Talk:Potlatch 1/Future plans

concerning your SQL query

you try to get all segments from a way that occur once in the way, am I right? (you don't really need ct, this is just to filter out -> HAVING ct=1) thing with HAVING is that it takes the whole result and only then starts filtering out (which is slower than if you could do that in the WHERE clause..

why do you select twice from the same table? (once as a and once as b)

SELECT a.segment_id,COUNT(a.segment_id) AS ct
  FROM current_way_segments AS a, current_way_segments AS b
 WHERE a.segment_id=b.segment_id 
   AND a.id=#{way} 
 GROUP BY a.segment_id
HAVING ct=1

this could be an enhancement (untested)

SELECT DISTINCT segment_id FROM current_way_segments WHERE id=#{way} AND COUNT(segment_id)=1

not sure it works though (updated to DISTINCT instead of GROUP BY)... --blk 09:09, 22 May 2007 (BST)

The query tries to get segments that occur in that way only, and not in any other way. I'm not sure the replacement will work though I'll give it a go... --Richard 11:04, 24 May 2007 (BST)

i see, my query will select you every segment once from the way that appears once in the current way, so that's not what you want.

you could try this, not sure if it will improve performace.. it's rather a more explicit form:

SELECT DISTINCT A.segment_id FROM current_way_segments A 
LEFT INNER JOIN current_way_segments B ON A.segment_id=B.segment_id 
WHERE A.id=#{way}

or

SELECT A.segment_id FROM current_way_segments A 
LEFT INNER JOIN current_way_segments B ON A.segment_id=B.segment_id 
WHERE A.id=#{way}
GROUP BY a.segment_id
HAVING COUNT(A.segment_id)=1

--blk 18:19, 25 May 2007 (BST)

Keyboard input issue

The thing is about window "focus", and preventing Flash-applications (like some more or less benign ads) from spying on your web page passwords. One way around the start condition would be a startup dialog that invites clicking. "Get started!" would do for now to get users back on track :). Later on Potlach might loose focus when you download a CSV-file, or when you do screenshots of Potlach. So any indicator of out-of-focus should be screenshot-friendly. Another option is to put a javascript on the webpage that "surrounds" (contains) Potlach, and any if Potlach-related keystrokes are received some notification could show up outside the Potlach window. (It might also be possible to send keystrokes _into_ the Flash application, or even transfer focus over to Potlach?)

Playground/sandbox version

I would like a test installation of Potlatch that uses a dummy dataset. Users wanting to get used to the editor could feel freer to mess around with it without worrying about messing up the real OSM data. This sandbox/playground idea definitely helped me gain confidence in using wikis like Wikipedia.

I suppose this idea requires an OSM server with a dummy dataset that could be uesd by playground installations of Potlatch and JOSM. It could be based on a small 'island' with a few existing features. --LeedsTracker 20:15, 12 September 2007 (BST)

There will be a sandbox mode in an upcoming version of Potlatch. It will use the same dataset, but simply won't write anything to the database. (A separate dataset would be a nice idea, but is a bit pointless until we have real-time renderers.) --Richard 22:05, 12 September 2007 (BST)

Presets in the dropdowns

Loading a local map of presets would be reallllly cool :) Failing that, I'd like to see a few more added...

For POIs

• tourism=picnic_site
• tourism=camp_site

For Ways

• highway=tertiary

Google maps instead of Yahoo

In my city, you have to zoom far out, to even see the Yahoo map. Even then it is very blurred. If there could be an option to use the images from Google Maps, it would be great, as they have more high-quality images all over the world. EsbenDamgaard 12:02, 30 September 2007 (BST)

I second this, as in my city, I get an extra level of zoom in GMaps, which would make waying streets faster and more accurate. I wonder if this has been discussed before, I presume OSM would need permission just like they got from Yahoo BlueMM 08:25, 15 October 2007 (BST)

We can't use Google Maps images for now because these images are copyrighted. You will have to go out and record traces and then use them to create streets in OSM. I think that even trying to verify the traces against Google Maps is prohibited, so please have care with this Cipt2001 14:57, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Junction Tool

