This page is more or less an incomplete copy of https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/JOSM/Plugins/FastDraw.

Fast Draw - creating lines with mouse or pen

Suggested usage - tracing forests, rivers, lakes, twisted roads etc. Without clicking A button or left mouse click too much.

Please use simplification and validator! Do not upload huge and self-intersecting lines.

Usage with streams

Drawing mode:

1. Enter the drawing mode, click pen toolbar icon (or Shift+F). Icon will be set to cross.
2. Point cursor at starting position. Move mouse. Press or hold: Spacebar or left mouse button - when you want to add more nodes. Icon will we switched to (icon: cross with 3 nodes), it means that nodes will be added.
   (please read sections below for all details)

Automatic simplification:

3. Enter. shape will be automatically simplified with respect to fixed nodes (to reduce number of nodes).
   (please read section below for all details)
4. (optionally) fine tune simplification using Up or Down buttons.
5. Enter again. Regular OSM way is created and selected.

Shortcuts and drawing mode

This sections covers step 1-2 in detail:

• You can move nodes simply by dragging them
• Backspace - to delete one of previous nodes sequentially
• Ctrl+Click on free node makes it fixed (icon: a green dot) - that will not be affected by simplification; you may use it for corners or other significant parts of shape but this is not required
• If you point cross cursor over node that was entered by other JOSM tools, it will be added as fixed node
• Ctrl+Click on fixed node (icon: a green dot inside red dot) - makes it normal node
• Shift+Click (icon: red cross) - to delete selected node
• Shift+Click (icon: red cross) - can also used to delete sequence of insignificant nodes between two fixed nodes; it will be highlighted in blue. After you removed a segment, you will enter redrawing mode, a segment that is currently redrawn will be displayed in yellow:
• - You can use other shortcuts as usual;
• - To finish redrawing and save new nodes of a segment press Shift+Click or Escape
• Ctrl+Shift+Click (icon: red cross) - will remove all nodes, tool will be ready to use again
• Escape - to stop editing (you will be prompted to save your edits)
• Click on the first node (icon: rectangle with red corners) - will create continuous contour

Если при включении FastDraw (Shift-F) выделена ровно одна свеженарисованная линия (ещё не загруженная на сервер, чтобы проблем не порождать), то можно редактировать её, нажав T (Shift-F T). Ненужные точки будут удалены при сохранении линии (Enter-Enter). Осторожно - теги сбрасываются. Ctrl-Z работает. Может пригодиться для упрощения полученных другим путём линий (треки и т. д.) или для повторного упрощения с другими параметрами.

Automatic simplification

This sections covers step 3-4 in detail:

• Up/Down - will multiply current value by epsilon multiplier (fastdraw.epsilonmult)
• Starting value of epsilon (fastdraw.startingEps) set in Configuration menu
• Current value of epsilon displayed in the status bar
• Algorithm will repeat until there fastdraw.pkmblocksize nodes in a way and while (number of nodes)/(length of a way) is above "Max points count per 1 km" (fastdraw.maxpkm)
• epsilon value and starting epsilon value depends on current pixel sizes

Configuration menu (Q)

"Snap to nodes" - "Add fixed points on click" - "Add fixed points on spacebar" - "Draw closed polygons only" - "Allow edit existing ways" -

Advanced Preferences

fastdraw.pkmblocksize - not shown in menu to end user (read above)

See also

• ​Russian discussion in 08-2011