Using OpenStreetMap
From OpenStreetMap
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Many of these wiki pages are about how to contribute to OpenStreetMap (OSM). This page is about how to use the data we already have, to do useful things.
If you are using OSM data in other ways, please add some notes on this page to say how you did it, how easy it was, and any tips or problems you found.
For legal restrictions on the OSM data, see the OpenStreetMap License and Legal FAQ.
Viewing maps of your area online
The online "slippy map" is the standard way to view OSM maps, which is a JavaScript "AJAX" application that can load maps as required when you move around.
The information Freeway has a "slippy map" using tiles@home data. It is possible to update the tile for an area by zooming to level 12 and ctrl-clicking. The tile is then generated and the new tile is available within the hour.
Shortcuts to cities that have already been well-mapped are available at Places, and the helpfile is at Browsing. Low-res previews of some UK places are available [1].
Freemap is an alternative method to display OSM data, using a similar JavaScript interface.
Yet another approach is Osmabrowser, which provides an interactive online front end to Osmarender, as well as PNG rendering using Freemap. This is not "slippy" but is useful if you want to display a static map of, say, a town. In early stages of development.
MetaCarta Labs have created an add-on for NASA World Wind and online map viewer.
Generating map images
Mapnik is the main rendering program, used for OSM's front-page maps
Osmarender is a program to produce high-quality graphical output from OSM data, suitable for printing, or for displaying on a website.
Displaying a map on your computer without an internet connection
Editors
JOSM edits OpenStreetMap data and is also capable of working with offline data. (Requires Java 1.5.)
Another editor, Merkaartor, can do the same.
Kosmos
Kosmos is a lightweight map rendering engine which is able to display OpenStreetMap maps interactively or through a web browser. It is available on Windows systems.
Displaying your current position on a laptop
- RoadNav will display OSM data, either downloading it from the internet, or from an .OSM file.
- GpsDrive is the standard Linux software for showing your position on a moving map, written in C and using GTK+.
- NavSys is a similar program (in Python) for displaying maps.
- OpenCITT is an in-car entertainment system capable of displaying OSM data
- Mapper
- Pyroute
- NaviPOWM: Displays current position on the map. Saves received GPS data to file.
Displaying streets on a handheld GPS
- One project is explained at OSM Map On Garmin
Displaying streets on a Windows PDA
- How to use the data in the OziexplorerCE Oziexplorer
- Run.GPS directly downloads, caches and displays OpenStreetMap in map view and navigation view.
- NaviPOWM: Displays current position on the map. Saves received GPS data to file.
please refer also to WinPDA
Displaying streets on a mobile phone
- Mobile GMaps is popular downloadable free Java Mobile application which supports OpenStreetMap base maps, among several other sources. There is also commercial SDK available based on this, from Nutiteq
- www.digitalmobilemap.com Java app, Provides digital city street map application for phone. The application supports routable maps and use A* algorithm for AutoRouting
- GpsMid - Java app, http://gpsmid.sourceforge.net/
- Maemo mapper - Symbian, Nokia internet table (770, N800, N810)
- gpsVP
- MapNav
- tangoGPS - Openmoko (Neo 1973/FreeRunner)
- mom
Route finding
For more detail see Routing
- Gosmore can do routing from OSM data
- Roadnav has advanced routing capabilities, and the experimental builds have included support for OSM data, although it is still in alpha. [2]
- Navit has a routing engine and uses a commercial map, but there is (incomplete) support for openstreetmap
For programmers
The main place to download data in bulk is Planet.osm, an XML file (2.3 GB compressed and steadily growing) containing the monthly release of all nodes and ways.
We also provide a protocol for accessing the data directly, but its use for bulk data extracts of large areas is discouraged due to load on the OSM servers
Using the map tiles
See tiles@home/APIs
Browser Extensions
Making an OpenStreetMap handler for Operator documents the process of creating a new handler for the geo microformat for the Operator extension for Firefox.
See also
- Neat Stuff, interesting ways in which OSM data is being used.
- Map displays, software showing your current location on a map
- OpenTrail, walking(hiking) software
