Adding to OSM

[+hukilaulau]

I want to learn how to add trails to OSM, even though the tutorial looks daunting at first glance. A question for people who have actually done it: what device or app have you used?

What I have:

Magellan explorist 500

iphone 4s with geocaching app

motionX app (this is the one I want to try)

[majormajor42]

I do it all the time. I could tell you what I do but I am using different devices than you. I use a garmin oregon and my DroidX. I record tracks when I'm out on the trail. On my droid I use OSMTracker. I would search osm in your apple app store to see what is available.

 

In either case, I eventually make a gpx file. On my garmin I use that program that came with my garmin, what is it called, mapsource? I forget. I view the tracks, neaten them up a little, erase points that might have been me just standing around... I then save as gpx. I go on openstreetmap, where I am registered, and load the file from my computer.

 

OSMTracker allows me to save and convert to gpx. I don't really edit the tracks here but I also find that it makes a better tracks so doesn't need editing as much anyway. I wish there was a way to send the gpx file directly to osm, maybe another app has that option. I have to either use my phone's email app to send the file to myself, where I download the gpx to my computer to load to osm OR i use a mini USB to my phone to get the file from my phone to the website through my computer. I find that going to the osm website on my phone and trying to load the gpx file directly to the site does not work.

 

When I upload traces to the site I select indentifiable to provide the most amount info but this might not be necessary. I also describe and tag the traces for mostly my own purposes.

 

Now you can select to 'edit the map' via that trace. It will bring you right to the new potlatch map editor. It will put you where the trace begins. you'll most likely see a satellite map with prior map content overlayed. you'll also see a fainter thin blue line. that is your trace. There are options to remove that blue trace from the screen OR to add anybody's other public traces in the system to the map view that you are looking at. I always check to see if someone else has already traced the trail I am mapping, but they just didn't get around to editing the map. More traces might make it easier for you to place the trail in the right spot by sort of averaging the loactions of the blue lines. This is good if no one trace is perfect. It could be bad because it kinda of flattens out the trail, removing all the small turns.

 

Once you draw a 'way' over your trace, you need to label it. For trails, I've been choosing 'footpath'. you might choose something different. I like footpath for hiking trails in the woods because it makes a red dotted line that stands out on the map. If it is an ATV track or a dirt road, I'll choose another type of way label. The wiki will help you decide, or look in your area. What people do in Europe, for instance, is a little different than what people do in the states. I think it is best to be consistant in your region though. Look at Rockland County in NY to see some of my work.

 

Lots of other things can be done too, like placing Parking points and other things that might be useful for the caching community and others.

 

Eventually you may get into 'routing'. Routing is usefull, let's say, when section hiking a long hiking trail or bike path. You could hike and trace part of the applachian trail for instance and add it too the map as a way. Then connect your new ways to other ways of the applachian trail with a route. Each way may have individual properties, such as trail surface and width and who maintains that section. The overall route says it is part of the applachian trail.

 

You can see national and regional hiking trails here. pan over to the USA and on the east coast you can see the applachian, long path and long trail amoung others.

 

If you like to cycle, LI could use cycle routes that can then be viewed on the OpenCycleMap tab of the geocaching map.

[+papaj83]

Hardware: Garmin GPSMAP62s

Software: JOSM (Java OpenStreetMap - Editor)

 

Both simple to use and I can use JOSM at work (Windoze) and at home (Mac), so only learnt one program..

[+dakboy]

I just did it for the first time last night using the editor right on the website. If you can see the trail clearly from the aerial imagery there, it's a snap to just draw the trail right over top.

[majormajor42]

I want to learn how to add trails to OSM, even though the tutorial looks daunting at first glance. A question for people who have actually done it: what device or app have you used?

