Big Map Update September 2012

Well, long time no see, here is another newsletter (and probably the longest ever) from Openmtmbap.org & www.VeloMap.org

 

New maps as well as old CCBYSA 2.0 maps up for download now!

(eine abgekürzte Version der News auf Deutsch gibt es hier: http://www.mtb-news.de/forum/showthread.php?p=9860635#post9860635 )

Maybe many of you thought, that there is no news due to me being on holidays, but actually I tried to work all of July and August, and improved many many things on the Openmtbmap and Velomap. But first of all, let's start with the license change.

The last map updates were on July 13, one day before the redaction bot started to take out all data from OSM, that wasn't compatible with the new odbl license. This gave me the chance to try out and hack away; to bring many improvements and some new features.

Yesterday, it was announced that the next planet file will be published under odbl. Therefore I used the last CCBYSA data, to compile new maps. Reason being, that the coastlines and boundaries are still from pre-redaction time, and hence no flooding should occur, and search working a bit better, and I don't yet need to change the license.

Consequently as of today you can find both the old maps from 13 July to download, as well as the new (last time CCBYSA 2.0) maps for download. Next map update will be in a week or two, and the license will then be odbl.

 

Changes to VeloMap - New Racing Bicycle Layout - New Mode for Roadbiking

Well, it's been quite some time, that I  just dragged the Velomap along besides the Openmtbmap. Backporting changes, without really developing it further. Finally however, I decided, let's improve the VeloMaps and adapt it more for roadbiking. The big change is that the VeloMap have an all new "Racing Bicycle" layout / mode, which is 100% aimed at roadbiking.

Up to now the Velomap was simply a topographic map made for tour cycling. Now it's also a normal street map, with additional info for commuting and roadbiking. It features wide streets and very high contrast. Everything that hinders you from concentrating where to go or where to turn, has been taken out. This means for example that POI for shops have been made invisible, buildings taken out, and so on. What it still shows of course, are contourlines, and other stuff important for roadbiking

On the other hand the separation between paved and unpaved ways/streets has become even clearer. So you won't get lost on a cycleway that changes halfway from paved asphalt to gravel because you didn't notice it on the map.

Overall, the new Racing Bicycle layout, is more of a traditional road map, adding some of the great data openstreetmap has on top of it. (e.g. cycleroutes, oneway information for cyclists, the most needed POI like water or restaurants and bikeshops, but not all of the information that you would get from a topographic map).

 

So below let's have a look at a screenshot of Center Vienna - to see what changed. First let's go with the old classic Velomap layout (which is made for handheld device screens only - to be fair):

 

Mind, this above classic layout is not made for viewing on such a big screen. That's what the Desktop / Traditional layout was for, and it's already much nicer:

 

But now let's have a look at the all new racing bicycle layout. It gives even better orientation, as it is reduced to the max. On the other hand, on your GPS it will look even better, as it's still heavily optimized for small screens on handheld devices:

 

Yeah I'm really stoked about the new Velomap racing bicyle layout. Actually the Velomap is now two maps in one, because you have one mode (autorouting as well as layout) for roadbiking, and one mode mode for trekking/tour cycling.

So please help spread the word all over the internet and spam your friends with emails, or tell others in forums! To spread the message of the first real maps for roadbiking made from Openstreetmap data ever (and actually I would say the first ever really specialized roadbike maps)!!!!

 

 

Adapting both Openmtbmap and Velomap to the Activity Routing devices and Basecamp

Well, even though the outcome might seem unspectacular, it was over 100 hours of analyzing with artificial testmaps, to see how the new Basecamp 3.3 as well as an Oregon 450 and an etrex 30 do autoroute. My aim was clear, the maps have to work both with the old devices and Mapsource, as well as the new devices and Basecamp. After testing and debugging for ages, I managed to get a great result. The setup you have to do in the autorouting settings is different - so be sure to check https://openmtbmap.org/about-2/autorouting/ and for Velomap https://www.velomap.org/velomaporg/autorouting/ to see what you have to do.

I have explained all settings, but also given a short advice on how to setup the autorouting for CrossCountry, Allmountain/Enduro, Vertride/Hiking for the Openmtbmap, and Trekking/Tour Cycling, Roadbiking as well as Commuting for the Velomaps.

