[OSM-talk] JOSM observations from a newcomer

[Christoph Eckert]

Hi David,


> Having used JOSM to complete a couple of areas, I've some
> observations. Please take these in the spirit of constructive
> criticism - I know how much voluntary effort it takes to get this
> far.

Seconded and thirded.

> - I made one mistake over and over again - I kept selecting segments
> and then forgetting to make a Way before assigning properties, so I
> ended up assigning properties to the segments instead.

Seconded and thirded.

> - Assigning properties is tedious. A set of buttons to do the common
> highway=trunk etc, and name= -> pop up box for name would be really
> useful. Minimising the number of key and mouse clicks is my concern.

Seconded and thirded.

> - Short cut to defining all the segments, then going over them again
> to select them, and then making them into a Way: how about a mode
> which both creates a segment and adds to the previous Way at the same
> time (or starts a new Way if you haven't just done one). Even better,
> combine with adding nodes, so I can create a Way by just clicking
> along my tracklog (a rubber band to the previous point would also be
> helpful while doing this).

Seconded and thirded.

Anyway, JOSM is a cool editor, that's out of the question. Drawing ways 
along a track would be very useful. With a pallette where you can 
preconfigure the tags ("I want to draw a bunch of highways tagged as 
residential", "I now want to draw some areas tagged as natural=water") 
would be useful as well as a new pallette which allows easy 
assignment/editing of common attributes would be useful.

ce