It would be great if there was some way in Potlatch to create a junction where 2 ways overlap. When creating maps using the Yahoo imagery, it's hard to create streets that are straight, after forming junctions with other streets crossing or T-intersections. Ideally, you just need to use long ways (so it's easy to line-up with the Yahoo photos, then use a tool to accurately create junctions. It could also mean for T-intersections, that you create a way that extends past the T, then create a junction, then delete the extra segment. I estimate this could save me 50% effort in ways creation using Yahoo. I spend a lot of time going back to fine tune junctions where a straight street looks wonky in Slippy map. Implementation might be: Hit junction button, select first way, select second way (junction is then made at the intersection of the 2 ways). Or maybe an area selection tool, where 2 ways intersect within the area selected.

Much desirable, I agree. And I have often wished that it would work like this ;) But there´s one point I´m not sure about whether it has an impact: There is a kind of grid in Potlatch (don´t know if it´s the same in JOSM and the Merkaartor) which seems to prevent an accurate positioning of nodes. If it´s an issue of Potlatch it could probably solved somehow for your approach. But if it´s a kind of "generic" grid which has its roots deep in the data model or something ... I believe that we cannot implement this nice feature. Comments on this are appreciated. --Krza 12:45, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

The Editor should remember if background images are disabled

I noticed that Potlach remembers if background images (from yahoo) are to be viewed dimmed or not. But it's not remembering if these images have been turned off. I suggest that this should also be remembered, as it only wastes bandwidth most of the time when gps recorded tracks are used for mapping areas where no aerial images are available.

Different map colouring styles

What about a function to see only one key. To see only ways/nodes/areas tagged with "highway" or see only "landuse". This would make sense if more than one way laying over each other or in good mapped cities where there is too much stuff to display. So you can concentrate on landuse, railway, cycleway... --Bahnpirat 09:48, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Node visualization in edit mode

I have seen on the page that nodes which have tags (like gate, crossing or something) shall be highlighted differently in future versions of Potlatch. Else I would have requested this feature ;) But I would add the following state: Common node with other ways resp. objects. Proposal:

• simple node: red square
• tagged node: red square with black dot in the middle
• simple common node: red circle
• tagged common node: red circle with black dot in the middle

--Krza 12:56, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

PS: Second bullet point has just been implemented (v0.10):

• tagged node: black square, even visible when way is not selected

--Krza 16:57, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Nodes at the end of a way and nodes which are connected to other ways should be different, so you can see if the ways are connected or not. --TEL0000 17:31, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Display of Coordinates / Distances / Zoom

When you press L you get the lat/lon coordinates of the current mouse position. It would be nice if you could read out the coordinates of a node somehow. The easiest way would probably be to permanently display those values next to the node number but there´s not enough room. So an additional click icon could be the solution.

In addition to that a kind of measuring would be desirable. Example: You know exactly how long a building is or a piece of a road or something. Now you could draw it and see its (drawn) length. Then you can correct it until it matches the real value. To have a (nearly) exactly sized object can be an advantage when you try to draw other objects relatively to it. It would be a kind of reference.

And I forgot the zoom scale. Sometimes it would be nice to know at which zoom level you are currently working.

Block editing when data is loading

Editing should be blocked while the data is loading, to prevent drawing dublicate ways. --TEL0000 17:36, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree , editing would better be blocked until data/images downloads are finished preventing way duplication. This happens frequently for users with low speed connection. --Metehyi 19:02, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Long Lists of History or Relations

When you have a long history-list, after pressing "h" on a way, you see only the oldest but not the newest edits. And it's (as i know) not possible to scroll this list. So you can't get back a version which is some days ago, but you can get back a version which is some month ago (which you don't want). The same proplem in the relation-list. Sometimes i even can't see the newly created relation in this list. And via find-id i can't find it too, which worked some time before, but doesn't work anymore. Now i can find only older relations with the find-id feature. --TEL0000 13:44, 14 January 2009 (UTC)