Call for new features in 0.20.0 release

[Krakonos]

Here is a list of big features I'm considering for the next release. It's unlikely that all of them will be included, but a good portion could be. Feel free to suggest new ones to the list, and vote on the features you're interested (by adding "Thumbs up" on their respective issues).

Bug reports are not included, as all bugs should be fixed as soon a possible. This list is for features only.

• A tool for easier editing/checking opening hours (issue #85)
• Better support for geotagged images (issue #60)
• Implement OSM editor imagery index (issue #55)
• Implement support for JOSM-compatbile presets (no issue yet)
• Implement a rule check for common mistakes (issue #14)
• Multipolygon tool (no issue yet)

Here is a list of stuff that will definitely happen:

• New logging and error handling (no issue yet)
• New imagery managery (partially issue #55)

[stephan75]

I had a look at http://merkaartor.be/p/download whee I cannot find any link to the bintray nightly buils at https://bintray.com/krakonos/nightly/Merkaartor ...

Why not adding a link there?

[Krakonos]

Good catch, I've just linked them there.

[wirepiper]

Wirepiper Requested Features for Merkaartor 0.19.x Release:

• (1). Add icons for all menu commands (e.g., Extrude, Rectangle, Relation, Polygon, Junction, Simplify, etc.).
• (2). Add an option for color map style templates, (i.e., objects of different types (e.g., buildings, types of road ways, water, plants, etc.) have different color attributes when viewing in Wireframe mode (or maybe add a new viewing mode -- Wireframe Color).
• (3). Set the Default Projection to EPSG:3857.

• (4). Add a few more basic CAD Tools.

  (a). Add a Circular Tool that can arrange a closed way (or polygon) into a perfect Circle.

  (b). Add an Elliptical Tool that can create or arrange a closed way (or polygon) into an Ellipse.

  (c). Add a Measurement Rule tool with the ability to set a specified distance between two (or maybe more) nodes.

  (d). Add an Alignment Tool that can align the edges of two or more buildings along a straight line (or path between two nodes of the object). The aligned edge can be from the First or Last object Selected.

  (e). Add a Mirror Tool to create a reflection of a way (path) about two points. This command should generate a mirrored copy of the selected object (or way).

  (f). Add an Offset Tool to create a copy of an object (e.g., polygon, way, etc.) offset a specified distance and direction.

  (g). Add a Concentric Circles Tool to create or arrange multiple concentric circles.

  (h). Add an Angle Measurement Tool to measure the angle between two straight lines (or ways).

• (5). Add a local database of tags and common values that can be customized (add, remove, modified, etc.) by the end-user.

  Here are some Examples of Tags with Legal Values or Attributes that can be included in the local database of OSM mapping features:

highway = motorway/trunk/primary/secondary/tertiary/unclassified/residential/service/.../track/footway/...

building = apartments/commercial/farm/hotel/house/industrial/detached/residential/dormitory/terrace/houseboat/bungalow/static_caravan/retail/warehouse/.../ruins/yes/...

shop = alcohol/bakery/beverages/.../convenience/mall/supermarket/...

These new features would be very convenient, especially when dealing with objects like buildings and other man-made structures.

Thank you kindly for your consideration.

[Krakonos]

Thanks for your wishlist. These are great ideas and I will try to include as much as possible. A few notes:

• (1) Should be easy.
• (2) Could be done with a custom template. Wireframe mode is a simplified renderer optimised for speed (doesn't really parse the whole template). I might sketch something up to show you how it's done, but it would help if you could categorize the stuff you'd like colored by what color.
• (3) Sure! It's not already?
• (4) There already is a circular tool, but that creates circle, and is not really named well, as it's called a "Roundabout" (and has an option not to tag it as roundabout). But i really like the option to hand-place nodes and make a circle out of them.

For alignment, I think something like inkscape's align and distribute would be cool. You would select a reference axis (using a way, two nodes or just any two points), and then work around that. Seems pretty convenient, and could solve the circles as well with some tuning.

• (5) I already plan on integrating josm presets and this will probably fit somewhere into it. Will do.

