[OSM-talk] to all potlatch and JOSM users - automatic simplification of geometry

[Nop]

Hi!

Martin Koppenhoefer schrieb:
> I want to point attention to the potlatch-funtion tidy-points (similar
> to JOSM simplify way). I encourage everybody not to use these
> functions (at least not on data someone else entered) as it harms
> severly the data.

First of all, I agree with you that these function can seriously harm 
data, at least when carelessly applied to data that is already 
well-designed.

Some people mentioned that the default settings of these tools are very 
agressive - this is true and a more lenient approach might produce much 
better results. But then, I have not seen any options to change this (in 
JOSM).

But on the other hand, there's some areas where you need those tools. 
During my mapping I have found two areas where the way were hideously 
over-defined. When ways have 10 or 20 times more nodes than required to 
show their none-too-complex form or when nodes are set in 2m distances 
it appears that someone has just uploaded raw GPS traces. This makes 
those areas nearly unusable as even a very modest bounding box will 
exeed the 50k nodes limit. In these cases, simplify way is your good friend.

Eventually, in an anarchic open source society like OSM you can't take 
away a tool anyway, so don't even try. But it is definitely worth 
refining and pointing out proper and improper uses.

bye
	Nop