MapDraw: Take the Scenic Route

MapDraw

I use Organic Maps every day. Currently, I'm using it to follow the London Loop, with the route loaded as a GPX track on the map.

I often get annoyed with the London Loop route - particularly when it takes me along a busy road when I can see what looks like a much more pleasant alternative just a few metres away. What I need is a simple tool that will allow me to draw my own alternative routes for the sections I don't like and save them as GPX files, which I can then add to Organic Maps.

Welcome to MapDraw. MapDraw is a browser-based map editor that allows you to import, draw and edit geographic data. So, if I decide that the official London Loop route has made a terrible mistake by sending me down a noisy main road, I can load the GPX file into MapDraw, redraw that section of the route and export my improved version.

Of course, MapDraw can do a lot more than simply help me correct the London Loop. You can use MapDraw to generate routes for driving, cycling or walking, and then save those generated routes as editable paths. You can view elevation profiles for your tracks, simplify overly complicated paths and areas, and search for points of interest using OpenStreetMap data. MapDraw even includes a built-in GeoJSON editor, allowing you to view and edit your map data directly as raw GeoJSON.

MapDraw also supports custom WMS and XYZ map layers, allowing you to add your own map overlays and rearrange them using drag-and-drop. You can connect a Strava account to view your activities and download your Strava GPX tracks. OpenStreetMap users can even sign in to leave map notes or add missing places directly from the application.

Under the hood, MapDraw uses Leaflet js and the Leaflet.draw plugin to provide its drawing and editing tools. Leaflet.draw adds the controls needed to draw, edit and delete points, lines and polygons on a Leaflet map, making it possible for MapDraw to turn the map itself into an interactive geographic editor.