osmtracker

In this section we will learn one of the Android applications that can be used as a data collection application and as an alternative if we don’t have a GPS. We will be using OSMTracker. This application allows us to record our track, record waypoints, as well as perform geotagging and video capture. We can also export our track log in GPX files so we can open it in JOSM or upload to OpenStreetMap.

Install OSMTracker

To install OSMTracker, go to Google Playstore and type “OSMTracker” in the search column. Choose OSMTracker’s icon with a logo like this:

Click install.

OSMTracker Configuration

After you successfully install the software, the next step is to configure OSMTracker.

Open OSMTracker and choose Setting menu located in upper right.

Go to GPS Logging Interval section in setting. This setting will inform you how often the application should record your track. The default setting is 0 seconds, which means that OSMTracker will record your track every second. It will drain your battery quickly. Change the interval depending on what you need, for example every two seconds.

Go to Background Map setting. Check list in background map setting if you want to show your map with OpenStreetMap background.

You can also set up map type with Map Tile Provider. Choose one of the three map provider, for example Cyclemap.

Using OSMTRacker

Now OSMTracker is ready to use. To get started, activate GPS feature in your device and in the main page, choose plus icon (+) on the top of the application to start tracking.

You will be directed to Track Logger page. If you haven’t activated GPS feature in your device, OSMTracker will tell you to activate the feature. In the top page, you can see how much accuracy you gain and how much the strength of the GPS signal from your phone. One thing to remember, you cannot access all the features in Track Logger if your phone not get your position. You can recognize it if you haven’t see any accuracy in top page. If your accuracy still more than 10m, i suggest you not to start tracking. If you do that, your result will be very bad. Your position may show far away from your actual position.

For plotting waypoints, you can directly choose the object icons in Track Logger page. For example, if you want to map a restaurant, you can choose the Amenity icon and then choose Restaurant. But, in OSMTracker you cannot give additional information like the restaurant name, the owner, the address, etc. To give additional information, you must choose Text note icon in Track Logger page.

If you want to save your tracking result, you can go to Diskette icon in the top page. After that, you can see the track result in Tracklist in Main Page of OSMTracker. You can see the track result in map with OSM background with these steps:

• Choose your track.

• Choose icon in upper right of Track Details

  page.

• Choose Display track.

You will be directed to the track display map. In this page you can see various symbols. The blue line is your tracking line, the yellow star symbol is the waypoints and the yellow people symbol is the end of your tracking.

In Track Detail page you can also change the name of your tracklog, give description of your track, add tag, export your track into GPX, and also change the type of your file (whether it is Private, Public, Trackable or Identifiable). If you want to convert your track log into GPX to open in JOSM, you need to convert through this icon in Track Detail page. OSMTracker will convert your track into GPX format and save it in internal storage of your phone (with assumption you didn’t change the folder name and the path in application setting). In this Track Detail you can also upload your Track log in OpenStreetMap with this step:

• Choose OpenStreetMap upload in Track Detail page.

• You will be directed to the OpenStreetMap upload page. On this page you can

  change the name, description, tag and the type of your file before

  it is uploaded to OpenStreetMap.

• Choose Save and Upload.

• You will be directed to your browser to the OpenStreetMap.org site to

  log in to your OpenStreetMap account. Fill the user name and

  password.

• OpenStreetMap will tell you that OSMTracker is requesting

  access to your account to upload the data. Check the “upload GPS

  Traces” and click Save Changes.

• After that OSMTracker will upload your GPX file to the OpenStreetMap

  site. You can see your GPX Track on OpenStreetMap.org by going to the

  GPS Traces’s tab.

Now you learned how to use OSMTracker. Happy mapping!!