Blog List

We've been working away on the new version of the Microsoft Australia Find a Partner site and it has now been released!

So's what's new since the last version?  The key features that the end users i.e. YOU see are:

• Upgraded the map to use Virtual Earth version 6
• You can now filter by specialisation aswell as competency
• List of partners on a pin hover now has infinite scroll rather than a next button

Our presentation at the Gold Coast .Net User group on SQL 2008 Spatial and Virtual Earth has now been postponed till the 20th March.

For those that don't know I moderate the Virtual Earth forums at MSDN:

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=537&SiteID=1

The forum is buzzing with questions and awesome answers from the likes of Ricky, Derek, Brian, Jeff, Roberto, Mike and many others. If you really want to know where the VE dev community is the forums is the place.

So today I came across another post asking about Virtual Earth in a Windows Forms (desktop) applications. My thoughts are, what a great opportunity for MSFT, harness the power of Virtual Earth data and services within rich Windows applications. I sure it will happen some day.

But hold on, I had the same thought over 18 months ago with a similar post on the forum. Is this not a good business opportunity for Microsoft? Are they not licensing the data to be used in this way? I don't know the answer but today we still only have a JavaScript control.

So over the period of time I've been working with Virtual Earth what is my wish list of major additions to the Virtual Earth platform?

Window Forms / WPF Native Virtual Earth control Silverlight 2.0 control ASP.NET Server Control Mobile Control API Additional Web controls from maps.live.com wrapped for developers. API for creating precise 3D animations Code Patterns  

Window Forms / WPF Native Virtual Earth control

Rather then host a web browser and deal with JavaScript let have a proper Virtual Earth WPF control with all the power of native 3D rendering and full system resources. No issues with Browsers, DOM, AJAX and JavaScript. We would integrate this control into our business applications. Programmers would code in .Net.

Silverlight 2.0 control

On the web side lets continue this with a Silverlight 2.0 control. The .Net programming model again be used. The performance benefits of this technology of JavaScript would be put to good use. Our navigation of the map would be seem less. Yes we have all seen the PhotoSynth Demos. This would provide...

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We've been working on a new Microsoft Usergroup site for the last few months, and it's just been released! You can check it out here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-au/cc185136.aspx

It allows users for find any of the Microsoft User Groups in Australia visually on a Virtual Earth Version 6 map.  You can also filter the groups by name, location and group type.

One of our clients that John has been working with for awhile has release their new site http://clikitysplit.com.

ClikitySplit.com is the world wide web’s first visual, rich multimedia, dynamic, marketing and search engine.  Using ClikitySplit, consumers worldwide can quickly, visually, and geographically locate and research desired points of interest on interactive maps via plotted dot icons and patent-pending "dynamic billboards".



The official announcement by Eric Ward can be found here http://www.urlwire.com/news/010808.html.

Othere articles of interest include:

WebProNews:  ClikitySplit Takes On Local Search - http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/11/clikitysplit-takes-on-local-search KillerStartUps:  ClikitySplit.com – A Visual Marketplace - http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/Clikitysplitcom---A-Visual-Marketplace/  A Better Mousetrap? ClikitySplit - http://passagecommunications.blogspot.com/2008/01/better-mousetrap-clickity-split.html ClikitySplit Offers Twist on Local Search - http://www.scotlandseoblog.co.uk/2008/01/12/clikitysplit-offers-twist-on-local-search Press Release - http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=802844   

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We've had a late addition to our user group tour...Gold Coast .Net.  We'll be visiting these guys on the 21st February, venue TBA.  Will add some links and details as they come to hand.

Updated schedule can be found HERE

Technorati Tags: Gold Coast .Net

Next Tuesday, 29th we're off to Hobart to present 2 sessions on SQL Spatial with Virtual Earth.  We're lucky to be the 2nd presentation at the newly formed Hobart SQL Server Usergroup during the day followed by the Hobart .Net at night.

Details for the session:

In this visually interactive talk we explore the new spatial data types, functions and indexes directly related to the real world using the interactive browser based Virtual Earth control. We focus on the new Geography data type providing an overview of the new functionality as directly applied to mapping. This includes the storage of points, polylines and polygons as well as real world tasks like effective rendering to the map, geofencing and proximity searches. We explore the power of union and buffering. Finally we examine the new index specifically built for fast spatial lookup.

The talk will inform, teach and demonstrate. You will understand what this new functionality is all about, what data types and functions are needed, how they operate and how to add an effective spatial index to your project.

Registration/Information on the sessions:

• Hobart SQL Server UG - Register HERE
• Hobart .Net UG - Details HERE

Technorati Tags: SQL Spatial, Virtual Earth, Hobart

In part 2 of this series, Derek Chan shows how to integrate the Mappoint Web Service platform on a Virtual Earth map.

http://www.viawindowslive.com/Articles/VirtualEarth/InvokingserversidecodeusingAJAXPart2.aspx

If you recall part 1 introduced the concepts of using a httphandler to communicate between server side code and Virtual Earth.

http://www.viawindowslive.com/Articles/VirtualEarth/InvokingserversidecodeusingAJAX.aspx

As usual the full source code is available for download. Great work Derek!

I spoke with Rony Ledany the Managing Director of Terra Pixel about their new product ImagePatch this week. As you may know the Virtual Earth API allows for custom tile layers to be added over the top of the stock road or aerial tiles built in. The difficulty is how you source the data, prepare and integrate into your system.



I asked Rony a few quick questions:

John: So Rony, what is ImagePatch?

Rony: ImagePatch.comJohn: How easy is it to incorporate your service into a Virtual Earth application?

Rony: Very easy, as we deliver our patches in YUM format (Virtual Earth tile base ready package) you can just like you see our image samples on ImagePatch.com

John: Are we talking about better quality images, more recent image or coverage of areas not currently in Virtual Earth?

Rony: Microsoft Virtual Earth publish their imagery in many levels of resolution. Generally, high resolution in urban areas and less in rural locations. Image Patch can deliver much higher resolution, but focuses on specific location vs.. an entire region.

 John: Thanks for the quick chat Rony, if people are interested in this service how do they get in contact with you?

Rony: www.ImagePatch.com let you view patch samples, then over to the Order Page in just 4 easy steps:

1. Locate the area of interest

2.Define the area for acquisition

3. Chose Resolution

4. Submit an email request

We will then both get an email confirmation that include a KML with a polygon of the area of interest.

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This week we arrive in Melbourne to present our 3rd in a series of 8 talks on SQL Spatial with Virtual Earth.  So far there's just under 100 people registered so should be a great turn out.  If you're interested and haven't signed up all the details are below. 

SQL Spatial with Virtual Earth 

15 January - Melbourne - Register HERE

In this visually interactive talk we explore the new spatial data types, functions and indexes directly related to the real world using the interactive browser based Virtual Earth control. We focus on the new Geography data type providing an overview of the new functionality as directly applied to mapping. This includes the storage of points, polylines and polygons as well as real world tasks like effective rendering to the map, geofencing and proximity searches. We explore the power of union and buffering. Finally we examine the new index specifically built for fast spatial lookup.

The talk will inform, teach and demonstrate. You will understand what this new functionality is all about, what data types and functions are needed, how they operate and how to add an effective spatial index to your project.