The Mac equivalent has anti-aliasing (optionally anyway). I'm not sure Windows has a direct version, it can show a portion of the screen zoomed in in another window, but that's not so useful.

Really this is something that the editors should be able to zoom themselves - if a 'real' zoom level isn't available for the layer, fake it by magnifying it...

The Mac equivalent has anti-aliasing (optionally anyway). I'm not sure Windows has a direct version, it can show a portion of the screen zoomed in in another window, but that's not so useful.

Really this is something that the editors should be able to zoom themselves - if a 'real' zoom level isn't available for the layer, fake it by magnifying it...

Well, I certainly think that the current rendering for OSM are not well suited to rural areas. I like Ordinance Survey's renderings, and I'd like similar options available for OSM. I'm not sure this is feasible with the renderers available though.

Looking at Free-Map it uses osmarender by the looks of it, which unfortunately makes the resulting maps rather ugly!

I think it's certainly valid to have a separate rendering targeted at rural areas. Ordinance Survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 are poorly suited to urban areas (lacking street names for example), while A-Zs are ideal. I think OSM is currently more of an A-Z or route planner. To attempt to go walking in an area you don't know with OSM currently would be frustrating.

Footpaths on Osmarenderer for example are rendered as being almost roads, rendering them as dashed lines makes more sense. Ditto with bridleways...

I generally find all online renderings rather ugly to varying degrees. I think OS maps are partly hand rendered - as in someone human guides the rendering to some extent (placing names in areas that aren't going to obscure important intersections for example). Perhaps OSM needs something like that - a layer above the raw data, to produce accurate, readable and pleasing maps!

The issue is that just because there's a path on the ground, it doesn't mean it's the right of way. Farmers often move paths from year to year to suit their fields (without permission or otherwise), or paths can get blocked and people find their own way around. I assume that OSM should be mapping the rights of way rather than the paths...

I've been on many walks that have ended up being impassable along the 'official' right of way, and equally I've walked on many footpaths that aren't rights of way (some being permissive, some just exist)...

Oops! I'm not sure what the protocol is here, but I'm sure someone can undo it for you... Maybe ask on IRC or the mailing list...

Impressive :) Pitty that the area to the North West is almost blank :|

I've added a list to the Devon talk page, of villages and towns in Devon. Not sure what the next step is, nor whether we can use the list legally...?

This morning, I've mapped a small area of rural Devon that I know pretty well, using the out of copyright maps. The maps are pretty good for rural areas, but not so good for towns as the detail just isn't there.

Luckily towns are feasible to do on foot or bike. I guess doing things roughly with the old maps, then verifying on the ground is the best method.

Donald, I'd be interested in joining such a mapping party.

I don't know if anyone has looked at publicising OSM on a local level and trying to get people involved. Using real-world advertising might be successful, but obviously it would have to be well targeted as very few people have the equipment necessary to take part.

Perhaps targeting walking groups etc would be one route to go down.

Alternatively, targeting schools etc, as way to learn about geography and map-making. I know I'd have loved to have done some OSMing while at school, and I think teachers would be keen on it too.

Neither route would get everything, but schools could probably map towns and villages easily (and safely). Walking groups could map some of the more obscure roads, but a fairly small percentage - I'd guess.

Well, I imagine the UK is better off than most places. How the hell will we ever map the real remote places of the world?

If you ask them both, they might come back with different answers and you'll be responsible for starting World War III.

It certainly looks like it could do with cleaning up. The village borders do somewhat clutter the map up...

highway=track, surface=sand. If you're feeling obsessive, you could use smoothness=[something] too. In my experience, cycling on sand is asking for trouble.

I've done a few I know of.

Generally, holding down shift in Potlatch does what you want. Shift click the middle of a way to add a new node. Shift click on the end node of a way to extend it, etc...

Indeed, you should never be adjusting the map data to make the renderer work correctly. As long as you follow the conventions for the data, the renderer should catch up. I imagine there's somewhere you can report such issues.

Looks good. Added a roundabout for you!

You may want to make each side of the avenues one way in the correct direction... Also, you can mark on the pedestrian/access roads for the buildings too, once you've got the basic roads in.

Here in the UK at least, we wouldn't generally map pavements/sidewalks. There's fairly reliable rules as to when they'll exist (e.g. not down motorways)... The only time I would map them is when their path significantly deviates from the route of the road (e.g. perhaps round a junction where a safe route has been made)...

An impressive piece of work! Wish I had the time (and a nearby unmapped area) to work on... Well done!

Well, as you've found you can do lots of stuff without a GPS receiver, but having one is a major advantage! Street names and POIs are important and can be done without GPS (to some extent anyway), assuming the roads are already mapped, of course.