[julietkilo]

Let me introduce as a Merkaartor user first: I like to draw buildings in OSM. I did over 28000 Buildings in 1500 commits with Merkaartor (and 4 commits with JOSM). The "Axis Align" function and switching between Mapnik and Validation Style makes Merkaartor ideal for building mappers. When adding addresses to buildings I use copy-paste in the properties very often My personal wishes for new features: -Programmable buttons, to assign attribute "building=yes" as a template (or other key=value combination) -Occasional I need multipolygons (closed polygons that have a hole in it), I have no clue how to do that.

[Krakonos]

It's good to know it's useful! The building=yes will happen. Multipolygons are a bit awkward. I think you can create one, but you can't add a hole to it. You are asked to add a hole only after area creation. I will add a multiplygon tool to the list!

[wirepiper]

Additional Requested Features for Merkaartor 0.19.x (or 1.0.x) Release:

Here are two Proposals for Improving Merkaartor:

1. Extend and Simplify the Graphical User Interface

Implement a new Tab Toolbar similar to that found in Blender 3D Graphics v2.78 and Bluefish Text Editor v2.2.9.

2. Create Additional Help & Documentation

Update and rewrite the Help and Documentation for Merkaartor.

Both of these proposals will make it much easier for all end-users to find, access, and learn Merkaartor’s existing and future commands -- thus improving mapping work flow and productivity. This might also help to attract new mappers and contributors to Merkaartor and OpenStreetMap by lowering the learning curve gradient.

I have created and included some screenshots of the wireframe mockups for the proposed user interface.

New UI/UX Design Proposal:

Figure 1: Home Tab

Figure 2: View Tab

Figure 3: Draw Tab

Figure 4: Construct Tab

Figure 5: Infrastructure Tab

Figure 6: Facilities Tab

Figure 7: Settings Tab

Figure 8: Manage Tab

Figure 9: Help Tab

Your constructive feedback and opinion is very important.

Thank you kindly for your consideration.

[julietkilo]

From time to time I'm asked how many time I've spent with Openstreetmap. So a punchcard or an activity timer would be cool.

[Krakonos]

@wirepiper Thanks for your input! I will definitely work on both of these, and will draw inspiration from your mockups.

@julietkilo Do you mean tracking how much time did you spend in the editor? I'm not really sure It's worth the effort, as there are some apps that can track time spent in a given app (or website), measuring if you were active or AFK. I never used them, so let me know if they're not a better choice.

[julietkilo]

Meant active mapping time by mouse movement and key strokes. There are such tools for programming environments such as https://wakatime.com/features. I use websites to measure my OSM progress e.g. commit days, number of amenity, landuse, building etc. but I can't measure time effort. ok it's not that killer feature. ;-)

But could imagine to motivate mappers with little earnings (e.g. time spent , different features used, different regions used etc.) Knows that as "gamification" https://timemanagementninja.com/2012/08/be-more-productive-by-making-your-life-a-game/

[ghost]

1. enhance the extrude function, so points can be extruded to lines, which means to make a line from a single point, or proceed an existing line from an existing single point.

2. the rectangular building function is useless. It should be a combination of "make polyline" and "extrude". Which toggles between those. Two points => make line, extrude it to square, switch back to beginning. That should be easy to implement. With the suggestion from 1, it is create node => extrude to line => extrude to square => back to beginning.

[ghost]

Make a bridge for JOSM plugins? That might be too difficult to implement, but it is an great idea, I think.

[Krakonos]

@MaestroGlanz

1. Is that any different than the "Road" tool for a single point? (should really be renamed to Way).
2. Yes, when extrusion is allowed. However there are a few questions. What should the tool do for more than 2 points? I can imagine that extrusion, but I'm not sure about the direction for example.
3. JOSM plugins are probably out of the question, unless somebody contributes that. It would require doing not only plugin bridge, but also java bridge, and I'm not keen on doing that. And as JOSM is opensource tool, I'd recommend people in need of some of those plugins to use JOSM.

[Krakonos]

Note: I have bumped the release number to 0.20.0 due to the need to get a new release out and a lack of time to invest into major improvements.

[sikmir]

Great news, looking forward a new release!