Talk:Key:marker

Why use location for markers?

The key location=* is usually applied to features which can be located underground or at least overhead. When would this every be needed for an infrastructure marker? I see there a few location=underground, but why import these? We won't be able to see them. Other values, other than "overground" (which is unnecessary) are "location=pavement", "location=grass", "location=green" - all these can be represented by mapping the grass, pavement or park. See http://overpass-turbo.eu/s/RbH --Jeisenbe (talk) 05:27, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

This tag is optional.

But, you're wright, it seem not useful. And location=underground have no sense.

--Pyrog (talk) 09:47, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

Often useless as markers are pretty always overground, but this was intended to prevent the afterwards invention of any new tag like fire_hydrant:position=* instead of location Fanfouer (talk) 15:35, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

Ok, so should it even be mentioned on this page? We try to mention tags that are 1) actually used in combination and 2) actually useful and verifiable. How about we say that location=overground is implied, so you don't need to add that tag? --Jeisenbe (talk) 02:11, 2 March 2020 (UTC)

Clarify use and meaning and purpose of the "position=" key

The description of position=* is quite confusing. I'm guessing that this information is being imported from some other database in a non-intuitive way, rather than being added from surveying markers in person? It's strange to have values like left, right, (meters) and (heading) all in the same key. How do we know if "2" or "10" is a distance or a heading? --Jeisenbe (talk) 05:30, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

One tag:

• position=1.1;;8.4;

Several tags:

• position:distance=8.4
• position:left=1.1

See Key:position

--Pyrog (talk) 09:33, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

I have already read Key:position but the text there is also unclear. Please explain the meaning of position=1.1;;8.4; for example. Are these numbers being imported from some external source? --Jeisenbe (talk) 09:44, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

This is a "comma" separated value:

First value is left, second right, third is distance (usually detpth), last is angle (usually nothing).

All "fields" are optionals.

File:Plaque de signalisation gaz en France 01.jpg

These values are not imported, just read on the plate.

• position=;;0.3;

--Pyrog (talk) 10:07, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

OK, thank you for the image example, but what do these numbers mean? --Jeisenbe (talk) 11:19, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

It mean that the device is 30 cm just below the plate.

In the previous example, this a fire hydrant (H), 1.1 m left and 8.4 m below the plate.

--Pyrog (talk) 12:43, 1 March 2020 (UTC)

By "below" you mean "behind", right? It's not 8.4 meters underground. --Jeisenbe (talk) 02:46, 2 March 2020 (UTC)

What about incomplete markers?

I recently discovered a marker that was broken and thus missing. Apparently other people have the same problem because marker=missing is used 47 times so far and there seems no other way to tag incomplete or missing markers.

Can we get an "official" solution for this problem? Martinum4 (talk) 00:57, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

broken:marker=*, damaged:marker=* or destroyed:marker=* ?

See Lifecycle prefix.

--Pyrog (talk) 06:18, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

+1 for lifecycle prefix instead of another marker=* value Fanfouer (talk) 21:54, 7 July 2020 (UTC)

flexible markers

many markers I see - water, other utility, survey - are of the flexible hard plastic type; there should be a provision for this. DougGrinbergs (talk) 18:55, 6 April 2021 (UTC)

IMHO it's a marker=post + material=plastic, this one may match to your situation Fanfouer (talk) 19:33, 6 April 2021 (UTC)

Paddle markers

Error creating thumbnail:

Paddle marker

The United States has many kinds of gas pipeline markers. My local utility uses six different kinds of markers. [1][2] One of these is a paddle marker, a rhombus-shaped sign on a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) post, tipping downward at the location of the pipeline. These markers serve the same function as marker=post but look quite different. They're installed in agricultural and natural areas for higher visibility amid crops and brush. [3] I've started tagging them as marker=paddle. – Minh Nguyễn ^💬 08:58, 15 May 2022 (UTC)

Hi @Minh Nguyen:, that's really interesting, I wasn't aware of this kind of markers thank you. marker=paddle sounds good, let's create a page Fanfouer (talk) 15:59, 29 May 2022 (UTC)

position:distance

I propose to change from position:distance to position:forward as its not the distance. Distance would be pythagoras of left/right and "forward". I made the same statement in the disussion page for marker:plate Flohoff (talk) 13:17, 26 June 2025 (UTC)

Why not, but should be discussed directly on position=*, shouldn't you? Fanfouer (talk) 14:40, 26 June 2025 (UTC)