Need a map creation app

[BobM]

I want to build a fairly simple schematic map (eg no topo information) from scratch using say a generic OSM base map but adding my own layers for places, roads, POI etc and deleting pre-set layers that I don't need.

It is a pretty tedious task to do all that manually, so I am looking for an app to simplify the work. It is possible to laboriously re-work a Google Map in Photoshop, but that is also very time consuming, especially to draw roads.

Any ideas?

Bob M

 

[Deleted member 67185]

You need more than the layer building function and POIs of MyMaps on Google Maps?

 

[BobM]

You need more than the layer building function and POIs of MyMaps on Google Maps?

I had a quick look at MyMaps and it may work for me. It will autogenerate a route, for example, which avoids having to laboriously draw the route.

You can also choose various styles for the base map, which is useful. The only problem is that I would be stuck with a lot of unwanted data on the base map (eg Arabic names for towns on the map I want to prepare). It is possible to turn the map into an image for Photoshopping out the unwanted stuff, but it is laborious and quality suffers for printing purposes.

Maybe there is a way around the issues. I need to explore MyMaps a bit more.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Bob M

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Have you looked at LearnOSM ?

I tried it out a few years ago when a group I was in needed an uncluttered map for a car treasure hunt. In the short term it would have taken too long to master for our needs and I ended up tracing over UK Ordnance Survey maps with AutoCAD to produce a paper cartoon that could be handed out. But if you want an electronic map and have time and patience . . .

 

[BobM]

Have you looked at LearnOSM ?

I tried it out a few years ago when a group I was in needed an uncluttered map for a car treasure hunt. In the short term it would have taken too long to master for our needs and I ended up tracing over UK Ordnance Survey maps with AutoCAD to produce a paper cartoon that could be handed out. But if you want an electronic map and have time and patience . . .

Thanks for the tip. I had a quick look at LearnOSM. It's functionality seems better than Google MyMaps, but there is a learning curve with both apps to get to grips with concepts and jargon. My maps will appear in printed books, so print quality is a consideration. I have experimented with producing cartoons by using Photoshop to rework an image of a base map, but the results are not great, especially re drawing wiggly lines for routes etc.

Bob M

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Thanks for the tip. I had a quick look at LearnOSM. It's functionality seems better than Google MyMaps, but there is a learning curve with both apps to get to grips with concepts and jargon. My maps will appear in printed books, so print quality is a consideration. I have experimented with producing cartoons by using Photoshop to rework an image of a base map, but the results are not great, especially re drawing wiggly lines for routes etc.

Bob M

I dug through some old notebooks last night - an exercise in seguing if ever there was one - and came upon a cryptic note "uMAP - could be useful!" so I looked it up again. It works as layers over OSM and you can plot routes and annotate but I'm not sure I wouldn't get just the same result from ViewRanger.

As an aside, somewhere, buried deep, I have a double headed ruling pen - twin split blade nibs on a swivel handle. You can set the line thickness and the distance apart for the two lines. Perfect for twisting, parallel lines on a drawing. I think the only time it was ever used was to rough out the alignment of a haul road for a reservoir in Hong Kong (that you can still see on Google Earth) - nostalgia, it ain't what it used to be!

 

[apoivre]

I'm not sure I wouldn't get just the same result from ViewRanger.

Indeed, the task sounds easily accomplished with ViewRanger, assuming @BobM has the GPX track for the route they want to plot. (If you don't, you can plot the route from scratch and drag waypoints to adjust accordingly).

 

[BobM]

I dug through some old notebooks last night - an exercise in seguing if ever there was one - and came upon a cryptic note "uMAP - could be useful!" so I looked it up again. It works as layers over OSM and you can plot routes and annotate but I'm not sure I wouldn't get just the same result from ViewRanger.
As an aside, somewhere, buried deep, I have a double headed ruling pen - twin split blade nibs on a swivel handle. You can set the line thickness and the distance apart for the two lines. Perfect for twisting, parallel lines on a drawing. I think the only time it was ever used was to rough out the alignment of a haul road for a reservoir in Hong Kong (that you can still see on Google Earth) - nostalgia, it ain't what it used to be!

