| 5 | | A "node" is a point and a "way" is a line connecting multiple nodes, and a "relation" is an ordered sequence of ways. An "area" is a way whose ends are connected, but other than that isn't special. If a road or track or path is curved, it is approximated using a number of nodes within a way, and short lines connecting them. A way has a direction, which is useful for a number of tags, e.g. "oneway=yes" is a road which goes only in the direction the way is drawn. Other tags refer to being on the left and right; of the direction of travel along the way. |
| | 5 | A "node" is a point and a "way" is a line connecting multiple nodes, and a "relation" is an ordered sequence of ways. An "area" is a way whose ends are connected, but other than that isn't special. If a road or track or path is curved, it is approximated using a number of nodes within a way, and short lines connecting them. A way has a direction, which is useful for a number of tags, e.g. "oneway=yes" is a road which goes only in the direction the way is drawn. Other tags refer to being on the left and right; of the direction of travel along the way. |
| 13 | | An alternative is to download existing GPX points from the OSM server. In order to start this process you will need to know the latitude and longitude coordinates of the relevant area. The easiest way to do this is to visit the [http://www.openstreetmap.org/index.html map] and to zoom in to the area you are interested in, then to move the mouse over the View tab, and copy the resulting link. You will need to have zoomed in to a fairly small area, in residential areas where there is a lot of existing OSM activity you will need to be at a zoom level of 12, other less dense areas will probably be able to be downloaded at zoom level 14. Once you have copied the OSM link ( which will look something like {{{http://www.openstreetmap.org/index.html?lat=50.687181128986&lon=-1.0795289310465817&zoom=14}}}) you can then paste this into the "URL from open streetmap.org box on the JOSM [wiki:Help/Action/Download download option]. |
| | 13 | Your next step should be to download some data. If you have a GPX file (downloaded from your GPS receiver) for the area of interest, load it into JOSM (File/Open). That will show you the area of the GPX file. Click on the green down arrow [[Image(source:trunk/images/download.png)]] to fetch the data from openstreetmap.org. |
| | 14 | |
| | 15 | An alternative is to download existing GPX points from the OSM server. In order to start this process you will need to know the latitude and longitude coordinates of the relevant area. The easiest way to do this is to use the download dialogues slippy map in the first tab. You can browse this map, zoom in and out and mark the area you're interested in. [wiki:Help/Action/Download Read more on the download dialogue]. |
| 17 | | The first step of actual editing is to add a node to the OSM data where there will be a |
| 18 | | junction or a significant change in direction. To add a |
| 19 | | node, highlight the node button, either by clicking the 3rd button in the |
| 20 | | left menu bar, or by hitting the "A" key on the keyboard (the 3rd button |
| 21 | | should then be highlighted). Move the mouse cursor over your GPS track, and |
| 22 | | left click it wherever you want a node to be. A white dot (a selected node) |
| 23 | | should appear, and as you create subsequent nodes the earlier nodes will be |
| 24 | | shown as red dots. |
| | 19 | The first step of actual editing is to add a node to the OSM data where there will be a junction or a significant change in direction. To add a node, highlight the node button, either by clicking the 2nd button in the left menu bar, or by hitting the "A" key on the keyboard (the 2nd button should then be highlighted). Move the mouse cursor over your GPS track, and left click it wherever you want a node to be. A white dot (a selected node) should appear and a rubberline span from that dot to the mouse cursor. As you create subsequent nodes the earlier nodes will be shown as red dots. |
| 28 | | Ways on their own are not much use unless they are tagged to say what they |
| 29 | | represent. [http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Map_features Map Features] shows all the current |
| 30 | | key value pairs which could be used on a way. Ensure the "properties" |
| 31 | | window is open on the Right hand side of JOSM, the 10th button on the left |
| 32 | | ( a hand pointing to a box) should be highlighted, if not click the button |
| 33 | | or hit "Alt+P". On the Right hand side of JOSM there should be a properties |
| 34 | | window, it will have a "plus" sign with add next to it, then edit, then |
| 35 | | delete. Ensure your new way is highlighted, then click the "add" button, a |
| 36 | | dialog box will appear and you will be asked to select a key and a value. |
| 37 | | Type in the key/value pair which represents the way you are creating, eg for |
| 38 | | the key type "highway" without the quotes, and for value type "secondary" |
| 39 | | again without the quotes. then click OK. You have now tagged your way. |
| | 23 | Ways on their own are not of much use unless they are tagged to say what they represent. [http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Map_features Map Features] shows all the current key value pairs which could be used on a way. Ensure the properties |
| | 24 | pane is open on the right hand side of JOSM, the 8th button on the left (an icon with a wrench over a document) should be highlighted, if not click the button or hit "Alt+Shift+P". That properties pane has three buttons: a plus sign with "add" next to it, then "edit", then "delete". |
| 41 | | If you are happy with all that you have done then you need to upload this to |
| 42 | | OSM server. Click on the green up arrow [[Image(source:trunk/images/upload.png)]]. |
| | 26 | Editing properties refers to all the currently selected, i.e. highlighted, elements (nodes and ways). To select anything you must be in select mode which can be switched into by clicking the first of the left hand icons or hitting the "S" key. Ensure your new way is highlighted, then click the "add" button, a dialog box will appear and you will be asked to select a key and a value. Type in the key/value pair which represents the way you are creating, e.g. for the key type "highway" without the quotes, and for value type "secondary" again without the quotes. Now click OK. You have now tagged your way. |
| | 27 | |
| | 28 | == Uploading to OSM == |
| | 29 | If you are happy with all that you have done then you need to upload this to OSM server. Click on the green up arrow [[Image(source:trunk/images/upload.png)]]. |
| | 30 | |
| | 31 | JOSM now performs a quick check on the data you're about to upload. If it finds warnings or errors you'll be presented a list of them. Click "No" if you decide to fix these problems and try again afterwards. Otherwise click "Yes". |
| | 32 | |
| | 33 | Finally JOSM will present you a list of changed or newly created elements for reviewing it. You're also asked to provide a short freetext summary of you're edits. This description will be saved with your data on the server and serves information purposes like for example the [http://openstreetmap.org/browse Recent Changes list]. |
| | 34 | |
| | 35 | With your final click on "submit changes" your data will be uploaded and visible for everyone else. |
| | 36 | |
| | 37 | Please be careful with editing and uploading data. When in doubt if everything is ok, rather refrain from uploading and save the area locally on disk to check back to it later. |
| | 38 | |
| | 39 | There is no simple answer to the question when and how often to upload. You neither should edit the whole day and then upload everything at one nor upload every minute after adding a way. The former to keep data in memory small, make uploads faster and minimize the risk of your edits colliding with someone else editing the same ways in the same area. |
| | 40 | The latter to minimize the overhead each upload poses on the server in means of CPU time and also database size since each change also means processing and saving some meta information. |
| | 41 | |
| | 42 | If possible group your edits. In logical as well as in geographically units, this also makes it easier to give a good upload summary. |
| | 43 | |
