[OSM-talk] How to create custom online map from OpenStreetMap

Sun Oct 22 20:46:58 UTC 2017

Thanks for your quick response, John.

You're right that my requirements are quite basic. That's because I am not
sure about the basics and I prefer going step-by-step (I'm sure my
questions will be more specific the more I know about the process). My idea
was to create a map (raster or vector, don't know yet) that would display
OSM data that is not displayed by current renders. I would skip anything
related to smartphones, offline use or routing (although I would love to
expore routing in the future), because it is too complex for me at this
time.

I think I understand some of the basics: yes, I understand that I need a
collection of tiles that need to be stored and served somewhere and that
the requirements will vary enormously from zoom level and region (you made
a good point in your email saying that I should start small and see the
requirements and then scale it). I understand that in order to generate
those tiles I need to create a style (don't know how -I've only seen two
options here: either using mapnik styles or mapbox gl). But I am completely
lost when it comes to specific tools to achieve those tasks.

So far I've discovered the following ones:

   1. Mapnik: allows creating styles and serving tiles.
   2. OpenMapTiles: aparently is a tile server and allows creating custom
   styles. Seems to me that it could be a replacement for Mapnik.
   3. T-rex: a tile server. I think it would require to generate tiles
   using another service/tool.
   4. Maputnik: style editor for mapbox. I understand that resulting maps
   can only be used within a mapbox account.
   5. MAperitive: I have just discovered it thanks to you. AFAIK is a
   desktop software that generates custom maps for offline use. If that would
   be true, it's not what I am looking for.

Hope is clearer now.

Thanks again!

Carlos Cámara
http://carloscamara.es

2017-10-22 21:57 GMT+02:00 john whelan <jwhelan0112 at gmail.com>:

> Basically you need a collection of tiles.  The load on the server will
> depend on the number of concurrent users and how many tiles they download.
>
> Initially I'd go with a small test server to prove the concept.
>
> Maperitive runs under Windows and gives you a lot of flexibility.  You
> should be able to generate tiles fairly easily.  There is a mailing list
> for support.
>
> Mapbox is commercial but having said that they have provided a lot of very
> valuable support to a nearby government agency and they can put all the
> bits together for you.
>
> Do you want to provide routing and searching capabilities?  Or is a raster
> map enough?  A raster map is much like a printed one.  Looks nice.
>
> Do your end users have smartphones?  Will they want to use the maps
> offline?  If so look at OMand.
>
> I'm not seeing your requirements at the moment and the constraints.  Just
> how you want to build it and I think you need to step back and just confirm
> them.
>
> Cheerio John
>
> On 22 Oct 2017 1:51 pm, "Carlos Cámara" <carlos.camara at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would like to create a custom map for online use that loads OSM data but
> displays it in different ways as the standard, cyclemap, transport...
> layers.
>
> *Some background: What I think I know so far*
>
> I have made some research and, although I have to admit that I am still
> quite confused, I have come to the conclusion that the process outline may
> be the one that follows (with many variations):
>
>    1. *Get the data.* AFAIK, data can be downloaded either partially or
>    globally from several sources, like Planet OSM
>    <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Planet.osm> or OpenMaptiles
>    <https://openmaptiles.com/downloads/planet/>. If I'm not wrong, data
>    can be accessed online by querying it or using services like Mapbox (see
>    below) (correct me if I'm wrong).
>    2. *Style the map.* Our data has to be styled according to our needs.
>    Again, if I'm not wrong, there are to different (not sure if they are
>    excluding or not) ways to do it: either using Mapnik
>    <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mapnik> or Mapbox GL
>    <https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox-gl-js/style-spec/> (more on this
>    below). In case that we opt for Mapnik we should create a Mapnik style (a
>    XML file that AFAIK has to be manually edited and seems to be quite
>    cumbersome for complex settings) and, in case we opt for mapbox we can use
>    either Tilemill <https://tilemill-project.github.io/tilemill/> or the
>    FLOSS editor Maputnik <https://maputnik.github.io/>.
>    3. *Render the map* in order to convert the data and styles into an
>    appealing map. This map can either be a raster map (which will generate
>    lots of tiles and will require the next step: tileserver) or a vector map
>    (which don't understand how it works other than inside mapbox). Don't know
>    how to do this. I assume that in case that we opt for mapnik we need to
>    have it installed in our server and execute a command. In case of Mapbox I
>    assume we need an account on their service. I have also found this
>    exhaustive list of rendering options on OSM's wiki
>    <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Rendering>, but haven't
>    assimilated all that information yet.
>    4. *Serving tiles:* the myriad of raster tiles that have been
>    generated in the previous step need to publicly available. In order to
>    achieve that a tileserver is needed. AFAIK, there are several options here,
>    being Mapnik <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Mapnik>, T-rex
>    <http://t-rex.tileserver.ch/> or OpenMapTiles
>    <https://openmaptiles.org> some of them. All of them require a custom
>    server in which they need to be installed. I'm assuming that this server
>    requires a lot of RAM, CPU and Disk space, but I don't have an idea of how
>    much is "a lot" (I assume it will vary "a lot" depending on the cover area
>    and zoom level, but do not have the slight idea not even for the whole
>    world at city level zoom or just one city area).
>
> *Conclusion:*
>
> Provided that everything I wrote above is true, I see three excluding
> options:
>
>    1. *Mapnik* covers steps #2-#4 and needs a custom server to be
>    installed at and to host all the data (both, OSM data and generated tiles).
>    2. *OpenMapTiles* cover steps #1-#4. Needs a custom server to be
>    installed at and to host all the data. Apparently seems easier to setup and
>    run that Mapnik.
>    3. *Mapbox* covers steps #1-#3, since #4 is not needed, being that are
>    vector layers. Does not require any webserver but requires a paid account.
>    Don't know if it means that using Mapbox GL you are locked in Mapbox
>    plattform.
>
> Don't know how does t-rex fit on this equation.
>
> Does that make sense? Do you have some recommendations in how to achieve a
> custom map?
>
> At this point I feel quite confused, since despite things start to make
> sense to me, I have the feeling that I am missing some pieces of this
> complex puzzle. Not to mention that I'm not sure if I am right, though.
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Carlos Cámara
> http://carloscamara.es
>
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>
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