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Getting started with OS OpenData FAQs
- What do I need to start using OS OpenData?
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You will need the following:
- An Internet browser
- An email address if you are downloading the data, or a delivery address if you have ordered DVDs
- Software able to read geographic data (Geographic Information System - GIS), for example QGIS (open source software).
Further information on how to work with the different datasets is also available.
- How do I install the data?
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Data (in either a raster or vector format) is not ‘installed’ – it’s not an application. No software is provided by us to view the data. Individual raster files can be opened in any image package (such as Adobe PhotoShop or Corel Paint Shop Pro). However to view either the vector data or a countrywide view of the raster data requires specialist software, either a GIS (Geographic Information System) or an image manipulation program. See the our getting started information on how to work with the data.
- Do you supply the software?
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Ordnance Survey supply the raw data, we do not supply software.
- Do you have any exercises I can follow to show me how to use OS OpenData?
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Yes, we have several exercises to work through on our wiki.
- Why are the Metropolitan boundaries not in the OS Boundary Line dataset.
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These boundaries are not classed as administrative and electoral. Thus, they are not included in the data.
- Why do the OS OpenData products not contain Rights of Way information?
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There was a government consultation in 2010 and they were to decide which of our products to release. It was decided that the 1:25 000 Colour Scale Raster and 1:50 000 Colour Scale Raster which contains the Rights of Way information would not be released through the OS OpenData initiative.
- How do we report errors on the products?
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The errors can be forwarded to the OS OpenData Team at opendata@ordnancesurvey.co.uk.
