OpenStreetMap
One of the reasons as to why I loved this image set was because it was almost centered completely from the top-down, which made tracing buildings far easier. This new set that was introduced makes it extremely hard now, and all of the already-traced assets like buildings and roads are now quite skewed when based off the new set. It’s frustrating.
Discussion
Comment from Koreller on 25 March 2025 at 20:25
Don’t worry, you’re lucky to be using ESRI, they allow you to access their old images with ESRI World Imagery Wayback (see here https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/wayback/#active=34007&mapCenter=-79.54359%2C8.95562%2C16 in your area) and you can display them dynamically on JOSM or iD, just follow this tutorial : osm.org/user/Deane%20Kensok/diary/397014
Comment from TonyJC on 26 March 2025 at 04:30
Oh thank you!
Comment from SimonPoole on 26 March 2025 at 19:51
Using old ESRI imagery with the above method works with any app that supports custom imagery, not just iD and JOSM.
Comment from rphyrin on 27 March 2025 at 06:28
Is there a new Esri World Imagery update? Did they announce it somewhere?
Comment from MxxCon on 27 March 2025 at 11:22
You can still trace buildings, even with skewed imagery. Trace them based on their roof lines, and then move entire buildings to align them with visible corners on the ground.
Comment from TonyJC on 27 March 2025 at 14:55
@rphyrin There’s new imagery for Panama, but I don’t know for the rest of the world.
@MxxCon I know, but I just want to have a source of images that are consistent and make life a bit easier. I do trace the roofs and add them roughly where they should be with the rest of the building, but when the pictures are taken right as they’re above the building, it helps immensively when it comes to proportions.
Comment from rphyrin on 28 March 2025 at 06:17
@TonyJC Have you tried the “Imagery Offset” feature in the iD editor?
Comment from MxxCon on 28 March 2025 at 12:08
Imagery offset is NOT intended for imagery taken at oblique angles. If you are doing that, then you are mapping wrong or don’t understand what it is.
Comment from TonyJC on 29 March 2025 at 14:27
I’m currently having a lot of trouble with the ID number of the tile set. When I use the specified resource (https://wayback.maptiles.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/World_Imagery/WMTS/1.0.0/default028mm/MapServer/tile/17632/%7Blevel%7D/%7Brow%7D/%7Bcol%7D), it just gives me a low resolution image of the Earth. So I’m thinking that I must be doing something wrong or there’s something missing from the tutorial that leaves out that it has to do with the ID number and how to find it.
Comment from TonyJC on 29 March 2025 at 14:52
Somehow it works now, when it didn’t before. Really weird stuff.