OSM printed: Open Street Map on paper in Chiang Mai
For the first time, a printed version of Open Street Maps is now available in Chiang Mai. The map is a cycling map, it highlights roads that are especially suitable for cycling and proposes small routes (based on the class:bicycle key).
The map is printed on A2 (420x594mm) and, with a scale of 1:25,000, covers a good area of around 9 x 13 km around Chiang Mai City.
The map was created using different Open Source tools:
- Osmosis: import the downloaded OSM-File (*.osm) into a PostGIS database
- PostgreSQL/PostGIS: Customising the database and creating various views for visualization purposes
- GRASS-GIS: Processing elevation data and rendering of Contour-Lines
- QGIS: Final assembly of the map: layer arrangement, rendering rules, colors, map-layout and export into printable file
Normally OSM is only seen on the screen, but it looks totally different when printed on paper. According to my experience, a good paper map still gives a wider, more holistic view on a geographic area than a digital map on a screen.
Again, it is impressive how all of the steps that were needed to make this map happen were completely covered by Open Source tools. Not a single piece of proprietary software needed.
Rich details thanks to an active OSM community in Chiang Mai
The class:bicycle keys as cycling suitability categories on the map legend
A challenge was the hillshade rendering, GRASS made it possible.
Tags: Chiang Mai, Cycling, OpenStreetMap, Paper Map, Thailand