[OSM-talk] Azimuth measurement

[Tobias Knerr]

On 08.04.2014 11:45, François Lacombe wrote:
> Some features mapping would require to tag their azimuth as for knowing
> how they are really installed in the environment.
> 
> For instance, benches mapped with nodes may be tagged with azimuth=*
> because nodes don't tell which direction the bench follows.
> 
> But how contributors can measure it ?

Often you can get this information from other elements that are already
mapped. For example, you might remember from your survey that the bench
is parallel to the footway next to it or that it directly faces some
building.

In JOSM, you can then start drawing a way from the bench to your
reference point. While the unfinished way segment hangs from your mouse
cursor, it will show the angle at the bottom of the window. Cancel
drawing that way and type that angle into the tag's value.
For my needs, this is precise enough.

By the way, the established key for this is direction=*, see
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:direction
(first section on the page).