Editing an Exisiting Building

openstreetmap . org/edit#map=18/53.449012/-113.566706

The existing building marked Devonshire - is actually 3 interconnected buildings with 3 different addresses and names. How do you split an existing building? I’ve attached a screenshot with the splits marked in yellow.

Thanks

From what I can see in satellite, 3D models, and street level imagery, it seems this building truly is one large building. If there are 3 elements within this building, the common practice is to mark each as nodes not on the building itself.

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There’s an easy way to do it in JOSM, but it looks like that’s not available in iD.

Hello and welcome Gecko,
it seems splitting buildings in the iD editor is quite hard for beginners (see: Splitting a Building with iD)
Though to my knowledge I would say that @GA_Kevin is right and since it all shares one roof and foundation I would indeed classify it as one building, too.
The easy way is to add nodes inside this building, that contain all the information differentiating the different parts. If you want to go the route of really denoting where one part ends and the other begins, you can use building:parts(Key:building:part - OpenStreetMap Wiki). The latter workflow would mean making a new area and tracing the outline of the big building until you reach the line of separation. That way you would have 3 areas that you can give different information.
(To make the latter easier, I would remove some points from the curves, since they are excessively accurate (I could prep this for you in JOSM if you want))
(Also the whole building seems out of place since ESRI are the ones with orthogonal imagery, so I’d use that)

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As most things OSM, there’s a different option, which isn’t that difficult!

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Neat workaround, at that point I would have probably started up JOSM, but nice for all those who don’t want to get into JOSM (yet).

To me it looks like several buildings (maybe 3 or 4) directly attached to each other. If that is so splitting them in iD is not that very complicated as it looks:

Split1

  1. Remove the building tag to make it a simple outline
  2. Cut the line 4 times on closeby nodes (you can add auxiliary nodes if necessary)
  3. Remove the short sections to separate the 2 outlines
  4. Close the gaps in both sections
  5. Give both outlines the building tag
  6. Connect the 2 buildings to each other if applicable

In the example there is a step 4a becaus iD cut the upper outline into 2 pieces (this happens sometimes by unknown reason) which you have to rejoin before continuing with step 5.

The whole action does not take more than a minute.

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This is great! Thanks

Follow-up question - When I remove the building tag how to I tag it as a simple outline. It won’t let me save without a new tag.

Thanks

When you remove the building tag it automatically becomes a simple outline without any tags (the editor shows that by removing the red line shade, just leaving a white line).

After finishing the split and before you save your change, you must give both of the now separated outlines the building tag back (see step 5), otherwise the editor will issue an error message.

While others have given you examples of how to get this done in ID…

In JOSM, this really is just a simple Alt+X after you install the helpful “UtilsPlugin2” JOSM plugin!

See an explanation+GIF of it in action in:

How to Split a Building in JOSM

0. Press A to get into “Draw” mode.

  • Or Mode > Draw.

1. Left-Click on one edge/node of the building.

2. Move the mouse and Left-Click on other edge/node of the building.

3. Press Alt+X.

  • Or More Tools > Split Object.

Done. :slight_smile:

And repeat 1–3 as many times as needed.

(To get this set up in JOSM, see the 2 tutorials I posted below.)


Side Note: I first began using it after manually splitting/“redrawing” many long rectangles of townhouses (or duplexes) into their individual houses.

(And this method really is so much better/faster than that current slow/clunky ID method.)

Now, I even have my extra mouse button set to Alt+X, so all I have to do is:

  • Draw line.
  • Click side-mouse button.

So I can split apart buildings as fast as I can do 3 clicks! :slight_smile:


How to install UtilsPlugin2 in JOSM

1. Edit > Preferences

2. Go to the “Plugins” tab.

3. Type utils into the search box.

4. Check the box ON next to utilsplugin2.

  • (As of today, it’s version 36362.)

5. Press OK button.

Now, close out of JOSM and reopen it from scratch.


Note: In order to more easily edit/open the location in JOSM, I also set up “Remote Control”.

This lets you easily just:

  • Visit the location on OSM.org.
    • For example, clicking on your forum link in Post #1.
  • You see that Green “Edit” button up top?
    • Click on the little dropdown next to it.
    • Press “Edit with Remote Control (JOSM, Potlatch, Merkaartor)”.

Now it’ll pop open that location in JOSM. You can then:

  • Do your edits in JOSM
  • Push the button to upload

and it’ll send all your changes back to OSM. :slight_smile:

How to set up “Remote Control” in JOSM

1. Edit > Preferences

2. Go to “Remote Control” tab.

3. Check the box ON for “Enable remote control”.

Then restart JOSM.

Now, all you have to do is:

  • Have JOSM open when you push that “Edit with Remote Control” green-button-dropdown

and it’ll automatically transfer the info to JOSM and load up that spot of the map.

Happy mapping! :slight_smile:

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