 

Bugfixes:

Well I tried to push through the updates since several days, knowing that it would be the last time, I render the July map data, and so since Monday, my map rendering server is running hot on a long queue of requests to rerender the maps, as more or less every day, some little bugs popped up, and me being a perfectionist, re-rendering the maps all over. (well the new odbl cleaned data was stuck several weeks without updates at geofabrik, meaning as of writing this now (Friday night) the new maps are rerendered just once more....

  • highway=unclassified & cycleway=opposite, was not routable against the general direction of traffic
  • ferries were not routable if part of a cycleroute or mtbroute - now if part of a route even higher priority. Same for aerialways
  • route=hiking now also shown if mtbroute is on the same way (furthermore the separate name is shown on mouseover)
  • fixes for route=foot / route=hiking depending on length.
  • highway=path & bicycle=designated was not shown (it was only routable).
  • Some bridges were missing, if part of a cycleroute or mtbroute
  • Oh and as of Saturday the bug making veloeurope.exe not working, is solved too now.

 

 

Openmtbmap 2012 Alps Discovery Tour

Well, all the work needs to come to an end... After virtually working 16 hours daily for the last two and half weeks, the next three weeks will be about testing the maps on the trail, and trying to get my fitness into a reasonable state again. I'll be starting Monday in Tux, Zillertal Austria, and then mak my way to Valais Switzerland together with a friend. We'll be mostly camping and t'would be nice to meet up with other bikers during this trip. I'll update this post on the homepage whenever I have internet, so you can see where to meet us up. We're looking forward for technical riding, so mtb:scale=4 is what we aspire to ride down. Riding up on dirtroads or carrying, with the occasional bus or gondola sandwiched in. Just drop me a mail if you want to meet and join. We usually ride 1300 to 2000m uphill every day, depending on the difficulty, and 16kg bikes don't pedal that fast....

I'll finish it off from 23-30 September in Leogang, with a Bikepark and Freeride Guide education  (with the intention of better being able to know what bike tour operators want, so that I can kick out the not really targeted advertisements here, and rather get good tour operators offer their trips here).

 

Oh and as always, just a little reminder. Thank's to many people supporting me with donations, I'm able to do all that work. Please continue so, and especially if you haven't got an account yet, why not do it now. Only by getting new people on the boat, I'm able to continue improving the maps. Also watch out for news in the future, you'll soon be able to use Openmtbmaps and Velomaps on your Android phone.

Join Openmtbmap by clicking here now

 

Tourverlauf / Discover Tour Report and Plans:

German below...

We will be from Tomorrow Friday to at least Tuesday in the Valais vertriding singletrails and the famous Bisses (old water carriageways). Priority for mtb:scale=4 ways, with pieces of 5.

Saturday, hefty trails around Crans Montana, Sunday hefty trails around St Luc.

Monday - above the Berne Alpine Divide and back, and Tuesday to Thursday/Friday let's see - rather orienting to the east of Switzerland. If you want to join, please ride safely and fluently down mtb:scale=4, and be at ease with supertight and steep hairpin turns. Uphill around 500m vert/hour to keep power for the technical stuff down. We'll be mainly riding technical stuff, so decent vertriding skills needed. (here is a vid from last year, we'll ride trails of similar difficulty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8zws1A1qU&feature=plcp)

If you wanna join, call me under: 0041774158772

 

So, falls noch jemand uns treffen möchte, hier mal der Plan für die nächsten Tage -- bitte S4 sicher fahrbar, S5 Schlüsselstellen mit spotten/je nach Situation (sprich sicheres Hinterradversetzen auch im sehr steilen Gelände, und guter Trackstand). Kondition so dass über einen ganzen Tag ein Freerider 500HM/Stunde raufgetreten werden kann. Beim tragen so 450-500HM/ Stunde. Bergab nicht mit Downhill Tempo, aber schon flotter. 1000HM Singletrails bei S3 bis S4+ brauchen wir meist gut eine Stunde - je nachdem wie häufig wir Stellen mehrfach probieren.

