Talk:Mapping techniques

Duplication with Pick_your_mapping_technique

As part of my guide cleanup, I have spawned a page redundancy. Mapping_techniques is now pretty similar to Pick_your_mapping_technique, but the latter is in my opinion far cleaner. Possible actions:

• Remove mapping_techniques, move all of its important bits elsewhere (to the photo, audio video, gps mapping, and pick_your_mapping_techniques pages). Mapping techniques requires cleanup anyways. (the new pick_your_mapping_techniques can be renamed to mapping_techniques, but it should still be part of the guide in my opinion)
• something else?

Please discuss.

-- SafwatHalaby (talk) 07:08, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

I think that "Mapping techniques" needs to be rewritten to make use of newer and more used devices. I think this article gives too much emphasis on gps devices, and not enough on the wonderful apps on your phone. "Choose your mapping technique" is more vague about this. Right now I simply do not have the time, although I do have the knowledge (especially with mobile apps). Here is how I think it should be written -

1. Section about apps on phone

2. Section about field maps

3. Section about armchair mapping

--ADepic (talk) 18:21, 20 September 2018 (UTC)

Comments? -- SafwatHalaby (talk) 12:39, 20 September 2018 (UTC)

Ttypical mapping apps are only really suitable for adding certain details to already existing elements, not for the full range of mapping tasks. So while they should be mentioned prominently, I feel this must not happen to the exclusion of other techniques (photo/video/audio mapping, gps tracks or written notes) that still have their place. --Tordanik 16:04, 24 September 2018 (UTC)

Copyright issues

"Be careful using mapping data not covered by a compatible license. Map and data companies have placed misspellings, extra letters, fake streets etc. to use as evidence in copyright claims. Copying a spelling or other information without verifying it was taken from a public domain source could be copyright infringement."

I want to leave the above text here while I think about it. This whole copyright thing has got my brain a whirring. --Korea 11:58, 21 June 2007 (BST)

Do we need the intro?

" Mapping is done in two steps:

1. First, you need to know where things are, mainly the streets and ways.
2. Then you need to know what there is, namely the POIs, street names and types. You can do these one after another, or both at the same time, but you can hardly do the what before the where.

"

This doesn't seem to be useful At all. -- SwiftFast (talk) 07:25, 30 April 2017 (UTC)

I don't think this introduction is needed as such. If it is removed, however, we should also restructure the page a bit, as the headings currently seem to be loosely based on that distinction. --Tordanik 15:21, 7 May 2017 (UTC)

I think the reason it isn't useful is that it's talking about two steps which you might see when working with an editor (you draw a way, then you add tags to the way) but this happens all at once, way by way, node by node, while you're inputing the data. It's not two very distinct steps.

I think there's a better two steps which are more high level, and which will make more sense to explain here: 1) Gather data 2) Input data. With many mapping workflows, these two steps are quite distinct although it should go on mention that these two can happen all at once if you are contributing online with a mobile device.

I'd like to introduce my diagram of mapping workflows near the top of this page I think. With some accompanying explanation although we should keep it fairly short.

-- Harry Wood (talk) 15:58, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

I agree that your suggestion would be a better way of organizing things. :) --Tordanik 14:38, 27 March 2018 (UTC)

Arc GIS support

There is a tool which is possable to use which can use the planet.osm file and convert it so it's ready to use in ArcGIS http://arcscripts.esri.com/details.asp?dbid=15137 perhaps a further explaination is needed on how todo this? It came from the slash Geo website http://appdomains.slashgeo.org/application_domains/07/06/21/1356256.shtml ... this would perhaps open the door to more users who might be motivated to add on to OSM --acrosscanadatrails 04:05, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

Finished Tasks

Mobile editor ideas

When I'm cycling in new regions to survey, I found that the pen and paper idea works quite well. It keeps the time spent out doors to a minimum. The only drawback is that an equivalent time is needed afterwards entering the data in JOSM.

A mobile editor like MOSME will be an improvement, because it will allow me to do some of the first pass editing while resting. This specific tool requires a Windows Mobile (a) device with a working internet connection (b) and a connected (c) GPS receiver. Only a small fraction of current handsets meet these requirements.

It is possible to create a tool that can work on any WAP enabled cell phone : 1. The user configures his standalone GPS receiver to start recording and enters his name on the web site with his phone.

2. When he reaches an unmapped street, amenity or other object, he chooses the correct icon. For streets the choices will be a cross, a 'T' or a 'T' rotated through 90 / 180 or 270 degrees.

3. The server then logs the time and allows the user to enter the name as well as other tags.

4. The above 2 steps are repeated until the user is done.

5. He then downloads his track log from his GPS receiver and a draft osm file is generated by correlating it with the timestamps. For streets, short ways are created. Preferable it will orient the ways correctly by calculating the direction the user was traveling in at the moment he selected the icon.

6. He then opens the draft osm file with JOSM to improve the layout and connect it to the rest of the planet before uploading it the database.

I don't currently own a WAP phone, but hopefully there is someone who will implement this. -- Nic 18:05, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Lots of good mobile editors , from full (e.g. Vespucci) and minor (such as osmand and maps.me) exist now.

Mapping techniques

I think it would be helpful to have a more detailed step-by-step for mapping with the GPS.