Key:osmc:symbol
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Description |
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Machine-Readable representation of route symbol that is used as waymarker or on guideposts ![]() |
Group: properties |
Used on these elements |
Requires |
Useful combination |
See also |
Status: in use |
Tools for this tag |
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osmc:symbol=*
is machine readable equivalent of symbol=*
, both describe route symbol that is used as waymarker or on guideposts
Machine-Readable Description of Hiking Path Symbols
This renderer specific tag was invented to automatically render symbols for hiking and riding routes on the OSMC Reit- und Wanderkarte and is understood by the OSMC map generator for Garmin maps. The idea is to compose the symbol from different input graphics and text components. This tag is intended to be read by rendering software and, thus, completes rather than invalidates the symbol=*
tag which should contain a human-readable description of the symbol.
Mapping of this key has seen steady growth, and appears to have outgrown the original renderer specific purpose. Instead, it is used generically for a machine readable description of any trail blazing symbol for any renderer.
The basic syntax of the tag is:
osmc:symbol=waycolor:background:foreground:foreground2:text:textcolor
with the subparts:
- waycolor - Name of the color in which the route path itself should be painted. (Please note that the color white is not allowed on the OSMC map.)
- background - Graphics describing the background of the symbol. For most symbols a simple single-colored background will suffice but more complex patterns are allowed. (For example: use "white" for a simple white background)
- foreground (optional) - Main graphics of the symbol, generally a geometric figure and a color, e.g. "blue_bar". The image will be overlayed over the background image and should therefore be partly transparent. This field can be empty if a text symbol is used.
- foreground2 (optional) - A second foreground image can be used to depict multicolor markings or to repeat the symbol.
- text (optional) - Text to print over the symbol. This and textcolor may be omitted when not needed. For proper rendering it should not be longer than 3 letters. Prefer to use simple letters only, exotic ANSI/UTF-8 glyphs might not be supported by some tools and produce vastly different results.
- textcolor (optional) - Name of the color in which to print the text. Should always be present if a text is used.
Subparts can be left empty or may be left out if they are unneeded. The minimum configuration is a waycolor and either a foreground or some text and a background.
Restrictions on possible combinations
The very flexible basic syntax with many optional parts has some issues that have been discussed several times. For example, it's not always possible to clearly distinguish if a given part is a foreground or a text.
Therefore not every tool supports all possible combinations, e.g. in Waymarked Trails the background subpart must not be omitted (but can be left empty) and a text must always be preceded by a (possibly empty) foreground subpart.
In order to achieve that an osmc:symbol value can be understood correctly and rendered in a similar way on as many maps as possible, it was proposed to stick to the following restricted syntax, which is (as of June 2025) supported by all known tools:
waycolor:background[:foreground[:foreground][:text:textcolor]]]
This results in the following preferred options:
waycolor:background waycolor:background:foreground waycolor:background:foreground:foreground2 waycolor:background:foreground:text:textcolor waycolor:background:foreground:foreground2:text:textcolor
The missing option of a text without a foreground has been omitted to make the parts of the description uniquely identifiable. Note that this doesn't result in any restriction as an empty foreground can be added:
waycolor:background::text:textcolor
Other combinations might be found on existing objects and might be (partially) supported by the various applications.
Examples
osmc:symbol=green:white:green_bar
- a green path on map, symbolized with a rectangular white symbol containing a green bar and no text labelosmc:symbol=red:white:red_bar:FW:gray
- a red path on map, symbolized with a rectangular white symbol containing a red bar and a gray "FW" text labelosmc:symbol=black:black::X29:white
- a black path on map, symbolized with a rectangular black symbol containing a white "X29" label (short formblack:black:X29:white
(without foreground field/double colon) is suppoted by OSMC map, not by Waymarked Trails, see explanation)osmc:symbol=red:white:green_circle:1:black
- a red path on map, symbolized with a rectangular white background containing a small green foreground circle enclosing a black "1" text label; examples: OSMC, WT.osmc:symbol=red:red_circle
- a red path on map, symbolized with a red dot background (alternative:red::red_dot
, although the missing information about background shape will lead to differences in rendering)osmc:symbol=red:blue_round:red_dot
- a red path, symbolized by a red dot on a blue round background; examples: OSMC, WT.osmc:symbol=red:red_round:white_hiker
- a red path, symbolized by a white hiker on a red, round background; examples: OSMC, WT.osmc:symbol=green:black_circle:green_dot
- a green path, symbolized by a green dot on a round, black-framed background; examples: OSMC, WT.osmc:symbol=blue:blue:shell_modern
- blue way color, symbolized by a modern shell on blue background and no text label (alternative::blue:shell_modern
. There might be some issues if waycolor is missing. See discussion)osmc:symbol=green:white:yellow_bar:green_stripe
- a green path on map, symbolized with a rectangular white symbol containing a yellow bar and a green stripeosmc:symbol=blue:yellow:white_diamond:blue_diamond_right
- a blue path on map, marked with a diamond half white and half blue, on a yellow background
In order to be truly useful to renderers, the number of different values for the subparts should be kept small. Always try to approximate the symbol of your hiking route using existing values first. If you need a frequently used symbol you can suggest it on the discussion page.