What I have:

Magellan explorist 500

iphone 4s with geocaching app

motionX app (this is the one I want to try)

 

here is a list of OSM apps for the iphone taken from the OSM wiki. Some of these apps are good for displaying the OSM map but others may be better for tracking. I am not familiar with them so can't offer any recommendadtions.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/IOS

motionX is on the list

 

this is the list for Android for those that are curious:

http://wiki.openstre...rg/wiki/Android

 

there are also app lists for blackberry, windows and others:

http://wiki.openstre...Software/Mobile

[+Sky King 36]

Also, if you are going to take the time to do it, then please try to "do it up right"... A lot of people upload their track, but they don't go in and specify the surface type and things like bike vs. pedestrian only. Taking a couple of minutes to "perfect" the data at the time of contribution saves sooooo much work of going back and setting it later. I have been editing the trails in my area that have been entered and updating their surface, and it has been a long slow process because no one did it to start with. To be useful, people need to be able to know if it's a paved county bike trail or little deer path in the woods.

 

Also... There are programs that do auto-routing on bike paths now, so it is important that you properly connect, or not connect, trails to each other, or to roads.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Sky King 36

[+MartyBartfast]

• 
   
  
• Garmin Vista HCX
  
• Download the tracks to my Linux laptop using gpsbabel
  
• edit the maps with JOSM
  

 

I have done some using potlatch but found it counter-intuitive and didn't like it, whereas JOSM is much simpler IMO.

Edited February 22, 2012 by MartyBartfast

[+jellis]

Still have a Garmin 60CSX using free maps that they have been giving me since 2008. Got lucky on that.

Use as a back up Oregon 450T or iphone 3GS

[majormajor42]

Also, if you are going to take the time to do it, then please try to "do it up right"... A lot of people upload their track, but they don't go in and specify the surface type and things like bike vs. pedestrian only. Taking a couple of minutes to "perfect" the data at the time of contribution saves sooooo much work of going back and setting it later. I have been editing the trails in my area that have been entered and updating their surface, and it has been a long slow process because no one did it to start with. To be useful, people need to be able to know if it's a paved county bike trail or little deer path in the woods.

 

Also... There are programs that do auto-routing on bike paths now, so it is important that you properly connect, or not connect, trails to each other, or to roads.

 

I find that many in the OSM community have a different take. They are more like "do what you can". I guess they want to get more people involved and want to keep the intimidation factor down of needing to know how to comply with things like auto-routing, at least in the beginning. I would encourage folks new to OSM, especially coming from our geocaching community, to track their hikes/bikes and learn first how to upload them to the site. This is great for folks like me that may use their tracks to zero in on trail placements when averaged with my tracks. Then new folks should place some ways and points. If there is incorrect or missing infomation, more experienced people may come along and make corrections. I've done this and don't find it frustrating at all. Adding things, like trails in the woods, with no other ways nearby to interfere with can be a great way to learn about editting OSM. I might not recommend trying to edit a pedestrain/bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge on your first day, for example.

 

That said, the cyclemap in the USA is really coming along. Lots of bright red, and light, dark, and dotted blue lines out there.

[7rxc]

I find that many in the OSM community have a different take. They are more like "do what you can". I guess they want to get more people involved and want to keep the intimidation factor down of needing to know how to comply with things like auto-routing, at least in the beginning. I would encourage folks new to OSM, especially coming from our geocaching community, to track their hikes/bikes and learn first how to upload them to the site. This is great for folks like me that may use their tracks to zero in on trail placements when averaged with my tracks. Then new folks should place some ways and points. If there is incorrect or missing infomation, more experienced people may come along and make corrections. I've done this and don't find it frustrating at all. Adding things, like trails in the woods, with no other ways nearby to interfere with can be a great way to learn about editting OSM. I might not recommend trying to edit a pedestrain/bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge on your first day, for example.

 

That said, the cyclemap in the USA is really coming along. Lots of bright red, and light, dark, and dotted blue lines out there.

