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I'm looking to start a project. Not done any mapping before.

Wondering if the editing tools for OSM allow users to draw polygons on a new layer on a map that are linked and tagged across different categories. The polygons would ideally be able to be different colours and when selecting a particular tag, you would have the option to highlight all the other polygons on the map that share that tag, and also potentially bring up an info box with additional info as well as the tags/categories. Is this possible?

Thank you for any help.

asked 04 Mar '21, 12:10

Development%20of%20London's gravatar image

Development ...
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I think you might mix up a couple of things in your question (mapping, editors, drawing polygons, linking to categories, highlighting, ...). It does not become very clear what you are trying to achieve. Could you tell us a bit more what your project is about, what you want to do, what other users should be able to do? Private/public use? ...

(04 Mar '21, 12:57) TZorn

thanks for the reply. What I am trying to do is map out the development of London by building types and time periods. So I wanted to take a base map (the OSM humanitarian one looked quite clean and good) and draw several polygons on top of it for, for example, all London squares, or areas built by Thomas Cubitt or all Victorian industrial workers dwellings built by philanthropists like Peabody blocks etc. etc.

So 1) these things (buildings, spaces, areas etc.) would each have their own polygon overlaid onto the basemap, as and when they're identified in the city by me, and 2) the polygons would have tags that shows, for e.g. it relates or is seeking to show a neighbourhood built by Cubitt, and clicking on the tag will highlight all the other polygons tagged with (i.e. other areas built by) 'Thomas Cubitt' as identified on the map.

Additionally, as well as the tags themselves (for which I'd require multiple ones per polygon) I'd like to provide information on the building etc. and for e.g. link to wikipedia article or other resources. It is a personal project for now, but could become a resource were I to progress it far enough and make it worth making it public.

(04 Mar '21, 13:39) Development ...

I went on irc chat to ask and it sounds like umap might be the place to start (rather than iD or JOSM? which if i understand correctly relate to editing the OSM itself? which I'm not interested in) but I am not clear if umap has all the functionality I require. Sorry I posted my initial question on the understanding iD or JOSM is designed to to what I'm looking to do, but now it doesn't sound like it is, but am still unsure of next steps.

(04 Mar '21, 13:39) Development ...

uMap could solve some of the things you want to do. It will provide an OSM based background map. You can create different layers (e.g. one for Bubitt, one for xyz or by time period) and add polygons to them. You can turn on and off those layers separately. You can also add information to the objects that can be shown as tool-tip or pop-up when hovering over or clicking on an object.

I don't believe you can do what you are asking about clicking on tags and highlighting the other likewise tagged objects. Maybe you can achieve that with a bit of scripting using Leaflet or OpenLayers but I'm not expert on those.

And you are right about iD and JOSM. They are used to edit the underlying map data not for visualizing something on top of a map.

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answered 04 Mar '21, 13:51

TZorn's gravatar image

TZorn
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accept rate: 15%

edited 04 Mar '21, 13:52

thanks for the reply again. Noted re: what umap can and can't do, I will have to have a look at it and possibly research alternatives. I don't know anything about scripting etc. so not sure I will venture into that. The tagging and 'highlighting others with the same tags' is really key so rather than doing one layer for things tagged with the same tags, was looking to get everything on the same layer, but doing it by different layers may be the compromise needed if doing it across the same layer with the tagging/highlighting system means it will be too complex to do and require use of a complicated (for a non-expert) piece of software

(04 Mar '21, 14:15) Development ...
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question asked: 04 Mar '21, 12:10

question was seen: 863 times

last updated: 04 Mar '21, 14:15

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