Bing Basemaps Changed

[PeterMcAlenney]

Hi,

I have been using the Bing basemaps with my Flex 2.1 web projects and has been fine.  It was full featured with a lot of detail - all was working great.  Then i upgraded my flex api to 2.2, and the Bing basemap reverted to a dull gray map with very few road/town/city etc.. features.  It looks desolate and dull.  I have tried getting new Bing keys and that has not solved the problem.

Attached are 2 images, one of the 'normal or nice' Bing basemap (bing_orig_s.png), and the other of the new dull/gray basemap (bing_new_s.png).

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Pete

[Anonymous User]

Hi Peter,
This blog post and the three parts that follow it may clarify your question:
http://www.41latitude.com/post/2326795876/bing-maps-update-1

Chris

[Anonymous User]

Original User: pmcalenney

It looks like this is a result of upgrading to the Flex 2.2 API.  I saw it in the Whats New page of the 2.2 API as an ENHANCEMENT!  That is a shame, this enhanced map is horrible compared to the old one.

If you run into this problem, just downgrade your flex API to 2.1, and it will fix the problem.

ESRI - can you give us an option to use the older/better Bing map?!?!

[BjornSvensson]

Peter,
Microsoft have announced that beginning on May 1, 2011, the new map style will become the default and only road style available.  This means that all versions of the Flex API will automatically have the new look and feel starting May 1 (unless Microsoft changes something).  Until May 1 (as you pointed out), version 2.2 will give you the new Bing map style while older API versions will still show the old map style.

"Bing Maps has introduced a new enhanced road map style for all Bing Maps APIs. This style is designed to improve readability and interaction for imagery with data overlays. This map style is in use on http://www.bing.com/maps. [...] On May 1, 2011 the new map style will become the only road style available."

So even using 2.1 is only a temporary solution.

To answer your question about options - the only options I can think of is to either convince Microsoft or create your own basemap.

[Anonymous User]

Original User: dpaddock

They have made some changes already based on the feedback they've received:
http://www.bing.com/community/site_blogs/b/maps/archive/2010/12/15/announcing-v1-1-of-the-new-map-st...