 

"do what you can" certainly seems to be good advice. I've only just started to play, have been getting started in P2 and find it a bit of a pain, but I am getting the hang of some of it. Decided I better look a JOSM, since I can see that I'm not going to be content with P2. All I can say is that there is a steep learning curve, which is fine. One really has to work at the tutorials in a few cases... I find them hard to hear and hate people that let the cursor fly all over the screen back and forth so fast you can't follow what they are doing. The do need some quality control there I think. In another topic today I saw the correct comment that one really should not have 'experts' explaining things to 'newbies'. Experts tend to assume that newbies are as familiar with the topic as they are. Anyway, the local maps here are starting to change, I've been adding names and correcting errors that are blatant, even added a few features. Working with it a bit is the best thing for doing it. One major feature that took me aback was the realization that the online map will only EVER show certain information that is added. Hard to learn what will show on the USER map, and what will be filed away for some other use. I may have not learned how to select the display right, but some of my adds show on the map and others don't, P2 doesn't seem to give the choice of at what 'range' things show up either, perhaps it's the range at which you created something... seems to change moment to moment. That's one of the reasons for starting to learn the JOSM stuff. It's just something that has to get learned though, another mapping software. Probably a fun 'game' in it's own right!

 

Doug 7rxc

[majormajor42]

You know, I hear good things about JOSM. I've been doing OSM edits here and there for several years now. I tried it once and you are right about the initial steep learning curve. But the main reason I don't use JOSM is that I can't install the program to my computer at work. So Potlatch remains the one I use most often.

 

I agree with what you are saying about what shows up on the map and what does not. Things like surface type will only show up on a special map that someone might have created to show those type of features. I don't bike that often but it might be good to know, as Sky King was pointing out, what type of surface a bike trail is before you get there. Does the cycle map show it? Maybe there is another custom bike map that only shows certain surface types. AFAIK, the two quickest ways of finding out a surface type is to zoom way in on the trail and hit the data overlay box and click that 'way'. The other way is to hit the edit tab in potlatch and see what it is.

 

When adding hiking trails to OSM I often times put the trail blaze color in the title of the trail. I think there may be tag for putting color but what good is that really if you are in the woods and want to verify you are where you think you are. Once again, that trail blaze color tag might be good info on a new custom hiking map designed for that purpose. But for now, on the maps that we are using for the most part, that info will only display if I put it in the title.

 

Sometimes, trail blaze color will be the only title info I have. In small parks, the trail might not have a proper name. But in other cases, a trail might have a name and a blaze. I might title it "Willow Trail - white" or something like that. But this brings up another issue. How do I know that the name of the trail is "Willow Trail"? Was there a sign in the woods that pointed this out to me, great. But if the only way I know that the trail has that name is by reading a copyrighted map that I bought, then I am hesitant to put that info on OSM. I have sought guidance about this from the OSM community in the past and received mixed advice. I also support my local trail conferences that spend resources on publishing their maps and encourage other local avid hikers to purchase those maps or support the conference. But I also want to put the trails that I hike and track/trace on the OSM map. Now that geocaching and OSM are so intertwined, maybe I'll get some input from someone here who I know works closely with the local TC.

Edited February 28, 2012 by majormajor42

[+briansnat]

But this brings up another issue. How do I know that the name of the trail is "Willow Trail"? Was there a sign in the woods that pointed this out to me, great. But if the only way I know that the trail has that name is by reading a copyrighted map that I bought, then I am hesitant to put that info on OSM. I have sought guidance about this from the OSM community in the past and received mixed advice. I also support my local trail conferences that spend resources on publishing their maps and encourage other local avid hikers to purchase those maps or support the conference. But I also want to put the trails that I hike and track/trace on the OSM map. Now that geocaching and OSM are so intertwined, maybe I'll get some input from someone here who I know works closely with the local TC.

 

I'm no copyright expert, but I don't see trail names as copyrighted. Though a local trail organization may build and name the trails the names are public knowledge. I really don't see a reason not to use them if the name is known. If you were using their copyrighted maps there might be an issue.