Don't just add a osmc:symbol to a hiking route because it looks good on the map. osmc:symbol should always reflect the route symbol that is used as waymarker or on guideposts to give the direction.
Values
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These tables are currently outdated due to a major update of the values and varying support by different applications. Check this complete list of symbols on Wanderreitkarte and on Waymarked Trails. |
waycolor
Label background
simple | round | circle | frame | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
black | black | black_circle | |||
blue | blue | blue_circle | |||
brown | brown | ||||
green | green | green_round | green_frame | ||
orange | orange | ||||
purple | purple | ||||
red | red | red_round | red_circle | red_frame | |
white | white | white_round | white_circle | ||
yellow | yellow | yellow_circle | yellow_frame |
Label foreground
Shape | blue | yellow | red | green | black | white | orange |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
arch | red_arch | black_arch | white_arch | ||||
backslash | yellow_backslash | red_backslash | green_backslash | ||||
bar | blue_bar | yellow_bar | red_bar | green_bar | black_bar | white_bar | orange_bar |
bowl | blue_bowl | yellow_bowl | green_bowl | ||||
circle | blue_circle | yellow_circle | red_circle | green_circle | black_circle | white_circle | |
corner | blue_corner | yellow_corner | red_corner | green_corner | white_corner | ||
crest | red_crest | black_crest | |||||
cross | blue_cross | yellow_cross | red_cross | green_cross | black_cross | white_cross | |
diamond | blue_diamond | yellow_diamond | red_diamond | green_diamond | black_diamond | white_diamond | |
diamond line | white_diamond_line | orange_diamond_line | |||||
dot | blue_dot | yellow_dot | red_dot | green_dot | black_dot | white_dot | orange_dot |
drop | red_drop | ||||||
drop_line | red_drop_line | green_drop_line | |||||
fork | blue_fork | yellow_fork | red_fork | green_fork | black_fork | ||
hiker | hiker | white_hiker | |||||
horse | green_horse | black_horse | |||||
L | blue_L | yellow_L | red_L | green_L | |||
lower | blue_lower | yellow_lower | red_lower | green_lower | white_lower | ||
pointer | blue_pointer | yellow_pointer | red_pointer | green_pointer | black_pointer | white_pointer | |
rectangle | blue_rectangle | yellow_rectangle | red_rectangle | green_rectangle | black_rectangle | white_rectangle | |
rectangle line | yellow_rectangle_line | black_rectangle_line | white_rectangle_line | ||||
red diamond | black_red_diamond | white_red_diamond | |||||
right | blue_right | yellow_right | red_right | green_right | black_right | white_right | orange_right |
slash | blue_slash | yellow_slash | red_slash | green_slash | |||
stripe | blue_stripe | yellow_stripe | red_stripe | green_stripe | white_stripe | ||
triangle | blue_triangle | yellow_triangle | red_triangle | green_triangle | black_triangle | white_triangle | |
triangle line | green_triangle_line | black_triangle_line | white_triangle_line | ||||
triangle turned | blue_triangle_turned | red_triangle_turned | green_triangle_turned | ||||
turned T | blue_turned_T | yellow_turned_T | red_turned_T | green_turned_T | white_turned_T | ||
x | blue_x | yellow_x | red_x | green_x | white_x |
Other shapes
- shell_modern
- shell
- ammonit
- mine
- heart
- tower
- wolfshook
Label text color
black | blue | brown | green | orange | purple | red | gray | white | yellow |
Maps that show osmc:symbol
- Topografische Reit- und Wanderkarte
- Lonvia's World Hiking Map and Riding Map
- Hike & Bike Map (currently non-functional, displayed the Lonvia overlay)
- Mountain hiking trails in Romania
- Collection of hiking maps, optimized for mobile use
- OsmAnd - Route-colouring in extra map-layer
- OsmAPP – using MapTiler outdoor vector map with marked trails, both web and mobile
Tools
These are web-based tools to test osmc:symbol tagging without uploading to OSM:
Possible tagging mistakes
This Overpass query finds some osmc:symbol's that may not work in Waymarked Trails.
See also
symbol=*
- Human-Readable Description of Route Symbols that are used as waymarkers or on guidepostswiki:symbol=*
- OpenStreetMap Wiki Symbol References of Hiking Path Symbolstrailblazed=*
- Markings on outdoor paths and trails by signs, markers, poles, cairns or in another wayinformation=guidepost
- Used to mark a guidepost/signpostcolour=*
- The colour associated with the object