The Map Being Drawn Screensaver
The The Map Being Drawn screensaver shows openStreetMap changesets as they are uploaded, key-less. A changeset stays open while an editor is still uploading, so a row showing zero edits is someone mid-upload and is drawn as open rather than as a zero. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the The Map Being Drawn screensaver works
The saver reads the source described above and draws it on a canvas — no account, no tracking.
OpenStreetMap changesets as they are uploaded, key-less. A changeset stays open while an editor is still uploading, so a row showing zero edits is someone mid-upload and is drawn as open rather than as a zero.
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours and any options can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
What an OpenStreetMap changeset is
OpenStreetMap is a map of the world built by volunteers, and every edit to it is grouped into a changeset: a collection of elements edited by one mapper in a single editing session. Most changesets carry a comment tag, a human-written description of the changes, and a created_by tag naming the editing software or script. Other tags such as source or imagery_used are also common.
Each row in the feed is one batch of work: perhaps a single fixed roundabout, perhaps a much larger edit. On openstreetmap.org a changeset's extent is shown as a rectangle around everything it touched, which tells you roughly where on the globe it landed. A changeset is limited to 10,000 elements, so even the biggest ones have a ceiling.
A changeset stays open until the editor closes it or the server does so automatically. It closes after one hour of inactivity, and no changeset can stay open longer than 24 hours. That is why an unfinished upload can appear with no changes counted yet. Automated edits are marked with a bot=yes tag, and a big number says nothing about quality.
A worked example
OpenStreetMap changesets as they are uploaded, key-less. A changeset stays open while an editor is still uploading, so a row showing zero edits is someone mid-upload and is drawn as open rather than as a zero.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Every value on screen comes from the live source — nothing is simulated.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the source named on this page and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes, and it runs entirely in your browser.
- Does one changeset equal one edit?
- No. A changeset is a collection of elements edited in a single editing session, so it can hold one small fix or many changes, up to a limit of 10,000 elements. That is why the sizes vary so much.
- How long can a changeset stay open?
- OpenStreetMap closes a changeset automatically after one hour of inactivity, and a changeset can be open for at most 24 hours. Once closed it cannot be edited again.
- Are some of these edits automated?
- Some are. Automated edits are supposed to carry a bot=yes tag, so scripted changesets can be told apart from hand-drawn ones.