I see that we can add a note using the URL “https://www.openstreetmap.org/note/new#map=17/[lat]/[lng]&layers=N”
Two questions: (1) is the 17 in this example a zoom number? If so how is it used?
More importantly (2) I would like my app users to choose between a small set of pre-prepared messages, rather than type on a phone screen (sometimes outdoors in poor weather). Messages would be something like “Cycling is prohibited on this path” or “This is a private road”.
Is it possible to add such a message to the URL?
(I tried adding “&message=Cycling prohibited on this road” without success).
Thanks
Chris
Here’s what you need I think: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/API_v0.6#Map_Notes_API
Just to be clear, that page is maintained independently of the OSM API itself, but should be good enough to get you started.
I wouldn’t get carried away adding “lots of instances of the same note”. A number of apps have done that in the past (e.g. around speed limits) and the resulting notes aren’t actionable, annoy mappers and just tend to get resolved with no action taken.
Ask yourself "am I capturing enough information to allow an OSM mapper to update the map? In the case of “Cycling is prohibited on this path” some context as to “why” would be useful, and the start and end of the prohibited section would be needed.
Thanks @SomeoneElse. I have also found the API this evening. It looks nice and easy to use but unfortunately it’s produced class dependency conflicts which I need to resolve, so haven’t used it yet.
I understand your point. The main use would be for the reporting person to action the results when they are back in front of a proper screen and keyboard.
I can fine-tune the reasons. Also, I have enough info to define the ends of the track pointed to.
I am trying to help with the issue I found earlier: https://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewtopic.php?id=71243 - there are too many generic paths on OSM which aren’t marked as footpaths when they should be.
I tend to use a Garmin handleld for that (and wrote https://github.com/SomeoneElseOSM/Notes01 to convert OSM notes and fixmes into Garmin waypoints). On a phone, something like “Osmtracker for Android” https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmtracker&hl=en_US&gl=US might be worth a look - that allows you to create a GPX track with all the collected information in waypoints, that you can then upload to OSM and use for guidance when editing the map.
I use Vespucci for this purpose as I found that I had some ‘fat-finger’ problems editing in the field. One advantage of Vespucci is that when home (or in past times, stopped for a coffee or a pint) most of the notes can be resolved immediately. I did ask for the ability to create notes even when not in edit mode, but you do need to be in edit mode. However by choosing a suitable obscure tag filter or preset you can effectively use it that way.
Both OSM Tracker & Vespucci allow geotagged photos to be taken which are also a useful way of taking notes.