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Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
61–70 of 72 posts
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
QGIS is enormously valuable to those of us who need to do what I would non-authoritatively term "intermediate level geospatial analysis" in jobs that might not have geospatial analysis as part of the official job description, but don't have thousands of dollars available for the ludicrously expensive ArcGIS license.
I find the analysts still need ArcGIS, but on the geospatial software development side I've never run into something I couldn't use QGIS for
We do a huge amount of very complex analysis and entirely run QGIS. Looked at ArcGIS and decided it wasn't anywhere near worth the money, and getting into their ecosystem at all makes it borderline impossible to interop with e.g. QGIS sensibly.
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
I find the analysts still need ArcGIS, but on the geospatial software development side I've never run into something I couldn't use QGIS for
My current job has pretty low standards for maps in reports, and unfortunately QGIS has a dealbreaker issue: I'd like to just import a basemap, display my data on top, and then export as an image; however, in QGIS the resolution of the basemap scales with the resolution of the export. So, for example, if you want a 300 dpi image, all the city and and street labels (from the basemap) will be microscopic. It's baffling…
QGIS will, for raster basemaps, fetch the detailed version to get you your high DPI detail but this of course involves stitching together lots of tiles from the basemap's lower zoom levels - which then have small labels. For raster maps which are not labelled, it makes complete sense and produces a much better result than the alternative (picking the "scale based" zoom level and interpolating).
This is kind of the only "right" answer when dealing with raster basemaps. It's either pixellated or going to be rendered "too small" for the zoom level.
Vector basemaps don't have this problem, and QGIS supports them, so that's the way to go if you can get data. QGIS can then render at the required DPI in full clarity but with elements scaled/positioned appropriately.
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#64Nice project, and nice map! I did not know the Ferraris map, it is gorgeous. It would love to see a tile server of this map, preferably with a switch between the old and the new map. There is a 'time travel app' for Belgium [1] that includes the Ferraris map, and even older maps. It's a bit clunky, I like the Dutch topotijdreis (topo-time-travel) [2] a lot more, but it seems like the maps are not as old and not as go…
This looks like a decent interactive Ferraris 1777 map: https://maps.arcanum.com/en/map/belgium-1777/
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#65Several of the original maps have some added topology on them, and I think a simplified hill shade could help pop the new ones in a similar manner. You can put it on with something like 90% transparency and get a bit of a pop to add more depth to it. I used to do this back when I still made paper maps, but it should work just as well in a totally digital format. Edit: On the github readme the author addresses this so…
The datasets are out there, and it's totally possible to do in QGIS. I've done it for Ireland so that I had hillshade on my personal cycling friendly maps.
You just need a DEM model of the area of interest and run a hillshade operation on it. There are a couple of decent DEM datasets, SRTM and Gebco are two that I've run across.
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
My current job has pretty low standards for maps in reports, and unfortunately QGIS has a dealbreaker issue: I'd like to just import a basemap, display my data on top, and then export as an image; however, in QGIS the resolution of the basemap scales with the resolution of the export. So, for example, if you want a 300 dpi image, all the city and and street labels (from the basemap) will be microscopic. It's baffling…
QGIS will, for raster basemaps, fetch the detailed version to get you your high DPI detail but this of course involves stitching together lots of tiles from the basemap's lower zoom levels - which then have small labels. For raster maps which are not labelled, it makes complete sense and produces a much better result than the alternative (picking the "scale based" zoom level and interpolating). This is kind of the on…
> Vector basemaps don't have this problem
I was about to firmly disagree, but perhaps my issue is that I've been assuming XYZ tiles were vector. Maybe _some_ are vector, based on the connection? If I'm remembering right, I imported a load of XYZ sources, and then never thought twice about them. I should have been more discerning. I'll look deeper into getting some proper vector basemaps.
> This is kind of the only "right" answer when dealing with raster basemaps.
I believe ArcMap uses rasters (when you choose the simple "add data" feature and one of their pre-selected basemaps), but they still render the labels appropriately when you export.
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
QGIS will, for raster basemaps, fetch the detailed version to get you your high DPI detail but this of course involves stitching together lots of tiles from the basemap's lower zoom levels - which then have small labels. For raster maps which are not labelled, it makes complete sense and produces a much better result than the alternative (picking the "scale based" zoom level and interpolating). This is kind of the on…
> Vector basemaps don't have this problem I was about to firmly disagree, but perhaps my issue is that I've been assuming XYZ tiles were vector. Maybe _some_ are vector, based on the connection? If I'm remembering right, I imported a load of XYZ sources, and then never thought twice about them. I should have been more discerning. I'll look deeper into getting some proper vector basemaps. > This is kind of the only "r…
Here are a few workarounds for raster tiles [0]. You can either:
- limit the maximum zoom for raster tiles layers
- use higher resolution tiles (if they exist @2x or @4x)
- lower the DPI in Layout Settings -> Export settings (it should not impact vector layers)
- user vector tiles
[0] https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/286167/qgis-gives-di...
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there a way to make Goog's turn-by-turn to not be street name based but instead give directions like old timers did using landmark navigation? At the old farm house, turn left. After going aways down the road, turn right at by the building with the white archways. Take the next left when you get to the statue of the first mayor.
For full flavor, you'd have to include references to landmarks which no longer exist: "if you pass the vacant lot where the old drugstore used to be, turn around, because you've gone too far."
And weird, highly local code names like "Take the chicken leg and then turn left".
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#69The old maps had way better contrast, it seems.
Modern Google/Apple maps are incredibly low contrast and I don't know why. Seems like they want to have streets and land stand back to make room for features such as pin locations, buisness markings (advertising) or dedicated layers such as traffic. I really don't get it. Here in Germany, in the last century, "road atlases" were a thing, big maps with great overview and detail maps which were basically at maximum con…
My father travelled a lot for business. So much so that he had a massive map covering a wall in our garage. Before heading out he'd put Blu Tack on the various places he intended to visit and planned out the route he'd take. This required a very high contrast representation of roads to assist him in finding routes; especially given he couldn't magnify the map to focus his attention.
Today, people tend use maps differently, they generally use the map to find POIs (with the assistance of search) and then just ask the computer to tell them how to get there (using various prompts). So, it makes sense that the emphasis is no longer on the streets, but the things that happen to be on those streets.
In some respects, the map is an outdated form for data visualisation. It retains usefulness (in part) because automatic routing remains imperfect (especially for walking in urban environments). However, in time these imperfections will be corrected and I suspect maps will be relegated to niche applications and 'advanced' tabs.
Re: Using QGIS to apply a 1777 style to today's OpenStreetMap data
#70Side note: I love this style of "artwork". I also enjoy old books with paintings, older maps and whatnot and can look at them for hours. Maybe it's because I work in print media and know how fast and good modern tools are, so I can estimate (and value) how complicated it was to create all the graphics in former times. So: Great project to bring back the old style for modern data.
There needs to be an icon set for gallows, gibbets, witch pyres, and dragon lairs and for coastal areas, sea monsters, whirlpools, mermaids, treasure, and of course an edge of the flat world.
here be dragons!