 

When I first started geocaching I sometimes scanned and posted the trail map of the area on my cache page. Someone from the organization that created the maps pointed out to me that doing that might be a copyright issue, and I agreed and stopped doing it. But trail names? Some have been named by the parks, some of the names were just accepted over time and some have been named by the people who built the trails in concert with the parks, but I don't believe they actually own the copyright to the name. Even if they did I can't imagine an objection to using names.

 

As an example, imagine that you wrote a newspaper article or posted to a blog about a hike. Mentioning that you started on the "Rocky Trail" and turned left on the "Overlook Trail" shouldn't be an issue. Now if you scanned and published the copyrighted maps and included them with your article or blog, THEN you are probably infringing on the copyright.

 

Of course there may be a copyright attorney lurking here who will tell me that I'm totally off base.

[7rxc]

Of course the use of information is a really varying topic, since many countries have their own versions of copyright in addition to the International flavour.

 

Myself, I'd agree that if the name is in common local use then it would be fair game to use. A bigger concern is where there is a LOCAL (popular name) that is different from the Official Name(s). I can think of another area I used to live where there were in fact several of each. I can think of two from the non-native community (one old timers and one younger), one from the local Native community, (two if you count the English and Native language names), one on the Regional Maps as official name and one on the Federal National Topographic Maps. Repeat several times. Which one is the right one to use? Beats me, but since you have to talk to the locals, I lean that way, but then you have to ask WHICH locals. So far I go with the local tourist maps. But since I'm a map junkie, I'm aware of the options some of the time.

 

On a different thread, I made comments about things that needed to be included in the process for the OPEN experiment to work well at an execution level. I've been reading steadily since that time, and have been pleased greatly to find that almost everything I mentioned has been addressed, and I suspect that the rest (maybe more) has been addressed as well. That is really good news.

Especially the 'conflict' resolution aspect.

 

One last point about 'fair use' of copy righted materials... I'm a bit out of touch with the current rules, but there used to be a rule about using a small percentage (either photo copying or some other media) in documents. The crunch was the amount, and the requirement for proper accreditation (often consent as well) of the source. I'm guessing all that would be viewed in the light of whether the material was for profit or simply in a game type situation. Regardless it is a serious matter these days.

I see that in OSM, they have limited permissions to trace from certain sources, but definite prohibitions from others. Fair enough.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+dakboy]

But this brings up another issue. How do I know that the name of the trail is "Willow Trail"? Was there a sign in the woods that pointed this out to me, great. But if the only way I know that the trail has that name is by reading a copyrighted map that I bought, then I am hesitant to put that info on OSM. I have sought guidance about this from the OSM community in the past and received mixed advice. I also support my local trail conferences that spend resources on publishing their maps and encourage other local avid hikers to purchase those maps or support the conference. But I also want to put the trails that I hike and track/trace on the OSM map. Now that geocaching and OSM are so intertwined, maybe I'll get some input from someone here who I know works closely with the local TC.

 

I'm no copyright expert, but I don't see trail names as copyrighted. Though a local trail organization may build and name the trails the names are public knowledge. I really don't see a reason not to use them if the name is known. If you were using their copyrighted maps there might be an issue.

 

In the US, you can't copyright facts. You can, however, copyright the manner in which those facts are presented. IIRC, a baseball box score is fair game - it's facts about the events that occurred during the game. A written (prose) recap of the game, that's copyrighted material. One could probably make a good argument that trail names, much like street names, are "facts" and therefore you're OK.

[majormajor42]

Thank you for the replies Brian, Doug, and Dakboy about my little slightly off-topic concern. The comments were reassuring.

 

It's a special feeling seeing a cache in the middle of the woods on a map/satellite and then zooming in on the OSM and seeing a series of trails zig zagging their way right up to the cache. for me, just as geocaching gives a little purpose to getting off the sofa and outside into the woods, so does tracking for the purpose of OSM editting. And there is still so much parkland within an hours drive of me that is unmapped (and unfound caches for me too). Since I seem to be the most active trail editor in my area, it also makes for a simple way to see where I have hiked and not with just a glance at the map