There are plugins that do this, but not for OSM (or JOSM).
I know of a (commercial) plugin for Google SketchUp (http://www.brainstormllc.com/) which extracts building dimensions from photos.
If you match points manually, SketchUp can do the same without a plugin.

But this will produce 3D buildings. I don't know of any tool that only extracts heights, sorry.

There is a Microsoft project (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynth) (available as a web service) which combines photos of different view angles into a point cloud. Also technically the same as what you ask for, but of no use for OSM, sorry.

What about making the current tile policy available via an API call? So any app can ask how much tiles and at what rate it is allowed to load. This gives OSM the possibility for fine grain control, even in real time, should the servers face a hard limit.

Any good behaving app will listen to those constraints, any apps who don't are really worth blocking.

Just remember: its not 'MOBAC' creating this load, and it's not 'MOBAC users', it's 'OSM users, who come via MOBAC'. We can't give more than we have, but they are just the same as the 'website users'.

Can't find anything wrong about the '4Euro App'. It clearly identifies itself with a valid User-agent string, it has a download limit in place, it offers alternate servers and the developer even donates large amounts to OSM. Also, as this doesn't get mentioned here, there is a free version of the app. You don't pay for the access to OSM data, that's all the same in the free version.

Seems like nobody talks to the author, and when, not in a very nice tone.
He actually is very cooperative. Why not find a solution together, instead of arguing and blocking without a notice to the dev?

@Richard I never said continuing as it is now is an option. I just said that banning external apps is none either.

That's more in the spirit: "First version of #Ubuntu #OpenStreetMap tile-server packages available! (German-HowTo with 5 steps) http://bit.ly/nD9xae - thx Kai!" just tweeted by Pascal Neis

And even if you make it sound as it is an impossible option: Yes, setting up my own tile server is what I intend to do, once there are the tools for it and I'm no longer too stupid to use them. You are right that I won't be able to support a lot of other users, but every one counts, doesn't it?

'[M]aintaining OSM for editors like you or I' is a concept that baffles me. OSM is for the editors? I always thought it's for the users?

Has anyone tried to contact the App developers yet? I know one 4Euro Android app. I'll ask what the developer has to say about it. I'll report back.

Well, from a conceptual viewpoint I would say, telling those developers to stop using the map is a very wrong thing. And not only because we can't enforce this properly.

Providing a usable map is our main goal. Providing the map data in ways not possible with i.e. Google maps is on of our key features. It's what draws people to OSM, it's what fuels the steady stream of developers using OSM. It's just great. If I weren't able to actually use the map I help to create, I would surely stop contributing to it too. And telling OSM user to go and harass app developers will surely not do us a favor. It's the apps the non-mappers see the map through. They are kind of our window to the world. (Nobody with a mobile phone will ever use the websites slippy map.)

Of course we have to find technical solutions to the problem at hand. But saying 'No' isn't a solution. Making it easier to do live rendering would be a big step. (I personally tried to do this for an own application, but didn't succeeded with the wiki alone.)

Sadly it's out of the question for mobile applications. Spreading those requests on multiple services (Cloudmade) could also be done on server-side.
(Or at least providing a API call with a list of alternatives and the server with the least load.)

Also, as was stated before, most of the pressure comes from mass downloads, like creating offline tile maps of entire regions. Again a feature I won't want to miss. What about creating a service to deliver those big chunks on request with a scheduled renderer/packager? So tools don't have to request tile after tile from the live map, but could request a bounding box and get the tile data as a big package after some minutes?

So, der Thueringer Stammtisch (den ich fuer den Erfurter hielt) ist kontaktiert. Mal sehen was was daraus wird.

Ok, da muss ich erstmal schauen, ob Jena einen eigenen Stammtisch hat. Ich kenne nur (fluechtig) die Erfurter User. Mal schauen was sich ergibt. Danke fuer den Link.

So it's more of a 'search-and-replace' function for JOSM? Ok, then I see where you want to go. Of course experienced users could do with regEx, but for the novice mapper a gui could be helpful.

I haven't used them, but aren't there already plugins/functions to do, lets say, add a source tag to all ways which are also tagged as building=yes? I remember reading such things on the JOSM mailing list ...

Hi, bin Geocacher und OSMler aus Erfurt, was annehmbar nah bei Jena liegt. Nein, Jena liegt natuerlich bei Erfurt. Ach egal.

Ich bin eigentlich Einzelmapper und nicht organisatorisch aktive (also auch nicht beim Erfurter Stammtisch) wuerde also anderen durchaus den Vortritt ueberlassen. Wenn sich aber keiner findet wuerde ich durchaus den Jenaer Cachern mal was von OSM erzaehlen, ehe da das Interesse wieder abflacht.

Wie,wo und mit wem kann man denn da Kontakt aufnehmen?

Schoenen Gruss...

Hi,

I just can't see how your tool will know what is the right name for a street. At least here (Germany) we tag by the rule 'What it says on the street sign', which may be any form of abbriviated, non-abbriviated or even mixed forms of street names. So if a street is called Willi-Brand-Str. this may as well be the official name. Expanding this to Willi-Brand-Strasse would be wrong. To know what's right you either need to look at the street sign or compare to some kind of official import data.

I do see a use for the tool with the phone number as target. This is a pure formating issue without impact on content. But those transformations are already done by bots, not be JOSM plugins. So all tags get changed, not just the ones generated by JOSM.

Just my two cents....

Hi again,

you see: the OSM users are very passionate about this. But don't let that scare you off. Thanks for making an effort to improve the map anyhow. Just stick to legal sources or, even better, do your own mapping with your GPS outside.

