Beginners Guide 1.3

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Creating/Editing OSM data

Beginners' guide

1. Join the community
2. Collect data
   • GPS
   • Tracing aerial imagery
3. Upload your GPS data
   • Save your files to GPX
   • Uploading GPS Data
4. Edit maps
   • General tips
   • Potlatch
   • JOSM
   • Downloading Into JOSM
   • First basic road
5. Edit data
   • Adding Tags
   • Uploading changes
6. See your edits live and start using the map
7. Additional help

OSM's data is made from the following elements:

• Nodes: The dots that are used to mark specific locations (such as a post box). Two or more nodes are used to draw line segments.
• Ways: A list of nodes, displayed as connected line segments. They are used to create roads, paths, etc.
• Closed Ways: Closed ways are ways that go in a complete loop. They are used to create "areas," such as parks, lakes, islands or buildings.
• Relations: When ways are linked but do not represent the same physical thing, a relation is used to describe the role of each way. Relations are used to create map features. such as cycling routes, turn restrictions and areas that are not contiguous. A long way, such as an interstate or a state highway with multiple segments, should be grouped into a relation for that highway. Another example is a national park with several locations that are separate from each other. These also should be grouped into a relation.

• Beginners Guide 1.3.1 - General tips about converting a GPS trace into a normal curved section of road

All these elements can carry tags, describing name, type of road etc.

Editors

You have a choice of two main editors:

1. Potlatch This is the easiest editor to get started with and is available directly from the 'edit' tab.
2. JOSM This one is more powerful than Potlatch and is preferred by many experienced contributors but needs to be downloaded separately and takes a bit more effort to get started with.

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