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= Welcome to the JOSM online help system =
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This help can be corrected at josm.openstreetmap.de/wiki/Help
Some information might be outdated, because JOSM is constantly enhanced with more features and tools. Recently implemented features may miss good illustrations, animations, examples and text explanation. Please help improving by adding them or your personal tips and experience - this is a wiki!
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== Getting Started ==
=== Your first edits with JOSM ===
* [wiki:Introduction Introduction to JOSM] - briefly covers downloading data, enabling and aligning imagery, main menu items, presets, validation, change-set comments and upload dialogue
* Migration assist from [wiki:iD], [wiki:Potlatch2] or [wiki:Vespucci] - only if you have difficulties or questions related to respective editor "''I'm used to do (function) in (an editor) but what should I do in JOSM?''"
=== OSM-wiki resources ===
* [osmwiki:Get_help Where to get help?] - more general articles and resources (including [osmwiki:Map_Features Map features])
== Concepts ==
=== OSM data model ===
* [=#objects Objects] ([wiki:Help/Concepts/Object complete reference]) - explains what '''node''', '''way''', '''relation''' and '''tag''' is; ''Presets'' are introduced at the same page.
* There are [wiki:Help/Concepts/Object#Relations many types of relations], currently loaded relations can be selected via [wiki:Help/Dialog/RelationList Relation list] but there a [wiki:Help/Dialog/RelationEditor single interface to edit them]
=== JOSM ===
* [=#hotkeys Hotkeys] or shortcuts ([wiki:Shortcuts complete reference]). **EVERY** "button" and menu item may be assigned with hot-key (including menu items provided with [wiki:Plugins plugins]; popular [wiki:Presets presets] and [wiki:Help/Action/Search#SavesearchqueryinMaintoolbar saved search queries]). Some of the default hotkeys may surprise editors from simple editors. All shortcuts will be present under [Help/Preferences/Shortcuts "Hotkeys" tab in F12 menu] you can adjust and fine-tune them or reset at any moment.
* [=#preferences Preferences] ([wiki:Help/Preferences complete reference]) - some of the settings [Help/Preferences/Advanced#Explanation are not accessible via settings menu] or just spread everywhere in the editor
* [=#changeset Changeset] ([wiki:Help/Action/Upload upload changeset dialog]) - explains why you create a '''changeset''' and low level details when you upload data to the OSM server
* [=#undoredo Undo/redo mechanism] - used to spot mistakes, but these tools are especially useful when ''learning new tools'' in JOSM. Similar to other editors, ''most operations'' in JOSM can be [Help/Action/Undo undone] and [Help/Action/Redo redone], unless they are listed in [wiki:Help/Listofirreversibleoperations list of irreversible operations]. Difference is that all changes can be displayed in [Help/Dialog/CommandStack command stack dialog].
== Workflow examples ==
* [[Help/Downloading data]] - there are many ways to load existing data in JOSM
* [wiki:Help/AudioMapping Audio mapping:] playing voice notes and synchronizing them with your GPS tracks in JOSM
* [wiki:Help/Preferences/Validator Validator messages] - will explain how to fix common mistakes and what do they mean
* [wiki:HowTo How to create runabout from crossing ways]
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== JOSM tools (incomplete reference) ==
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List below contains mosty/only unreplaceable tools with preference to core JOSM tools. "Incomplete" should be stated explicitly to avoid misunderstandings from any part.
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Search among all JOSM tools and menu items - Ctrl+Spacebar
=== Basic shape of objects ===
* [Help/Action/Select Select, move and rotate] tools - you only need subset of tools from this list
* [Help/Action/DrawBuilding Draw a rectangular stub] - optionally aligned along by other objects
* [Help/Action/FastDrawingMode FastDraw] - useful with natural objects;
* [Help/Action/Extrude Extrude], [Help/Action/Draw#Anglesnapping Angle snapping], Spline or Bezier ''from commandline'' - mostly for man made objects
* both [Help/Action/Draw Draw nodes mode] (A) and [Help/Action/ImproveWayAccuracy Improve Way Accuracy mode] (W) - have their followers and use cases
* [Help/Action/Paste Paste previously copied objects] (Ctrl+V) - not only tags but also their geometries
=== Selection ===
Selection (or list of currently selected objects) is preciesly described in [[Help/Dialog/SelectionList#Selection]] (because it is visible from this dialogue), it can be modified with following tools (incomplete list):
* [Help/Action/Select#Selecttool Select objects] (S) - contains many modifiers, including [Help/Action/LassoMode lasso mode]
* [Help/Action/Search Search] (Ctrl+F) - a very powerful tool and a query language with [wiki:Help/Action/Search#Keywords over 28 keywords] and flexible operators to combine them in flexible manner. Not to mention regex and mapcss filters.
* (Shift+F3) - search objects by preset
* [[Help/Plugin/UtilsPlugin2#Selection]] - multiple selection focused tools ''from UtilsPlugin2''
* [Help/Action/SelectNonBranchingWaySequences Select non branching way sequences] (Shift+W) - useful when editing highways, railways, rivers, power networks and networks in general
* [Help/Action/SelectAll Select all] (CTRL+A) is more useful after you download precise list of objects
=== Tags ===
Tags of currently selected objects displayed in [wiki:Help/Dialog/TagsMembership Tags/Memberships Dialog].
