Filter dialog

Keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift+F — one of the JOSM windows

The filter dialog allows the user to temporarily disable certain types of objects based on one (or multiple) filters.

Filtered objects

• not selectable using selection tools (with few minor exceptions in #4929, comment 14)
• not returned during Search action
• will disappear from several menus until filters are disabled (example: Help/Dialog/SelectionList#SmalltriangleinSelectbutton)

Use cases

Simple usage is to enter single tag (or more complex expression similar to search) in "Text" column: objects complying with that text will be disabled.

More complex scenarios include filters as quick way to develop and test custom tagchecker rules (Extend JOSM).

Usability

• De-clutter main view by (de-)activating features only when you need them. This allows for easier editing in areas with densely located objects or infrastructure.
• Completely hide features you don't use
• Avoid unnecessary or accidental edits

Productivity

• Disable/separate objects that were fully tagged (using tag count and custom filters) from incomplete objects
• Disable recently modified objects (and it is irrelevant: if it modified by you or another person)
• Untagged objects untagged can be used instead of Notes at osm.org. It is faster than to set/remove fixme=resurvey - please don't overuse this principle

Filter window and columns

The filter lines are evaluated from top down, with respect to values in #Columns.

The E till I options are selected in the Filter box (normally at the right of your screen) by ticking the appropriate box.

Columns

• E (Enable): Enable or disable this filter line.
• H (Hide elements from main view): normally, all objects are disabled, but you can completely hide them:
  • disabled - visible and displayed as grey
  • hidden - the chosen objects are completely hidden
• Text: The search term or property that defines the objects that are filtered. Every search query from Search action is supported:
  • standard substring search (or exact search with "quotes")
  • Regular expressions (standard Java)
  • MapCSS syntax
• I (Inverse Filter): Normally, the specified objects are hidden and the rest is shown. If this option is activated, only the specified objects are shown and the rest is hidden.
• M (Filter Mode) - This mode selector defines how a filter is combined with the previous filter. This mode selector defines how a filter is combined with the previous filter.
  • A (replace selection) - most users want this, filters with this mode are independent of each other
  • R (replace selection) - effectively disable all filters above
  • D (remove from selection) - un-filter all elements matched
  • F (find in selection) - TODO

Examples

Filter text	Description or note
((landuse:|natural:|leisure:|building:) | (role:outer|role:inner))	Doesn't handle relations perfectly
shop=* opening_hours=*	shop= + opening_hours= tagged objects
shop=* name=*	shop= + name= tagged objects
type:node -shop=*	All nodes expect shops. Geometry modification using mouse move disabled, but possible using other modes (ex. - Improve Way Accuracy mode (W))
(type:node | type:way | type:relation) (modified | user:Steve)	Hide objects if you are the latest editor (useful during mass re-tagging and semi-mechanical edits)
-highway:	Everything except highway= tagged objecets
man_made=pipeline	Pipelines
natural=water	Water objects
admin_level:	Admin boundaries
boundary: | leisure: | landuse: | waterway: | amenity: | natural: | building:	De-clutters map, aggressive (sometimes you may want to keep buildings or amenity key)
type:node & untagged	Make it easier to select ways
modified	Quickly see your changes
child (type:way & highway:)	All nodes that's part of a highway
child (type:relation & (natural:|landuse:))	All natural and landuse areas formed by relations
-((highway | child highway | untagged | public_transport) & -(highway=footway | highway=path | highway=steps | highway=track))	Only roads for public transport. Good for mapping bus networks.

See also Help/Action/Search#Examples other examples. If you have some clever filters, add them here.

Filter warning

If any filter is active, a transparent message box will appear in the top right corner of main view.

It is only visible if at least one object was disabled or hidden.

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