Downloading with OS Select+Build

What is OS Select+Build?

OS Select+Build is our download service that gives you access to OS NGD data. You can use it to choose and download the OS NGD data you need (by theme, collection and feature type) and select how you want to receive your data.

For the first time, you can select and build only the data you require rather than taking off-the shelf OS products. For example, if you're only interested in buildings information, then you just select the OS NGD Buildings Theme and the content you require within that theme. There's no need to take a whole product and spend time filtering out the data you need from it.

You can also take data from different OS NGD collections. For example, you could select the Building and Building Access Location Feature Types (which are both in the Building Features Collection of the Buildings Theme) and the Land Point and Landform Feature Type (which are both in the Land Features Collection of the Structures Theme).

The screenshot below shows what selecting this data would look like using OS Select+Build. The secondary navigation menu on the left-hand side of the screen is where you select the feature types you want from the tree view of the OS NGD themes, collections, and feature types, and where you can apply filters to the feature types (if needed). The right-hand side panel displays the definition for the feature type you've selected and lists all the attributes present within it.

There are two different file formats options available when you download OS NGD data from OS Select+Build: GeoPackage and CSV. Various supply options are available.

OS Select+Build is available via the OS Data Hub.

Recipes

What is a recipe?

A recipe is a bespoke selection of OS NGD data which is made by a user within OS Select+Build. Recipes allow you to choose the OS NGD data that best fits your requirements.

OS NGD data is structured by themes, collections, and feature types; the main advantage to this data structure is that you can easily find and select individual feature types across different themes and build your own recipes and data package/s containing only the data you are interested in. There's also the option to select all or only a few feature types from a single theme.

Every new recipe you create will be stored in your OS NGD Select+Build Recipe Library. This library will be visible to other people in your organisation. It provides a central place for colleagues to view and use recipes.

How do I create a new recipe?

Before you create a data package to receive your OS NGD data, you'll need to create a recipe.

To create a new recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• Click the Create a new recipe button at the top right-hand-side of the screen.

• Add the following details to your recipe under Create your recipe in the secondary navigation menu:

  • Give your recipe a name.

  • Add a description for your recipe.

  • Select your OS NGD data by choosing the themes, collections and feature types you want to include in your recipe.

  • If you wish to choose which schema version (where applicable) you'd like to receive the data in for a feature type, click on the feature type name within the tree view in the secondary navigation menu, then choose a data schema version from the drop-down box in the right-hand side panel.

  

  • Add filters to the feature types, if needed.

• Click the Create recipe button.

Your new recipe will now instantly be available in your OS Select+Build Recipe Library.

How do I find my OS Select+Build Recipe Library?

Any recipes created by your organisation will be stored in your OS Select+Build Recipe Library in the OS Data Hub.

To find your OS Select+Build Recipe Library:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

You will then be taken to your organisation's OS Select+Build Recipe Library.

How do I check what's in a recipe?

You can easily check details about any of your organisation's existing recipes, including a recipe's name, description, creation date, author, the filters used (if applicable), and what OS NGD themes, collections and feature types are included in a recipe.

To check what's in an existing recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your OS NGD Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you would like to find out more about.

• In this view, you can see the following high-level details about a recipe:

  • The recipe's name

  • The recipe's author

  • The date the recipe was created

  • A description of the recipe, if one has been added

  • OS NGD theme tags to show which themes are included in the recipe

In the screenshot below, you can see that the example recipe includes the following OS NGD themes: Land, Buildings, and Structures.

To see what OS NGD themes, collections and feature types are in a recipe, follow the steps above to find a recipe in your OS Select+Build Recipe Library, then:

• Click on the name of the recipe you would like to find out more about.

• You are now within the Recipe details screen, where you can view detailed information about the recipe, including:

  • The recipe's name

  • A description of the recipe, if one has been added

  • An option to view all of the filters applied to feature types in the recipe (if applicable)

  • The date the recipe was created

  • The recipe's author

  • An option to show the data schema version of each feature type in the recipe

  • A recipe tree detailing the OS NGD themes, collections, and feature types included in the recipe

How do I delete a recipe?

A recipe can be deleted within your recipe library. You can do this if you are the author of the recipe or an admin user.

To delete a recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your organisation's OS Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you want to delete.

• Click on the name of the recipe to view the recipe details.

In this view, you will be able to see the Recipe actions dropdown (where you can share, edit or delete a recipe).

• Click the Recipe actions dropdown.

• Click Delete recipe.

• Click on the name of the recipe to view the recipe details.

  • If there are no data packages associated with the recipe, you will be asked to confirm the deletion of the recipe.

  • Where there are data packages associated, you will see the following warning:

  

• Click the Delete recipe button.

How do I edit the name of my recipe?

To edit a recipe's name:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your organisation's OS Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you want to edit.

• Click on the name of the recipe to view the recipe details.

• Click on the pencil icon next to the recipe name.

• Enter the required changes to the recipe name.

• To save your changes, simply click away from the edit box.

The recipe's change log at the bottom of the page will update to reflect the change to the recipe name.

How do I edit the description of my recipe?

To edit a recipe's description:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your organisation's OS Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you want to edit.

• Click on the name of the recipe to view the recipe details.

• Click on the pencil icon next to the recipe description.

• Enter the required changes to the recipe description.

• To save your changes, simply click away from the edit box.

The recipe's change log at the bottom of the page will update to reflect the change to the recipe description.