* [Help/Action/Copy Copy] (Ctrl+C) - copy selected objects to the buffer
* [Help/Action/PasteTags PasteTags] (Ctrl+Shift+V) - paste previously copied tags
* Tabular editor (Ctrl+T) from ([[Help/Plugin/UtilsPlugin2]])
* (Shift+R) (from [[Help/Plugin/UtilsPlugin2]]) copy tags from previous selection
* Standard [Help/Dialog/AddValue Add value] (Alt+A) dialogue provides 5 shortcuts to 5 last used tags without closing this dialogue
=== Topology tools and changes ===
* [Help/Action/MergeNodes Merge] (M) two or more points
* [Help/Action/UnGlue UnGlue] (G, opposite of above) explode single point into multiple
* [Help/Action/MoveNodeWay Join point into a way segment] (N)
* [Help/Action/DisconnectNodeWay DisconnectNodeWay] (Alt+J, opposite of above) disconnect a node from a way segment
* [Help/Action/AddIntersections AddIntersections] (Shift+I) (from [[Help/Plugin/UtilsPlugin2]]) - will create nodes at places where current selections intersects (or self intersects)
* [Help/Action/SplitObject Split geometry by selected line] (Alt+X) (from [[Help/Plugin/UtilsPlugin2]])
* [Help/Action/SplitWay Split way] (P) - split way by a node
* [Help/Action/CombineWay Combine Way] (С) - combine several selected ways in one
* [Help/Action/JoinAreas Join overlapping areas] (Shift+J)
* [Help/Plugin/ContourMerge ContourMerge] mode can used to glue complex parts that would require too many ''Merges'' otherwise; it could also used to partially or full replace geometry of one object with partial or a complete geometry of other object
=== Geometry tools ===
==== Precision in angles ====
* [Help/Action/Draw#Anglesnapping Anglesnapping] (A, twice) will ease drawing way segments in 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° degrees
* [Help/Action/Extrude#Basicusage Extrude] (X, with modifiers) tool will ease drawing of strictly perpendicular segments
==== Alignment ====
* [Help/Action/AlignInLine Align in line] (L) will align selected nodes into a line
* [Help/Action/DistributeNodes Distribute] (Shift+B) as above, but also place them at equal distances
* [Help/Action/Parallel Parallel] (Shift+P), draw lines and curves parallel to each other, draw nested infrastructure quickly
* "Copy" objects at precise anchor points ''from commandline''
* "Move" objects at custom vector ''from commandline''
* [Help/Action/AlignInCircle Align selected nodes in circle] (O)
=== Viewport control ===
* Explained at [Help/MapView MapView], [Help/Menu/View "View" menu] and [Help/Action/Zoom Zoom tool]
* [Help/Action/JumpToPosition JumpToPosition]
== JOSM interface ==
=== JOSM interface overview ===
Interface terminology (make sure to study bolded items first):
1. '''[wiki:Help/Menu Main menu]''',
2. [Help/MainToolbar Main toolbar],
3. '''[Help/EditToolbar JOSM modes]''',
4. toggles used to control on/off state of ''Windows''
5. '''[Help/ToggleDialogs Windows]''' (or dialogs)
6. [Help/StatusBar Status bar],
7. Slider and scaler
8. [Help/MapView Main editing window].
Together, 3 and 4 may contain too many items to display at once, use mouse scroll wheel in this case.
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+---------------------------------------------+-------------------+
1. Main menu +-----------> | | |
+---------------------------------------------+ |
2. Main toolbar +--------> | | |
+-+-------------------------------------+-----+-------------------+
| | | |
| | <-------------------------------------------------------------+ 7. Slider and zoom indicator
| | | |
3. JOSM modes (top) +----> | | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | <----------------------------------------------+ 8. Main editing window
| | | |
+-+ | ^ |
| | | | |
| | | | |
4. Window toggles +------> | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
5. Windows (panels) +-------------------------------------------------------------+ |
| | | |
| | | |
+-+----------------------------+--------+-------------------------+
6. Status bar (left) +---> | | | <+ 9. Context help and status
+------------------------------+----------------------------------+
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=== JOSM starting screen ===
Starting screen may be confusing for newcomers; [[Help/Downloading data]] step performed first. For example, [wiki:Introduction#Downloading use simple Download menu][[br]]
[[Image(9229-en.png, width=25%, height=25%)]]
Here is what you will see if you choose Moscow Kremlin:[[br]]
[[Image(9229-en-expert-false-Moscow Kremlin.png, width=25%, height=25%)]]
Additional and more complex tools may be activated with [Help/ExpertMode Expert mode] (pay attention to the left side of the screen):[[br]]
[[Image(9229-en-expert-true-Moscow Kremlin.png, width=25%, height=25%)]]
=== JOSM interface complete reference ===
[[wiki:JOSM interface]] - complete reference. Pay attention, that ''menus in JOSM are very deep'', just couple of examples below:
* [[wiki:JOSM interface]] > [[wiki:Help/Menu]] > [[Help/Menu/Presets]]
* [[wiki:JOSM interface]] > [[wiki:Help/ToggleDialogs]] > [[wiki:Help/Dialog/TagsMembership]] - most users will stop here, but actually there are at least two menus: [[Help/Menu/TagsMembershipMenu#Rightclickonitemsintagspart]] and [[Help/Menu/TagsMembershipMenu#Rightclickonitemsinmembershipspart]]
* [[wiki:JOSM interface]] > [[wiki:Help/ToggleDialogs]] > [[wiki:Help/Dialog/LayerList]] - most users will stop here, but actually [Help/Dialog/LayerList#Layertypes there are not two, but 7 menus]
=== JOSM interface customization ===
See [[Help/JOSM interface customization]] for details.