Supporting OpenStreetMap on gvSIG

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create open source and editable maps. The maps are created by using geographic information captured with mobile GPS, orthophotos and other open source sources. These maps, both the created images and vector data stored in a database are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0.2 License.

Mission of the project

Giving support to OpenStreetMap on gvSIG. Moreover, this is the basis for one or more connected projects, depending on the approach taken.

Objectives

Firstly, it would be interesting to support the load of OSM tiles. Secondly, it would be also interesting: to support the different OSM formats, the mechanics to access to OSM, recognition of what you download and conversion to the gvSIG model. Then, it would be possible to display maps from OSM on gvSIG, although it would not possible to edit and update the changes on OSM itself because it would be a more complex phase.

The priority for supporting OSM formats is:

1. Official API. It is the official API to access to vector data from OSM in XML format. For that reason it is not valid for large volumes of data. JOSM limits the download of a large number of data. However, it is the official and the most used format.
2. OSM Binary Format. Is the binary version of the API. It is something like BXML regarding GML (speaking on concepts already implemented in gvSIG). As it is binary, it is ideal for optimizing the access to large volumes of data.
3. OSM Mobile Binary Protocol. It is equivalent to the previous format but this one is optimized for mobile devices. In this case it would be interesting to make gvSIG Mobile supports this format.

There are other formats that are not so important a priori:

• OSMbin Format. Perhaps, after having made gvSIG supports the format 3 (OSM Mobile Binary Protocol), the convenience of working with the OSMbin Format could be analyzed.
• JOSM File Format. This format is used by JOSM to edit and save locally before uploading the changes to the server. It is only for importing these working files to gvSIG, but they usually have a short life because the OSM publishers frequently upload changes.

Project milestones

They will be defined depending on the objectives selected.