Silverlight Development: Bing Maps with Silverlight Control Drops Beta
Posted: 2:53 PM -07:00
On January 19, 2010 Microsoft® released the BingTM Maps SilverlightTM control from beta, marking a big step for Silverlight application development.
Bing Maps with Silverlight responds faster than the previous AJAX version, and it also offers multiple built-in "map apps," including Destination Maps and Local Events.
Destination Maps is a fun little feature that is reminiscent of the hand drawn maps party planners would pass around before the advent of digital maps. Users can easily select the destination, and the area of the map, and then Bing Maps will sketch it for you in four different styles: Sketchy, American, European, and Pirate (it looks like a treasure map).
Local Events is great for finding or promoting an event going on near you. By enabling the Local Events app, you can move around the map and see what is happening, including everything from educational events, to happy hours. If you are looking for something in particular, there is also a great filter that will narrow it down to the type of dancing you want, or a particular sport. Or if you are totally bored, you can show them all, and see how exciting your town really is. Links and times of each event are also conveniently displayed.
Like other maps, Bing Maps also displays directions, satellite and a streetside view. Bing Maps also uses PhotosynthTM-enabled street side imagery that stitches images together to create a realistic 3D view and shows locations as they are in real life.
The benefit to using Silverlight for Bing Maps is that Silverlight provides a faster transition as users navigate around the map, zoom in and out, and load different applications. Microsoft Silverlight provides functionalities similar to Adobe® Flash®, which integrates graphics, animations and interactivity into a single runtime environment.
Silverlight was designed by Microsoft® for creating Rich Internet Applications and allows developers to work in native .NET Framework languages which can mean faster development times, fewer compatibility problems, and a richer user experience.
Here at Amadeus Consulting we are also looking forward to exploring Silverlight's abilities for multitouch platforms, such as the Microsoft SurfaceTM, in addition to traditional Rich Internet Applications for web browsers. The 3D vector graphics and deep zoom capabilities of Silverlight make it the perfect choice for development for future interactive projects.