OpenStreetMap
I have recently begun using the MapFactor Navigator Free GPS app on my android tablet. This app uses the OSM program. However, when the GPS describes trip details, it uses a very confusing method of instructions through roundabouts. E.g. to access the Pacific Highway, northbound from the Graham Drive north roundabout at Sandy Beach, Australia, the GPS states: “Turn right onto Pacific Highway”, then “Turn left onto Pacific Highway”. The standard instruction would be “At the roundabout, take the second exit onto Pacific Highway”. (Note that traffic flows clockwise on roundabouts in Australia). Does this terminology originate from the OSM program? I don’t see any way to define a road as a “roundabout” in the editing section. How can the roundabout instructions be improved?
Discussion
Comment from bdhurkett on 10 September 2014 at 00:31
More Australians are always good!
I have no experience with the Android app, but there is a specific tag for roundabouts, applying to the one-way route around it in addition to regular highway tags. It looks like the roundabouts near the location you linked to were missing this tag - I’ve added it to three, but I didn’t explore too far so there might be more in the area with the same problem.
I don’t think there’s a specific button to set a way as a roundabout in the iD editor at the moment, but you can always add the tag manually.
Comment from chattiewoman on 13 September 2014 at 08:34
Why don’t you address MapFactor directly? :-) http://forum.mapfactor.com/
However, for correctly tagged, but simple roundabouts (however simple is defined…), the app indeed provides only “turn left/right” instructions instead of “take the second exit”. That has been critized quite often, but so far without any success.
By editing some of the app xml files, you can also change the voice instructions - to some degree. Example: http://forum.mapfactor.com/discussion/comment/3200#Comment_3200
If you need more help in that, you’d best post in the above mentioned forum.
Comment from Warin61 on 7 November 2014 at 21:40
Welcome … more Ozies is good!
OSM is a data base of information.
Then the app gets to use that data.
So you have two possible sources of ‘error’. Correcting OSM is easy - you can do that.
Correcting the app means getting the author/s to do something .. depending on how they see it, it may get done or it might just take a while. With the apps .. you can chose to use another one that might better meet your requirements.
Good luck.