Update map resources for beginner

Michael56 · 2023-02-17T13:31:39.800Z

Greetings all:

I learned how to update a map (adding no existing routes/roads), how can I do this following changes to an existing map/route:

when a road splits in two, the route showing on the map is correct, but the exit number is wrong (I suspect the exit number was changed and never updated), how can I update this information? Is there any video explaining how to do it?
not sure if this is related to previous question, when a road splits in 2, the route shows correct, but there’s no warning which one to take.
I believe there’s an error with one of the routes I take occasionally, I suspect a new road was built but never updated (the warning said there’s a round about, and take exit Y, and there’s no such thing), to update is it the same as updating an non-existing road (just map it out on the editor? what about the previous road? can I see it on my editor?)

Thanks for your comment/suggestion.

Msiipola · 2023-02-19T08:12:13.843Z

Maybe there is a language barrier here (I’m Swedish), but there are several things in your text which I don’t understand:

“the route showing on the map is correct”. In what context? After you have uploaded your edit?
“the exit number is wrong”. What exit number? Where do you see this?
“the route shows correct, but there’s no warning which one to take.” What do you mean? Are you talking about a routing tool?
“I suspect a new road was built but never updated” Updated where?

It would be better if you explain what you want to do, and what problems you see in your editor and in others tools.

Michael56 · 2023-02-19T10:01:50.342Z

Thanks for your reply, sorry I did not explain well, it’s not in the editor, it’s when I use OSMand to drive. Hope now is clearer (I asked OSMand group in Google, they said the best way to add/change the map is through OSM editor, this is why it’s posted here). The answers are as follow:

“the route showing on the map is correct”. In what context? After you have uploaded your edit?
this has nothing to do with editor, I’m using OSMand to navigate (without edit/modification map), so when I go to navigation and enter my start and end point, the route showing is correct, but in the middle of the route, the road split in two, on the map it showed correct (taking the left road, but there’s no warning, and a driver unaware and kept on the right side of the road, will keep going on the right and miss the left turn.
“the exit number is wrong”. What exit number? Where do you see this?
the exit number is not showing on the map, it’s a voice warning to the driver to take exit number XYZ
“the route shows correct, but there’s no warning which one to take.” What do you mean? Are you talking about a routing tool?
this question is related to the first one, on this particular route, the road is split in 2 locations, the first one it did not say to take the left lane, on the second it said to take the right lane (the voice warning has to be activated in OSMand Navigation setting > voice)

Matija_Nalis · 2023-02-22T15:00:20.853Z

Michael56:

I asked OSMand group in Google, they said the best way to add/change the map is through OSM editor

Indeed, if the problem is in map data, then the solution is to update the map.
Anyone can learn to do it, see for example https://learnosm.org
If you go that route, feel free to ask for help when you get stuck. Or you can leave a Note when you notice situation on the ground is not correctly represented on the map, and hopefully someone will fix it.

Michael56:

this has nothing to do with editor, I’m using OSMand to navigate (without edit/modification map), so when I go to navigation and enter my start and end point, the route showing is correct, but in the middle of the route, the road split in two, on the map it showed correct (taking the left road, but there’s no warning, and a driver unaware and kept on the right side of the road, will keep going on the right and miss the left turn.

I see several possible causes:

data in OSM might be mapped incorrectly, e.g. routers will behave differently if it is mapped as one road with another forking from it, or if they are mapped as two different roads. In this case it some volunteer to fix it;
the map that OsmAnd shows, and the map OsmAnd uses for routing are different (OsmAnd is very powerful, but also very complex. E.g. you can use online maps for display which are very fresh, but it will use downloaded offline map for routing, which generally only updates once a month and requires you to remember to update it manually. Or it can use external routers with their own freshness policy, etc. If you’d like to try something simpler than OsmAnd, or want to check how alternatives behave, I’d recommend Organic Maps)
everything is mapped correctly and up-to-date, but OsmAnd app itself is not recognizing it should give a warning at that specific point. Then it is an OsmAnd issue, which can only be fixed there.

Michael56:

“the exit number is wrong”. What exit number? Where do you see this?
the exit number is not showing on the map, it’s a voice warning to the driver to take exit number XYZ

As far as I remember, OsmAnd uses that wording only when entering and exiting a roundabout, not on regular road splits. Can you give us exact point on the osm.org map where it happens (use share button with include marker enabled)? Along with instructions from which point to which point are you going when it doesn’t warn you? That way, we might be able to say which of the 3 possible causes above is the culprit.

Michael56 · 2023-02-23T07:43:15.486Z

Matija_Nalis:

Indeed, if the problem is in map data, then the solution is to update the map.
Anyone can learn to do it, see for example https://learnosm.org
If you go that route, feel free to ask for help when you get stuck. Or you can leave a Note when you notice situation on the ground is not correctly represented on the map, and hopefully someone will fix it.

Thanks for your reply, will take a look at it.

