-to-segment tool which doubles as
the new-node tool.

> None of the programmes function as I would expect.  I follow that I
> place nodes and join nodes with segments - and that for whatever
> reason most software draws the segments straight not curved. I then
> join segments into Ways - so why when I do that do I not get an
> automatic popup asking for properties?  I don't know OSM inside out so
> why when I do manually add properties do I need to work out:
> 
> Highway: Primary Name: A691

should be ref:A691 I think

> Surely when I add a way it should ask what type of way it is - when I
> choose Highway, it should ask what type of highway. (I have now found
> auto-properties, but it still doesn't force you through the process)
> Then it should ask for a name?

Well, some people don't create a way and then add the properties
immediately. I tend to go map an area. add the nodes and segments then
the way I know from memory of just having been there, then I tag them up
from listening to my dictaphone..

> Why would created_by not be automated?

Not sure what you mean here...

> These seem basic features that would reduce the risk of lots of
> unnamed roads floating around in webspace.
> 
> I've only briefly played so far but when I render I notice a few
> oddities -  the road names are sometimes upside down. Motorway (A1(M),

Please use JOSM or whatever to go in and fix those by reordering the
way/segments responsible.

> flagged as motorway, is shown in Green.  Is there a better way to
> render?  Because if I export to SVG and manually tweak then next time
> I export I'll need to do the same manual tweaks?
> 
> Finally - would it not be logical to be able to do my track
> conversions over a background which is a rendered version of the map
> (either dynamically rendered [prefered] or at least at last save/load
> etc.

Some of that will be fixed with the upcoming Flash editor that's being
written.

One way you could contribute is to think about running a mapping party

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Mapping_Weekend_Howto

have fun,

SteveC steve at asklater.com http://www.asklater.com/steve/