Do you have map styles focusing on the quality of roads? There are hardly any OSM based maps that use this, especially at lower zoom levels. I just wrote a diary post about the subject, and someone suggested GPS maps might be a solution. I don’t have a Garmin myself, so really I have no idea what’s available.
There are currently no maps with styles focussing on OSM road quality on my site. Perhaps one of the other offroad oriented map providers cover that better, e.g. http://openmtbmap.org/ ?
I’m offering to consider adding a specific maptype if someone is willing to maintain the style sheet (I don’t have the expertise nor time), possibly in cooperation with this project.
Note that work is (again) underway to add an elevation contour map as well.
I may be missing something, but I think the current maps do not distinguish between intermittent and perennial waterways? This is a really useful thing to distinguish. I gather it can be done with a suitable rule in the style file used for your conversions. Something like:
Suitable typ file settings for the corresponding object types might be:
river [0x1f] two rows thick blue line
stream [0x18 one row thin blue line
intermittent river [0x26] two rows thick dashed blue line
intermittent stream [0x10A02] one row thin dashed blue line
Of course (if you use these hex codes to distinguish waterways tagged as intermittent in OSM) the resulting map users can choose to modify their own typ files, or use the garmin default which will render a similar appearance of waterways (as these are default hex codes for garmin).
Moreton, are you able to post examples of how your Mkgmaps look with your suggested typ file amendments in a typical area with those types of waterway?
Mapnik renders intermittent, which is the usual convention, as shown by popej. But for some reason the intermittent tag seems not to be used by many converters (popej seems to be the exception!)
Thanks moreton and popej,
I have dropped your request on the mkgmap-dev mailing list and I will implement the intermittent waterways into the generic new style.
Here is a screenshot of the default style (improved, no typ file). In the red inset picture a screenshot of my Oregon. The intermittent stream is not dashed but the label is showing the intermittent tag.
I am guessing that means the Oregon handles default rendering of [0x10A02] differently from BaseCamp.
Now that the intermittent tag is picked up and given the relevant object codes, users who are interested in the distinction should be able to use their own custom typ settings to render permanent and intermittent waterways differently on their GPSr devices, when this does not happen by default. Thanks again for enabling this.
Or, I wonder if it could be a problem with the suggested style rules placing dashed lines over solid lines (where they may not be visible). If so, popej has provided the simplest solution at http://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewtopic.php?id=53986 (put the intermittent rule before the corresponding permanent waterway rule in the style).
ligfiester, you probably already tried something like this. But it may help other novices like me working on their own small map areas using mkgmap. It does work with distinct rendering of intermittent vs permanent waterways in an overlay map on a nuvi, the only GPSr I have tried so far.
OSM standard (Mapnik?) rendering handles this well, with unlabelled markings like those on a topo map. But the garmin-converted map from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ gives poor/confusing appearance in BaseCamp at least, with variably-spaced strings of blue squares which have a “Land Feature” label on hover. As cliffs are marked in part for safety, it would be good to use the common topographic map convention if possible.
Edit: OOPS! I see this is done well in the new style already available for download. Others may also be interested to compare this ‘new style’ for any feature that needs more typ info for rendering.