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Waze map editors use the term basemap to refer to roads imported from external sources that have never been edited and for areas that contain them. | |||
==Background== | |||
A basemap (or base map) is a collection of reference data intended to provide visual orientation to users of a map, so that further details can be added and displayed on it in a meaningful way. It may include data on imagery, topography, roads, political boundaries or other things, depending on the purpose of the map. In many countries, Waze has licensed and imported data on roads and other features from various sources to serve as its basemap, and this is the foundation upon which users and map editors build to create a usable navigation system. Because basemap roads require cleanup in order to provide efficient navigation, and because they contain some unique features relative to roads created and edited by users, map editors often use the term basemap [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synecdoche synecdochally] for imported basemap roads that have no or very little modification from editors. | |||
==Basemap roads in the United States== | |||
[[Image:Basemap.png|right|400px]] | |||
Waze imported [https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger.html TIGER] data from the US Census Bureau to serve as its basemap in January, 2009. TIGER data provided somewhat accurate names, locations and cities/states for roads, but it did not include road directions, allowed turns, distinctions between road types beyond {{Street}}, {{Private Road}} or {{Dirt Road / 4X4 Trail|Unpaved}}, or any navigation history. Because this data was designed for location of people and places, not for navigation, it contained many odd angles and extraneous geometry and junction nodes when added to the Waze map. | |||
Basemap roads have unknown direction and [[Soft and hard turns|soft restricted]] turns by default, but Waze is designed so that users add data to roads as they drive over them. When enough users drive over a road of unknown direction from node A to node B onto another segment, Waze will automatically set the direction to one way (A→B) and will set the turn from node B onto the other segment to soft enabled. If enough users drive from B to A on this same segment, Waze will then set the road to two way, but the turns will still be unconfirmed. These directions and turns | |||
==Unedited basemap roads== | ==Unedited basemap roads== | ||
Revision as of 13:23, 31 August 2016
Waze map editors use the term basemap to refer to roads imported from external sources that have never been edited and for areas that contain them.
Background
A basemap (or base map) is a collection of reference data intended to provide visual orientation to users of a map, so that further details can be added and displayed on it in a meaningful way. It may include data on imagery, topography, roads, political boundaries or other things, depending on the purpose of the map. In many countries, Waze has licensed and imported data on roads and other features from various sources to serve as its basemap, and this is the foundation upon which users and map editors build to create a usable navigation system. Because basemap roads require cleanup in order to provide efficient navigation, and because they contain some unique features relative to roads created and edited by users, map editors often use the term basemap synecdochally for imported basemap roads that have no or very little modification from editors.
Basemap roads in the United States
Waze imported TIGER data from the US Census Bureau to serve as its basemap in January, 2009. TIGER data provided somewhat accurate names, locations and cities/states for roads, but it did not include road directions, allowed turns, distinctions between road types beyond Street , Private Road or Unpaved , or any navigation history. Because this data was designed for location of people and places, not for navigation, it contained many odd angles and extraneous geometry and junction nodes when added to the Waze map.
Basemap roads have unknown direction and soft restricted turns by default, but Waze is designed so that users add data to roads as they drive over them. When enough users drive over a road of unknown direction from node A to node B onto another segment, Waze will automatically set the direction to one way (A→B) and will set the turn from node B onto the other segment to soft enabled. If enough users drive from B to A on this same segment, Waze will then set the road to two way, but the turns will still be unconfirmed. These directions and turns