[OSM-talk] osmarender and rivers (mapnik too?)

[David Earl]

On 01/10/2007 16:31, Jon Bright wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> David Earl wrote:
>>
>> Could osmarender (manik too?) be changed to choose either one of 
>> several possible widths or a varying width depending on a width or 
>> estimated_width (or similar) tag if such exists? 
> 
> Wouldn't this cause odd-looking effects at the join between two rivers 
> of different widths?  

I doubt it at the join: after all, streams joining rivers are OK now.

But as it changes along the way it might have an occasional step. But it 
looks much more odd the way it is now IMO.


> In general, wouldn't it be better to make ways of 
> the river banks, so it's possible to exactly define the width of a river 
> at any given point?

Given all the time in the world, perhaps. But (a) most of us will only 
be able to estimate the width, (b) for clarity, the rendered width will 
probably still want to be exaggerated to some extent at most zoom levels 
and (c) it adds to the complexity of preparing the map, when a simple 
polyline is quite adequate for all but really wide rivers - indeed the 
ones that would benefit from the river bank approach are the ones that 
the current rendering width is appropriate for.

David