Hiding specific OpenStreetMap basemap tags?

Question

I have been trying to find a way to hide or suppress specific tags on OSM within my .js code. There is just too much information packed into the OSM basemap and it takes away from what is important for my specific map use. Ideally it would be as easy as a simple call to remove a specific tag (like a picnic table icon or a tree icon). However, I have not found a way to do this yet.

Can this be done, and if so, how can it be done?

If there is not a way to do this how should I go about developing my own custom basemap to meet my needs?

Answer 1

It would seem from your question that you are using the mapping which appears as standard on www.openstreetmap.org - It's important to understand that this is not "THE" osm basemap, but just one of hundreds or thousands of maps based on OSM data.

It seems likely from your question that you're importing/referencing existing OSM map 'tiles'. These are rendered images - images created (before being made available) from the OSM data. You can't change these images automatically - they are finished 'raster' images, not data. (Or at least, you can't change them in the way you mean - you can of course manipulate any image, but only as an image).

How do I make a map from OSM data is a very big (separate) question. It depends on what your needs are (which you don't specify), and what skills/technology you have available, how you're using the mapping, and all sorts of other things.

Try 'switch2osm' for starter information on how this all works.

Answer 2

I wrote a couple of diary entries here and here about removing data from a database prior to rendering. While that's unlikely to be exactly what you're looking for the methods used to purge input files of data might be useful.