I want to add a few direction signs, so I looked at http://osm.mueschelsoft.de/destinationsign/example/index.htm to learn how to do it. What I found out that the data entries are often attached to an intersection node and not on the coordinates where the direction sign is physically situated. Is this the correct way or should a new node be placed at the correct coordinates and the appropriate relationships added? My own point of view is that OSM, being a map, should have the objects at the coordinates where they actually are situated! Does anybody know of a renderer that displays direction_sign (s)? JOSM doesn't! Please advise. asked 18 Jul '20, 19:16  dcp closed 19 Jul '20, 18:40 |
The question has been closed for the following reason “Other” by dcp 19 Jul ‘20, 18:40
One Answer:
While maps do frequently displace objects to aid legibility, OSM typically doesn't as that's a job for the renderer. OSM does however map many things where the effect takes place rather than where the sign is. See for example The most complete method for mapping destination signs is the destination relation which does have a role to identify node for the sign itself as well as the node for the intersection to which the sign refers. The sign node can itself be tagged as a traffic sign or a guidepost depending on its appearance. The latter is rendered by both JOSM and OSM carto. answered 18 Jul '20, 22:48  InsertUser |
That being said, relation:destination_sign is more often used on intersections, where different directions have different destinations.
While waiting for your useful comments I created my first direction_sign at node:
7727200367
based on https://www.mapillary.com/app/?lat=50.63313986923077&lng=6.938710121678322&z=17&pKey=Clk3BJdpSmzGpfHkHqk33g&focus=photo
The result can be seen here:
http://osm.mueschelsoft.de/destinationsign/example/index.htm#node=7727200367&namedroutes=1fromarrow=0&include_sgn=1&include_way=1&country=
I am not satisfied with the result, however, as the arrows are rendered to the compass angles and not to the direction sign itself; straight on, turn left, or turn right.
What I don't know: Am I doing something wrong or is mueschelsoft wrong in the rendering?
Incidently the node 7727200367 is not rendered in JOSM!
If I install the traffic_signs_EUR_OC map paint style, and add the tag
traffic_sign=DE:434it is rendered in JOSM (the closer suggestion DE:434-53 from this table doesn't appear to have an icon yet). The (new to me) Mueschelsoft site seems to take the departure way direction as the direction to show when ways are used in the relation, and the direction betweenintersection/fromandtoas the direction when nodes are used. The relation documentation allows multiplesignnodes for a singleintersectionandtoso it would be very difficult to show instructions to turn left/right outside of an app giving directions.I am no expert on these relations but I don't think the distances should be tagged on the relation if they are not shown on the sign. Ways are probably a little more 'stable' than node for the
toelement, but most software warns if you are about to break a relation by deleting something. Some of the relations that refer to 7727200367 also seem to define the intersection as from which seems a little odd.I am coming to the conclusion that I will not add any of the directio_sign (s) at the moment. There does not seem to be a well-defined tagging verification and rendering concept at the moment.
Another oddity: mueschelsoft determines the direction for the arrow direction from the direction of the way and not from what is defined in the relation.
e.g. direction_northwest is ignored if the way direction is SE.
I am closing this discussion and thank you all for you knowledge!