Note: This page describes the development version of GPSBabel. It may substantially differ from the latest released GPSBabel.

OpenStreetMap data files (osm)

This format can...

  • read and write waypoints

  • write tracks

  • read and write routes

This format has the following options: tag, tagnd, created_by .

This format is used to exchange data with the OpenStreetMap project. The main goal of this collaborative project is to create free editable maps.

These data files are XML based. Every GPS element (way or node) described by the files has a unique number as identifier. When we write OSM data files and don't know something about the id's, negative numbers will be used as identifier. This has been tested with JOSM.

Because the resulting timestamps of OSM ways differ from real GPS tracks, we read OSM ways into routes. On the output side we write all available routes and tracks into the osm target file.

tag option

Write additional way tag key/value pairs.

With this option you can preset OSM features (tags) on all exported ways.

gpsbabel -i gdb -f ways.gdb -o osm,tag="highway:motorway" -F ways.osm

tagnd option

Write additional node tag key/value pairs.

With this option you can preset OSM features (tags) on every written nodes.

gpsbabel -i gdb -f nodes.gdb -o osm,tagnd="amenity:pub;building:yes" -F nodes.osm

created_by option

Use this value as custom created_by value.

Use this value as custom created_by value in an OSM file.

With this option, the given string is added as the 'created_by' field in all the created nodes and ways.

gpsbabel -i INTYPE -f INFILE -o osm,created_by=somestring -F out.osm

If an empty string is given, the 'created_by' tag is omitted altogether.

gpsbabel -i INTYPE -f INFILE -o osm,created_by= -F out.osm