Matija_Nalis:

I see several possible causes:

data in OSM might be mapped incorrectly, e.g. routers will behave differently if it is mapped as one road with another forking from it, or if they are mapped as two different roads. In this case it some volunteer to fix it;

the map that OsmAnd shows, and the map OsmAnd uses for routing are different (OsmAnd is very powerful, but also very complex. E.g. you can use online maps for display which are very fresh, but it will use downloaded offline map for routing, which generally only updates once a month and requires you to remember to update it manually. Or it can use external routers with their own freshness policy, etc. If you’d like to try something simpler than OsmAnd, or want to check how alternatives behave, I’d recommend Organic Maps.

everything is mapped correctly and up-to-date, but OsmAnd app itself is not recognizing it should give a warning at that specific point. Then it is an OsmAnd issue, which can only be fixed there.

Will give it a try on OsmAnd support, thanks

Matija_Nalis:

As far as I remember, OsmAnd uses that wording only when entering and exiting a roundabout, not on regular road splits. Can you give us exact point on the osm.org map where it happens (use share button with include marker enabled)? Along with instructions from which point to which point are you going when it doesn’t warn you? That way, we might be able to say which of the 3 possible causes above is the culprit.

OK, will give it a try, as I’m new to edit, this might take some time to learn how to do it, will get back to you.
ps: when using share, do I post the link here? thanks

Vinzenz_Mai · 2023-02-23T08:51:06.564Z

Michael56:

OK, will give it a try, as I’m new to edit, this might take some time to learn how to do it, will get back to you.

It’s not that difficult

“Edit”
activate “Share”
activate “include marker”
position the marker
copy the link

iD-Share-with-marker1127×655 166 KB

Michael56:

when using share, do I post the link here?

exactly. With the direction instructions just as @Matija_Nalis said.

Matija_Nalis · 2023-02-23T15:28:01.212Z

Nice instructions there @Vinzenz_Mai, but that step 1. Edit should be skipped (it is wrong, would require account created, and would bring different menu on the side which would confuse further). So it is just:

activate “Share”
activate “include marker”
position the marker
copy the link

Michael56 · 2023-02-23T18:50:46.985Z

Vinzenz_Mai:

It’s not that difficult

“Edit”

activate “Share”

activate “include marker”

position the marker

copy the link

exactly. With the direction instructions just as @Matija_Nalis said.

Thanks so much for both for this detailed instructions, here are the links in OSM,

the exit number error, I found on the map exit 12A (there are 2 exits, 12A & 12B, 12A going to Barcelona (left lane) and 12B (right lane) to south Valencia, I’m going south and OsmAnd’s route was correct, going to right, but the voice said to take 12A, maybe it’s because there’s no 12B? Here’s the link of the marker
In this route, I can’t find a fork on the road, maybe this is the problem. Highway 31 split into A-7 & AP-7, to south Alicante, should take A-7 and north Alicante AP-7, OsmAnd does not warn (maybe there’s no fork marker), I’d like to learn if I have to add the fork, how do I add this fork and tell which one to take. I know it’s complicate, so if there’s a tutorial, I could learn from there. Here’s the link for the fork.
in this location, there’s also a fork, and OsmAnd warn correctly (to where I’m going, to keep on the left lane), but I can’t find the fork sign here, so why this one gave warning but 2) did not? Here’s the link for the fork.

Matija_Nalis · 2023-02-27T18:47:34.121Z

Michael56:

Thanks so much for both for this detailed instructions, here are the links in OSM,

Thanks, exactly what was needed! For documentation on motorway junctions, you should look at https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:highway=motorway_junction - it contains useful information on tagging, complete with examples.

Michael56:

the exit number error, I found on the map exit 12A (there are 2 exits, 12A & 12B, 12A going to Barcelona (left lane) and 12B (right lane) to south Valencia, I’m going south and OsmAnd’s route was correct, going to right, but the voice said to take 12A, maybe it’s because there’s no 12B? Here’s the link of the marker

Yes, looking at the map, right lane seems to miss junction:ref=12B. (OsmAnd announcing 12A is probably due to ref=12A on highway=motorway_junction itself and missing junction:ref=* on all forks - see wiki above).

Michael56:

In this route, I can’t find a fork on the road, maybe this is the problem. Highway 31 split into A-7 & AP-7, to south Alicante, should take A-7 and north Alicante AP-7, OsmAnd does not warn (maybe there’s no fork marker), I’d like to learn if I have to add the fork, how do I add this fork and tell which one to take. I know it’s complicate, so if there’s a tutorial, I could learn from there. Here’s the link for the fork .

Same thing. Both branches seem to miss junction:ref=* tag.

Michael56:

in this location, there’s also a fork, and OsmAnd warn correctly (to where I’m going, to keep on the left lane), but I can’t find the fork sign here, so why this one gave warning but 2) did not? Here’s the link for the fork .

Hmm, the actual fork is some two hundred meters to North-East from the location that you marked?
But anyway, while the forked ways indeed miss junction:ref=*, they have (proposed) destination:ref=* which OsmAnd probably uses as an alternative/additional tagging – see the wiki page linked at top of my message.

If you add tags as suggested in that wiki, OsmAnd and other apps should happily announce routes there.
(after you download updated maps of course - OsmAnd does it once a month. Note that while OsmAnd+ buyers or frequent editors with enabled OsmAnd editing plugin can subscribe to even hourly incremental map updates, those incremental updates are not perfect, so I wouldn’t count on them having same features as the full map).

That Wiki is searchable, so should be of help in the future with other problems too if you’re unsure what some tag does, or where should you put it.

If you’re still stuck, feel free to ask followup questions.

Happy mapping!