Wir waren/sind bis Heute Nacht im Tessin (Nähe Locarno) - heute sind wir den Sassariente nach Monti del Ganna befahren (blöderweise hats mir den Rücken verrissen, und bei meinem Freund sind wir oben draufgekommen, dass die HR Bremse gar nicht mehr bremse). Also mussten wir bei zig Stellen passen (echt geniale 600HM mit zig S5 Stellen, teils S6 bis S7 und relativ ausgesetzt), danach flowig (so wies halt mit nur VR Bremse geht) ins Tal bei meist S2 bis S3 mit ein paar S4 Stellen.

Morgen früh fahren wir ins Wallis. Müssen noch eine Bremse auftreiben weil bei Günther die hintere Bremse den Geist aufgegeben hat und nicht mehr reparierbar ist (bei Michel Seppey habens was lagernd, also werden wir versuchen dort Morgen vor 12:00 Uhr zu sein.

Danach dann noch eine kleine Runde auf der Varneralp.

Samstag wahrscheinlich Crans Monatana, jedoch max 1-2 Abfahrten im Bikepark zum warmwerden, und dann 3 Wasserleitungswege (Ro und die anderen). Da kenn ich mich noch nicht so gut aus...

Sonntag mal schaun - St Luc Chemin des Cascades mindestens 2 mal, und dann eine der langen Abfahrten ins Val D'Anniviers.

Montag wenn alles gut läuft dann die Hammertour, Salgesch zum Bus der nach Ferden rauffährt, mit dem rauf, und dann übern Berner Alpenhautpkamm (Lötschberg) zur Berner Seite, und zurück über Leukerbad, und kurzen Wiederaufstieg zur Varneralp nach Varen. (gut 3600HM und viel schwieriges Geländ).

Dienstag bis Donnerstag noch offen - evtl mal Richtung Osten orientieren. Freitag oder Samstag dann retour.

(hier ein Vid vom letzen Jahr am Gardasee, ähnliche Trails auch dieses Jahr in der Schweiz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8zws1A1qU&feature=plcp)

Erreichbar bin ich unter 0041774158772

settembre 7th, 2012 | 6 comments

The change to odbl is underway now, so 13 July 2012 will be last CCBYSA 2.0 map update

Well, it was supposed to happen on 1. April 2012, the change from CCBYSA 2.0 to odbl, however it took much longer than anticipated, but since Wednesday, the bots is throwing out data. Therefore todays map updates, will be the last one under CCBYSA 2.0. The bot is expected to take several weeks, so I will try to render those countries that failed (especially some continents) since some time if somehow possible.

Over the next two weeks therefore probably I won't make any changes. Once the bot has finished, and the license change is through, I will post the next map updates under odbl. I will however leave the CCBYSA 2.0 maps online for some more month parallel to the odbl maps. Depending on the country region, the old maps will continue being better. Especially for countries like Poland, Australia and New Zealand - due to the big amount of only CCBYSA 2.0 published data, it may take several month, if not years until the old quality is back.

Last week I spend several days on multithreading the map generation, as it took about 40 hours to render all maps. It goes a bit quicker on the server now, but I noticed that the main problem is disk bound, not CPU limited, but I cut down maybe 20% of map compilation time. Also I finally managed to change the way maps are uploaded, so there are no more broken/incomplete map updates - as maps are mirrored now.

 

For the next weeks I will try to put a few days work again in slimming down POI symbols, and attack the new routing algos Garmin introduced over the last months - which will be a tedious task to analyse and of course also continue to work on maps for oruxmaps.

 

Apart from Openmtbmap two more things happend. Google Maps published yesterday bicycle maps and routing for many European countries, I must say I'm not impressed at all however by the outcome. They should have bettered switched to OSM instead of focussing on google map maker and their own data which leads them nowhere.

 

On the other hand, and that is something which bugs me much more, the German state of Hessen is underway to take into effect the probabely strictest and most stupid anti-MTB law worldwide. Effectively they want to forbid mountainbiking on all ways, that cannot theoretically used by a 2WD car all year round. Meaning no more singletrails, not even anymore streets with bad surface. Yeehaa, those Germans politicians are completly nuts (well no surprise). Effectively this would mean, more than 75% of all ways and trails in Hessen would become illegal for biking, with fines up to 100.000€.

I would therefore ask everyone, if he hasn't done yet, to sign the Open Trails Petition in Hessen. Else maybe more German states, or other countries could get the idea to effectively forbid mountainbiking.

luglio 13th, 2012 | Leave a comment
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