How do I edit a recipe?

You can edit the content of a recipe, i.e. add or remove themes / feature types, or change attribute filtering or data schema versions. However, you can't edit a recipe if it has data packages linked to it that receive change-only updates (COUs) – please see the warning note below for instructions on how to solve this issue and create a copy of a recipe.

To edit a recipe that doesn't have data packages linked to it that receive COUs:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• From your list of recipes, click on the name of the recipe you wish to edit, then click on the Recipe actions dropdown and select Edit recipe.

• Click to add and remove themes and feature types, or change attribute filtering or data schema versions.

• Select Save changes.

• Add a description of the change you have made, then select Save changes.

How do I share a recipe?

A recipe can be shared with another organisation to enable collaboration.

To share a recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your organisation's OS Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you want to share.

In this view, you will be able to see the Recipe actions dropdown (where you can share, edit or delete a recipe).

• Click the Recipe actions dropdown.

• Click the Share recipe button.

The share recipe dialog will appear.

• Search for the organisation with whom you wish to share the recipe. To do this, just start to type the organisation's name, then select the correct organisation from the list.

• Add a message for the organisation receiving the recipe to provide them with context around why you are sharing the recipe with them.

• Click Send.

How do I accept a recipe shared with me?

To accept a shared recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

You will see a new notification at the top right of your screen, indicated by a bell button and a number count of any unread notifications.

• Click the bell button.

You will then see details of a notification explaining You have been sent a shared recipe, which will include the name of the organisation that shared the recipe with you, along with a message if they added one when sharing the recipe.

• Click View recipe details.

The recipe details will be displayed for you to review. If you are happy with the shared recipe:

• Click the Accept recipe button.

You will be presented with a dialog box explaining: When you accept a recipe, it is added to your organisation’s recipe library. It will show as 'shared'. You can create data packages from it, but you can’t share the recipe with other organisations.

How do I reject a recipe shared with me?

To reject a shared recipe:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

You will see a new notification at the top right of your screen, indicated by a bell button and a number count of any unread notifications.

• Click the bell button.

You will then see details of a notification explaining You have been sent a shared recipe, which will include the name of the organisation that shared the recipe with you, along with a message if they added one when sharing the recipe.

• Click View recipe details.

The recipe details will be displayed for you to review. If this recipe is not right for you and you want to reject it:

• Click the Reject button.

Data packages

How do I create a new data package?

Once you've created a recipe, you'll then need to create a data package against it to receive your OS NGD data.

To create a new OS NGD data package:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > OS Select+Build Recipe Library from the secondary navigation menu.

• In your OS NGD Select+Build Recipe Library, scroll or search for the recipe you wish to create a data package against, select that recipe, then click the Add data package button.

• Add the following details to your data package under Add a data package in the secondary navigation menu:

  • Give your data package a name.

  • Choose the area you want to receive your data for: Either 'All of Britain or Predefined Area' (this means you receive data and it will not be refined by location) or 'Draw a polygon / upload a file / use an OS polygon' (to select a smaller area for your data to be provided for).

  • Select the desired coordinate reference system.

  • Select a file format: CSV or GeoPackage.

  • Select the updates you want: Either not required or COU (Change-Only Update) frequency. There is also an option to select a one-off snapshot of a current or past date.

  • Set your initial supply date.

• Click the Create data package button.

You will receive an email confirming that your data package is being created and another one when your new data package is ready to download.

How do I find and download an existing data package?

All OS NGD, OS OpenData and OS Premium data packages created and ordered by your organisation will be catalogued in your Data Packages list in the OS Data Hub.

To find and download an existing data package:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > Data packages from the secondary navigation menu.

You will be then taken to your Data Packages list.

• Scroll through the list to find a particular data package or use the search bar to search by data package name, data package number, or product name.

Data packages linked to an OS NGD recipe can be identified by their prefix of 'OS NGD Recipe' against the recipe name in the Product column in the Data packages list:

• Once you have found the data package you want from the list, click the Download button in the Status column.

You are now within the Data package summary screen, where you can view and download files. Under 'Individual file downloads' in the bottom left-hand side of your screen, you will see a .zip file for every feature type in your data package order.

• Click on a file to download it.

What is the Order Summary file?

This is also known as a manifest file, a computing file which contains metadata. We provide an Order Summary file for each feature type in your data package. The following file naming convention will be applied to each Order Summary file you receive:

• collection_featuretype_orderSummary.jso

For example, the file name for the Building Part Feature Type Order Summary file would look like this:

• bld_fts_buildingpart_orderSummary.jso

The example below shows the information an Order Summary file contains:

{
 "featureName": "bld-fts-buildingline",
 "crs": "http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/27700",
 "schemaVersion": "1.0",
 "validFromDate": null,
 "validToDate": "2023-03-01",
 "recordCount": 202653
}

How do I delete a data package?

To delete an existing data package:

• Log into your OS Data Hub account.

• Select Data from the main menu.

• Choose Downloads > Data packages from the secondary navigation menu.

You will be then taken to your Data Packages list.

• Scroll through the list to find a particular data package or use the search bar to search by data package name, data package number, or product name.

• Once you have found the data package you want from the list, click the data package's name.

You are now within the Data package summary screen.

• Click the Package options dropdown in the top right-hand side of your screen.

• Click Delete package.

A warning pop up will appear.

• Click the Delete package button in the pop up.

Things to remember