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I'm a new user. I didn't find the FAQ and "hide + details" returns 281 answers but I didn't find the answer.

I read that OSM is generally better than Google Maps, so gave it a try today.

I prefer the way Google Maps displays maps because OSM shows too many details, such as houses on a city map.

Is there a way to tell OSM to show maps with fewer details, or is the only way to download the map, doctor it with an SVG application, and upload the map to my web site before giving users its URL?

Thank you.

asked 29 May '12, 11:32

Shohreh's gravatar image

Shohreh
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accept rate: 0%


There are many different online maps that use OSM data. If you want one that shows fewer details at each zoom level, perhaps have a look at Mapquest Open? There's a map using those tiles on the main OSM site too (move your mouse to the layer selector at the top right to find it).

permanent link

answered 29 May '12, 12:40

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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accept rate: 16%

edited 28 Dec '12, 11:18

Thanks for the tip. I use OSM's default Standard mode but it has way too many details for my needs. I'd like it to look like Google Maps.

Using Mapquest Open, I didn't find a city in the Paris suburbs that I found in OSM and Google Maps :-/ Is there a list of sites that use OSM data but show them differently?

(29 May '12, 12:53) Shohreh

There's a list here, but it's quite long...

(29 May '12, 12:55) SomeoneElse ♦

Does it mean that OSM has all the data, and the sites simply query the database with some parameters so that the maps are use-specific?

(29 May '12, 12:59) Shohreh
1

Yes - pretty much. Other sites mostly don't query the main database, though. The OSM "standard" layer is described a bit here, and actually uses a separate database to store the data from which the map is created - a process called rendering. The actual data is described a bit here, and smaller extracts are also available, e.g. from here. If you're interested in how things work together, have a look at the switch2osm site, particularly the "serving tiles" and "using tiles" sections.

(29 May '12, 13:38) SomeoneElse ♦

Thanks much for the infos. I'll try to find one that looks closer to Google Maps and includes heights so I know how steep the hills are when biking.

(29 May '12, 13:47) Shohreh

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question asked: 29 May '12, 11:32

question was seen: 5,161 times

last updated: 28 Dec '12, 11:18

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum