Map creator: This map is not downloadable due to their owners limitations

[owmapper]

I posted this question some while ago:

I cannot create an offline map from OpenStreetMap Mapnik. This used to work and now it doesn't - I get message "This map is not downloadable due to their owners limitations". I've seen this problem reported in the past, with no obvious solution. I'm still using v 7.1.6 but I've tried the latest (7.4.25) downloaded from the website and it has the same problem. Is this fixable?

and am surprised that not one person responded. Is this just me? Did OpenStreetMap Mapnik change to prevent offline map creation for some reason? If it's suddenly a limitation of the free version I would purchase the paid-for version, but not until I know it will work.

Comments - anyone?

[Lenz]

Hello,
this behaviour has nothing to do with the version of Oruxmaps. It is a way to limit the server traffic of the map providers.
There are great free maps on the basis of OSM to download like OpenAndroMaps. Or you could create an offline map from the OpenTopoMap (which is also based on OSM) in Oruxmaps.

[LaurentG]

What is surprising with OSM Mapnik maps is that there is very likely some "hard-coding" in OM to prevent offline map creation from this source.

Indeed, this is supposed to be managed thanks to <downloadable> tag in onlinemapsources.xml.
For any other map source, if <downloadable> is set to 0, offline map creation is impossible (and the message is the one indicated by @owmapper), but if it is set to 1, offline map creation is possible.

Only for the OSM Mapnik map, it is always impossible, whatever the value of <downloadable>

[owmapper]

Hello,
this behaviour has nothing to do with the version of Oruxmaps. It is a way to limit the server traffic of the map providers.
There are great free maps on the basis of OSM to download like OpenAndroMaps. Or you could create an offline map from the OpenTopoMap (which is also based on OSM) in Oruxmaps.

Thanks for clarifying that. I feel a bit cheated that I can't use Mapnik as I am an OSM contributor, and Mapnik is OSM I think. I'm sort of aware that I can download maps for elsewhere but have never tried. I've always used the Map Creator up to now because of the ability to create tailored maps. For whatever reasons, OpenStreetMap Mapnik is the only map source that works for me. All of the others, including OpenTopoMap show nothing, online or offline Map Creator. Any ideas why?

[Lenz]

Oruxmaps 7.1.6 is quite old. I don't know if the links to the maps in the onlinemapsources.xml are still working.
In OM 7.2.6 (the latest free version) both OpenTopoMap and Topo4umaps work for me. Maybe you could try this version.
You also have the possibility to download OSM maps from within Oruxmaps: switch map - circle with + - world vectorial maps in mapsforge format (offline maps)

[LaurentG]

The latest free version is not 7.2.6, but 7.4.26

[Lenz]

Hello LaurentG,
you're perfectly right ... 7.4.26 is the latest free version.

[owmapper]

Hello LaurentG,
you're perfectly right ... 7.4.26 is the latest free version.

I installed this and it's now working. Thanks.

However, these maps (WORLD) don't render anything: OpenTopoMap, VEC:Mapnik->mapsforge. Should they?

Also, none of the offline options I've looked at (Topo 4umaps via Map creator) or maps from mapsforge have the same level of detail as Mapnik. Is there some offline equivalent?

[Lenz]

Hello owmapper,

for me OSM Mapnik, OpenTopoMap and Topo 4umaps work with Oruxmaps 7.4.26.

Try this: Delete your onlinemapsources.xml in the oruxmaps folder on your internal storage and restart Oruxmaps. A new default onlinemapsources.xml will be created with working links to the maps.

Probably the best free offline maps (in my opinion) are Openandromaps (https://www.openandromaps.org/downloads/laender-und-regionen). It's really easy to install the maps via the quick installation link. There you can find mapstyles, too.

[owmapper]

Hi Lenz,
Thank you for continuing to help.

I deleted onlinemapsources.xml as you suggested. I'm pretty sure that the one it recreated is identical to the one it created when I installed 7.4.26. OpenTopoMap and VEC:Mapnik->mapsforge still show nothing. Also, this isn't going to resolve the offline Mapnik issue anyway - you said that this is a Mapnik server restriction and nothing to do with Oruxmaps.

I have looked at offline maps from Openandromaps and others. They all seem to emphasis hiking and cycling features, which is fine, but miss out other details that mapnik includes. I want this extra detail.

[Lenz]

Hello owmapper,

I thought it was a server restriction, but as LaurentG wrote, maps like e.g. Bing can be downloaded when you change the <downloadable> tag in onlinemapsources.xml.
This DOES NOT work for OSM Mapnik. Maybe this is an intentional behavior implemented by Orux - not only in the free 7.4.26 but also in the latest GP and beta versions. Maybe he implemented it to avoid Oruxmaps being blocked by OSM Mapnik completely (I read a few years ago that mobile Atlas creator had been blocked.).

In my 7.4.26 OSM Mapnik, OpenTopoMap and Topo 4umaps work whereas VEC:Mapnik->mapsforge does not. In the default onlinemapsources.xml created by the latest GP version, the VEC:Mapnik is no longer listed.

Which details do you miss in OpenAndroMaps and other maps you had a look at? Maybe it is not a problem with the map but with the theme.

[owmapper]

Which details do you miss in OpenAndroMaps and other maps you had a look at? Maybe it is not a problem with the map but with the theme.

I know nothing about themes or their effect. Can you point me to somewhere that describes them and how to modify them? Thanks.

[Lenz]

You can find links for a quick installation of themes, also called map styles, on the OpenAndroMaps site or links to themes in the OpenAndroMaps forum.

Map styles define if, when (at which zoom level) and how (colors, symbols, size) elements (surface, landuse, roads, poi, ...) included in the map appear. You can edit those styles (xml files) with a text editor, but as it is not so easy, maybe you should try some of the existing themes first.

In Oruxmaps you can switch between  themes in 'maps - map tweaks - mapsforge themes'. There you will also find the function 'tweak mapsforge themes' where you can chose the purpose you want to use the map for (hiking, cycling, mtb, city) and categories (e.g. amenities, public transport) to appear on the map or not.

[Tronpo]

I installed this and it's now working. Thanks.

However, these maps (WORLD) don't render anything: OpenTopoMap, VEC:Mapnik->mapsforge. Should they?

Also, none of the offline options I've looked at (Topo 4umaps via Map creator) or maps from mapsforge have the same level of detail as Mapnik. Is there some offline equivalent?

Hola!! Prueba este truco,es muy sencillo.
Haz un mapa compuesto de OSM mapnik con cualquier otro mapa.
Usa 0SM mapnik como mapa base de zoom 5 a 20 y el otro mapa como capa de zoom 0 a 5 .

Después puedes usar el creador de mapas para descargar este compuesto, evidentemente haz de elegir la descarga de los zoom de 5 a 20 que son los que ocupa el mapa de OSM mapnik.

𝕥𝕣𝕠ℕ𝕡𝕠

[owmapper]

Hi Lenz,
I successfully installed Elevate. I don't fully understand how it all works but at least I have something I can now mess around with. Thanks for your help.