OpenStreetMap
Using drawing tablets to improve mapping productivity
Posted by EnumMapper on 20 ივნისი 2023 in English.Recently I purchased a Wacom One drawing tablet. It’s basically a digital pen that acts as a mouse. Using FastDraw in JOSM, this can boost mapping efficiency significantly, especially when drawing curves.
Demo
- Drawing highways: https://vimeo.com/838058803
- Drawing mountain woods: https://vimeo.com/838063094
Discussion
Comment from SherbetS on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
How well does panning the map work?
Comment from EnumMapper on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
It works well. In practice my left hand is on the left Ctrl key and right hand holding the pen. When I need to pan the map, I hold Ctrl and move the pen (that’s equal to moving the mouse with right key down).
Comment from ceyu on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
It seems like it takes longer to draw straight segments with few nodes. Maybe you could draw the straight segments just like the curves and then use the way simplification tool (Shift + Y) to get rid of superfluous nodes?
Comment from JIBEC on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
It makes sense to use this, but the first video shows a lot of points outside of the path. Which is not a good example for newcomers :p
You’ll still have to use the W shortcut to edit the path, the mouse to select a group of points to move them. It is an interesting technic anyway, it may be more efficient for some people.
Thanks for sharing it
Comment from EnumMapper on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
@ceyu It seems like it takes longer to draw straight segments with few nodes. Maybe you could draw the straight segments just like the curves and then use the way simplification tool (Shift + Y) to get rid of superfluous nodes?
Indeed to draw straight lines mouse and keyboard are still the best. Actually with FastDraw it can automatically simplify the superfluous nodes!
Comment from EnumMapper on %დ %თ %წ at %ს:%წ
@JIBEC Yes I’m still getting used to it :) It’s not a very precise tool so might need some post-editing on the lines :)