More good tips - and an opportunity for me to wallow in some connected nostalgia of my own. When I was an engineering student my set of drawing instruments had an adjustable pen such as you described. It would even attach to a pair of compasses and I often doodled nice circles while the instructor droned away about perspective construction or some such gibberish.

I lived in HK for a few years and possibly walked the road or passed the very reservoir you were involved with while traipsing around the New Territories.

Ah yes, where would we be without the past to remind us how much better things were then and how the world (and its youth) have gone to hell in a handbasket!

Bob M

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I use the online tools at gpsvisualizer.com for a lot of the GPS stuff that I do. If I understand correctly what you want to do then this link might help you.

GPS Visualizer: Draw a map from a GPS data file

GPS Visualizer can read GPS data files (tracklogs & waypoints), street addresses, or simple coordinates, and plot them on Leaflet maps or Google Maps.

www.gpsvisualizer.com

 

[henrythedog]

... to rough out the alignment of a haul road for a reservoir in Hong Kong (that you can still see on Google Earth)

I think that’s what’s known these days as a ‘humblebrag’ Jeff.

I’m suitably impressed nonetheless.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

There is a highly accurate tracking App called Walkmeter. You can overlay its files onto Google Maps showing the route walked. You can then insert way point information as desired.

 

[BobM]

I use the online tools at gpsvisualizer.com for a lot of the GPS stuff that I do. If I understand correctly what you want to do then this link might help you.

GPS Visualizer: Draw a map from a GPS data file

GPS Visualizer can read GPS data files (tracklogs & waypoints), street addresses, or simple coordinates, and plot them on Leaflet maps or Google Maps.

www.gpsvisualizer.com

Good old GPSvisualizer rides to the rescue again. I just did a quick test map and it might work for me. There are two big pluses: (1) All Open Source so I can kiss Google and its copyright hassles goodbye (my maps will be published); (2) a large number of styles for the background map and you can choose the opacity.

And it is totally intuitive! Have I found Paradise, or what?

Some photoshopping of the map image might be needed to remove unwanted place names.

Much obliged.

Bob M

 

[Jeff Crawley]

More good tips - and an opportunity for me to wallow in some connected nostalgia of my own. When I was an engineering student my set of drawing instruments had an adjustable pen such as you described. It would even attach to a pair of compasses and I often doodled nice circles while the instructor droned away about perspective construction or some such gibberish.

I lived in HK for a few years and possibly walked the road or passed the very reservoir you were involved with while traipsing around the New Territories.

Ah yes, where would we be without the past to remind us how much better things were then and how the world (and its youth) have gone to hell in a handbasket!

Bob M

High Island Reservoir, HK

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Good old GPSvisualizer rides to the rescue again. I just did a quick test map and it might work for me. There are two big pluses: (1) All Open Source so I can kiss Google and its copyright hassles goodbye (my maps will be published); (2) a large number of styles for the background map and you can choose the opacity.

And it is totally intuitive! Have I found Paradise, or what?

Some photoshopping of the map image might be needed to remove unwanted place names.

Much obliged.

Bob M

Just been playing with it - using "Open Topo Map" removes much of the labelling

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I use the online tools at gpsvisualizer.com for a lot of the GPS stuff that I do. If I understand correctly what you want to do then this link might help you.

GPS Visualizer: Draw a map from a GPS data file

GPS Visualizer can read GPS data files (tracklogs & waypoints), street addresses, or simple coordinates, and plot them on Leaflet maps or Google Maps.

www.gpsvisualizer.com

Brilliant tool. Once you create the map (see dummy run created in Sandbox post #14) is there any way to export the background map and the gpx or kml file?

Edit - found a way around it. Save the gpx and then go back to gpsvisualiser and import gpx to generate HTML file.

 

[Pilgrim9]

You could consider OsmAnd, an Android off-line mapping-and-navigation app. One can select or deselect various layers and tune the level of detail. I used it on four pilgrimages and think it is great. It also shows vertical profile etc. Google it to get the free download. The "+" version costs a pittance more and allows one to download and save additional OSM maps, which are all free.