In a blog post, the Bing Maps team announced the Bing Maps Version 8 SDK September 2016 update. The Bing Maps Version 8 developer control (V8) added some new data visualization features to get a better picture of all your business data.
The new data visualization feature is called the Data Binning Module. To get a better understanding of what data binning is, Microsoft provides a helpful explanation in their blog post:
“Data binning is the process of grouping point data into a symmetric grid of geometric shapes. An aggregate value can then be calculated from the pins in a bin and used to set the color or scale of that bin to provide a visual representation of a data metric that the bin contains. The two most common shapes used in data binning are squares and hexagons. When hexagons are used, this process is also referred to as hex binning. Since the size and the color can both be customized based on an aggregate value, it is possible to have a single data bin represent two data metrics (bivariant). The data binning module makes it easy to create data bins from thousands of pushpins.”
Here is what data binning looks like in Bing Maps V8.
For further explanation of data binning and the Data Binning Module, code samples and documentation are available.
The second feature introduced this month is the Contour Module. The contour module allows you to see different color representations of elevation, temperature, or earthquake warning levels on a two-dimensional (2D) map.
Code samples and documentation are available for further information on the contour module if you are interested.
In addition, the Bing Maps team added updated TypeScript definitions for Bing Maps V8, that is included in the Bing Maps V8 SDK September 2016 update. Other noteworthy improvements include bug fixes and double-click event support for shapes.
The complete list of the new features is available on the MSDN What’s New documentation page. Stay tuned for more new features coming soon for Bing Maps V8. Visit the Bing Maps forums or Bing Maps website to learn more about the Bing Maps to learn more V8 web control features or share your comments, concerns, or suggestions.
