Map Features Standard

This page describes how map objects (houses, roads, stones, contour lines, etc.) shall be tagged. Tagging means you put one or more key:value pairs to describe that object. That information could then be used for example by a render to make a map of it. It might not be necessary for the map drawer to learn and and use these directly, if it is built in the editor used.

Basic Elements

Objects could be nodes (single points), ways or areas. Ways consists of a number of ordered nodes and areas are ways where the start and end node are the same. Read more about the basic elements in  OSM Elements wiki page.

Keys

By using different keys, it is possible to make maps for different purposes. For example you might want to make a sprint map where the same area is also part of a normal ISOM map. Most objects are the same on both maps and it would be unnecessary to have to tag them twice. However some objects will be different on the maps, for example a tramway on an sprint map will be shown as a railway on an ISOM map. The different keys that could be used are:

  • iof: Object that shall be on maps of all IOF map standards. This value is used if the more specific key is not used, use this in first place.
  • isom: Object that shall be used on a ordinary orienteering map according to the ISOM standard.
  • issom: Object that shall be used on a sprint map according to the ISSOM standard.
  • isskiom: Object to be used on Ski maps.
  • ismtbom: Object to be used on MTB maps.
  • user defined: If you want to make special maps

If an object should not be shown at all in one type of map, "no" could be put as value, e.g isskiom:no. In addition to the key:value pairs for the map objects, there could be additional key:value pairs for different properties of the objects, e.g. the size of a boulder. If the properties is different for different types of maps (isom/issom), us a suffix, e.g key: size:isom, value:medium and key: size:issom, value:large.

Features

For way features with tags/markers that are not symmetric about the way, e.g. a cliff, they will always be TO THE RIGHT of the direction of the way. For example, going in the direction of a slope line, downwards should be to the right. For nodes or areas with a direction (that could be rotated), e.g. elongated knolls, caves or forests runnable in one direction, the direction is given in degrees (0-360) where 0 degrees is north.

Land Forms

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs Rendering example (not to scale)
contour Element Way 101,102,103 Height contours type:normal/index/form. altitude:[meter] to specify height over sea
slope_line Element Node 104 Draw slope line for node on a contour.
? ? 105 Contour value (show on map)
earth_bank Element Way Element Node 106 Earth banks. For a small earth bank you could use a single node size:normal/high (?)
earth_wall Element Way 107, 108 Earth walls size:normal/small
erosion_gully Element Way 109, 110 Erosion gully size:normal/small. area:yes/ no (for larger erosion gully)
NOT USED 111, 114 Larger knolls and depressions are shown by contours and slope lines
small_knoll Element Node 112, 113 Knolls to small to be shown by contours. elongated:yes/ no. direction:[0 - 360] for direction of long side of elongated knoll.
small_depression Element Node 115 Small shallow natural depressions and hollows depth:[meter]
pit Element Node 116 Pits and holes with distinct steep sides. depth:[meter]
broken_ground Element Node 117 Broken ground size:small/medium/large
special_landform Element Node 118 Special land form feature Description:User Defined

Rock and boulders

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs Rendering example (not to scale)
cliff Element Node Element Way 201, 203 Passable or impassable cliffs. passable:yes/no. tags:yes/no. direction:[0 - 360] for nodes
rock_pillars Element Area 202 Rock pillars or gigantic boulders
rocky_pit Element Node 204 Rocky pit
cave Element Node 205 Cave direction:[0 - 360] see rocky_pit
boulder Element Node 206, 207 Boulders of different sizes size:small/medium/large, height:[meter]
boulder_field Element Node 208 Part of a field of boulders direction:[0 - 360], size:normal/large??
boulder_cluster Element Node 209 A small distinct group of boulders so closely clustered together that they cannot be marked individually. size:normal/large?
stony_ground Element Node 210 Stony ground size:small/medium/large
? open_land, surface:sand Element Area 211 Open sandy ground
bare_rock Element Area 212 Bare rock

Water and marsh

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs Rendering example (not to scale)
water Element Area 301,302,304, 305? Water areas (lakes, ponds, rivers) bank_line:yes/no. passable:yes/ no (issom)
river Element Way 304 Smallest size for river, alternative or combined with water. bank_line:yes/no. passable:yes/ no?
bank_line Element Way 301,304 Bank lines to water areas (also see water) See water
watercourse Element Way 305,306,307 Crossable watercourses. Large watercourses could be combined with water. size:large/ small/minor, width:[meter]
waterhole Element Node 303 Water-filled pit
narrow_marsh Element Way 308 A narrow marsh
marsh Element AreaElement Node 309,310,311 Marsh that could be shown as an area type:impassable/ normal/indistinct
well Element Node 312 Well
spring Element Node 313 Source of a stream. When placed on the start of a watercourse, the direction is automatically oriented downstream direction:[0 - 360]
special_water Element Node 314 Special water feature Description:User Defined

Vegetation

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs Rendering example (not to scale)
open_land Element Area 401,402,403,404,415(?) Different types of open land surface:normal/rough, trees:no/scattered, cultivated:yes/ no(?)
forest Element Area 405, 406, 408, 410, 411 Forests with different running speed. Normal (white) forest is normally not needed to tag running:easy/slow/difficult/very_difficult/impassable. one_direction:yes/ no, direction:[0 - 360]
undergrowth Element Area 407, 409 An area of dense undergrowth but otherwise good visibility running:slow/difficult
orchard Element Area 412 Land planted with fruit trees or bushes. direction:[0 - 360]
vineyard Element Area 413 Vineyard direction:[0 - 360]
? boundary Element Way 414, 416, 417(??) Different type of boundaries between areas type:distinct_cultivation/distinct_vegetation/indistinct_vegetation(?)
special_vegetation Element Node 418,419,420 Special vegetation feature Description:User Defined. display:cross/circle/dot

Man-made features

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs Rendering example (not to scale)
road Element Way Element Area 501,502,503,504,505 Roads suitable for vehicles type:motorway/major/minor/narrow/track. area:yes/ no. construction:yes/ no.
path Element WayElement Area 506, 507, 508 Paths type:large/small/indistinct. area:yes/ no, urban:yes/ no (for issom unpaved footpath)
narrow_ride Element Way 509 A distinct ride
?? Element Node? 510, 511 Whether a junction easily could be seen in competition speed ?
bridge Element Node 512 A footbridge with no path leading to it. The direction is automatically oriented if on a watercourse direction:[0 - 360]
?? bridge:yes/no? Element Node 513,514 Whether a path over watercourse have a bridge over it ?
railway Element Way 515 Railway type:rail/tram
power_line Element Way 516, 517 Powerline size:normal/major?. For nodes on line: pylon:yes/no. Major powerlines?
power_pylon Element Way 517 Pylon on a major powerline ? See power_line
tunnel Element Way 518 A way under roads, railways, etc. which may be used by the runner. This symbol is used whether or not the tunnel has a track leading to it. (maybe smallest as node on road?) part:extent/opening/edge. width:[meter].?
stone_wall Element Way 519,520,521 Walls made of stone size:normal/ruined/high.
wall Element Way 519.1, 521.1 Walls (issom) passable: yes/no
fence Element Way 522,523,524 Fences size:normal/ruined/high
crossing_point Element Way? 525 All ways through or over high fences or walls must be indicated.
building Element NodeElement Area 526 Buildings For nodes: direction:[0 - 360]
canopy Element NodeElement Area 526.2 Canopy (issom) For nodes: direction:[0 - 360]
pillar Element Node 526.3 Pillar (issom) ?
settlement Element Area 527 Houses and gardens and other built up areas. How to indicate alternative rendering?
permanent_out_of_bounds Element Area 528 Permanently forbidden boundary:yes/ no
boundary Element Way 528 Boundary type:permanently_forbidden see permanent_out_of_bounds
paved_area Element Area 529 An area of hard standing used for parking or other purposes. ? urban:yes/ no (issom)
boundary (edge? / step?) Element Way 529.1 issom type:edge/step urban:yes/ no ?
ruin Element NodeElement Area 530 Ruin ?solid_line:yes/ no?
firing_range Element Way 531 Firing range (usually way with two nodes). target at end of line. ?
grave Element Node 532 A distinct grave. ?
pipeline Element Way 533,534 Pipelines passable:yes/no
tower Element Node 535,536 Tower size:high/ small
cairn Element Node 537 Cairn, memorial stone or boundary stone
fodder_rack Element Node 538 A fodder rack which is free standing or built on to a tree.
special_manmade Element Node 539,540 Special man-made feature Description:User Defined. display:cross/circle.

Technical symbols and place names??

Value to use Element IOF codes Description Extra key:value pairs

Not implemented yet

Overprinting symbols (Course setting)

Currently not supported

Discipline specific: Sprint

TODO.
No major differences compared to ISOM, special features noted below.
Water: passable:yes/ no
Unpaved footpath: Use issom:path, type:large. If want to show area, use area:yes. urban:yes/ no

Discipline specific: Ski Orienteering

TODO

Discipline specific: MTB Orienteering

TODO

Attachments