Tools > Simplify Way

Keyboard shortcut: Shift+Y

Reduce the number of nodes in a way, but keep the general shape.

Implementation details

After simplification, all of the deleted nodes will be closer than 3 m to the simplified way. In other words, the old and the new way will never be more than 3 m apart.

You can configure this threshold in the advanced preferences (simplify-way.max-error, in meters, default value is 3). A lower threshold makes the simplification less aggressive.

The tool uses the ​Ramer–Douglas–Peucker algorithm for way simplification, but makes sure that tagged nodes and nodes with more than one parent way are not deleted.

See also

SimplifyArea plugin - despite the name, also simplifies ways. Uses a different algorithm and has more parameters for tuning. In particular for nodes A, B, C the node B is not deleted unless

• area of the triangle ABC is lower than 5 m²
• distance of B to the line AC is lower than 3 m
• angle ABC doesn't deviate more than 10° from 180°

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