Hello TrippleBee,

no, unfortunatley you are not allowed to use google maps or other sources for your mapping.
We need to use sources that are compatible with the open source license OSM uses, so we can create a truly 'free' map. (That is, not just one that can be used free of charge, but one that is not bound by any ones ownership rights.)

Google owns its map data and satellite images, so we are not allowed to use it.

Also, this question is answered in the legal FAQ at osm.wiki/Legal_FAQ#Can_I_trace_data_from_Google_Maps.2FVirtual_Earth.2FOrdnance_Survey.2F....3F
you also will find a link to a list of allowed sources there.

Please don't use illegal sources like google or other map services to generate new map data for OSM. Doing this makes OSM vulnerable to all kind of legal problems.

Achja, nur noch mal zur Bestaetigung: Hier nachfragen war natuerlich auch richtig.

Ich nutze ein Garmin (eTrex Legend HCx) sowohl zum Kartieren als auch zum Navigieren. Man hat mal eben eine ganze Europakarte dabei, hat ein sehr genaue (+/-2m) und schnelle Ortung, funktioniert auch als Autonavi und der Akku haelt ca. 2 Tage.

Mein Telefon (Samsung Galaxy S, Android) hat ebenfalls eine Offline KartenApp (Locus), allerdings ohne Navigation. Mit halbherzigem Suchen habe ich leider auch noch keine Alternative zur Onlinenavigation a la Google Maps gefunden, es gibt aber wohl kostenpflichtige Programme dafuer. Der grosse Nachteil des Telefons: Der Akku haelt bei Dauernutzung nur etwa 4 Stunden. Dabei ist der GPS Empfang nur ungenau (+/-15m) und das Finden der Sateliten dauert ewig. Zum Geocachen OK, zum Navigieren und OSM Tracks aufzeichen nicht zu gebrauchen.

There are different kinds of errors wich all have to be taken into account. Image maps tend to be shifted in some direction by up to 50m for absolute position, but are very good in terms of relation between points. So if you want to get the shape of a park or the size of a pool, go for the image maps (that is: bing, you know you are not allowed to use google, right?).

GPS traces are also error prone, but at least you normally know how much. You can't take the "+/-2m" literally, you might still be off by 10m, but it is a start. As every single point in a gps track might have a different error, those traces are not good for accurate shapes or relations, but within a margin they give you a good absolute position. You'll get even more accurate data when averaging over multiple tracks. Best done with different devices, on different days.

There are of course errors even averaging will not correct. A big building which blocks half the sky and reflects the other half will always interfere with the gps signal. A straight road in front of such a building will have a slight bend, even after averaging. Use common sense and local knowledge (or image maps) to know which roads are straight and which are not.

Hope that helps a bit ...

Hallo,

Was du am besten tust, wenn du einen Fehler in der Karte findest, hängt ganz davon ab, was du dir an Bearbeitung zutraust und wie der Fehler aussieht.

Wenn du mit einem der tools zurechtkommst und eine Fläche definitiv falsch ist (also nicht nur falsch beschrieben, sondern in Wirklichkeit nicht vorhanden) kannst du sie löschen. Für Notfälle bleibt alles in der History gespeichert. Sollte die Fläche nur falsch beschrieben sein, nicht ganz korrekt an der richtigen Stelle liegen oder die falsche Form haben, sollte man sie nicht löschen, sonder lieber korrigieren.
Traust du dir das nicht zu, ist das Eintragen eines neuen OpenStreetBugs genau die richtige Lösung. Alternativ kannst du versuchen, den OSM-Nutzer herauszubekommen, der das Feature angelegt hat und ihn zu kontaktieren.

Also Adresssuche funktioniert mit kleinen Einschraenkungen auf meinem Garmin. Man muss nur die Adresse immer vollstaendig eingeben, die komplettierung funktioniert nicht, die Liste bleibt leer bis man den *ganzen* Ortsnamen eingegeben hat. Dann gehts sogar hausnummerngenau. (eTrex Legend)

Ich verwende allerdings vorcompilierte Karten, allerdings trotzdem welche, die meines Wissens nach mit mkgmap erstellt wurden.

Bitte sieh doch davon ab, die OSM-Daten so zu veraendern, dass deine Anzeige in irgend einem Geraet/Software passt. Das faellt unter "wir mappen nicht fuer die Renderer". Das muss in mkgmap oder sonstwo korrigiert werden, nicht in OSM. Wobei es aber generell mehrere Meiningen zu Hausnummern und Gebaeuden gibt. Die Hausnummer an Einzelnodes zu Schreiben, ergibt beispielsweise auch bei mehreren Eingaengen Sinn.

Took a look at it yesterday. It still is in an alpha state and needs a lot of work before becoming usable or even a competition for google maps / navigation.

But it's a start and I'm happy that there is someone working on a mobile routing software based on OSM. Thumbs up and good luck!

Thank you very much.

I've so far concluded that 'Reverse Geocoding' is what I need and that GeoNames supports it, but not based on OSM data.

Yours looks very good. Just what I needed. I just have to look at for what countries it is usable.

Thanks again very much!

I've too once fallen for the impression that I could fix those mapdust problems with 'armchair mapping'. Well you can't.

In my surroundings I see a lot of speedtag-issues without the right speed entered, missing house-numbers without the actual number, missing house-number with the number, but placed right in the middle of the street (which damn house does he mean?) or missing turn restrictions without a further hint on from where to where.

You still have to go out there and have a look. You may now what to look for with the help of the mapdust error type and comment, but you just can't fix them without verifying them on the ground.

While it still is useful, it's mostly not more than a 'take a closer look in this area' indicator.