Version 6.0 to 6.1 Auto-Upgrade Alert & V 3-5 Deprecation Reminder

<p>An alert for you Version 6 API customers out there. We're going to auto-upgrade all Version 6 users to Version 6.1 on June 26, 2008. This will effectively combine Version 6 and 6.1. You don't have to do anything; unless, of course, you've downloaded the control and modified the guts of it. Then, you might want to do some proactive investigation into Version 6.1. The good news is that Version 6.1 is backwards compatible to 6.0 (or, at least it will be on June 26. :)). We'll support both URLs, you'll just start getting Bird's Eye Hybrids, reverse geocoding, Safari 3 Support and improved parsing support for US addresses. Check out the full list of <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/virtualearth/archive/2008/04/11/new-virtual-earth-api-release-virtual-earth-6-1.aspx" target="_blank">Version 6.1 features</a>. And, you get all this without having to do a release...yay!</p> <p>Here's the official communication:</p> <p>"<em>We’re pleased to announce your Virtual Earth v6.0 applications will be automatically upgraded to v6.1 on June 26, 2008. This automatic upgrade process will save you the time and effort of actively upgrading on your own. No action is required on your part for this process to take effect. Following the upgrade, your v6.0 applications will automatically have access to all the latest v6.1 features and enhancements, including bird’s eye with labels and improved Safari browser support.</em> <p><em>For more information on all the Virtual Earth v6.1 features and enhancements, please visit the </em><a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb429619.aspx"><em>Virtual Earth v6.1 SDK</em></a><em>. <b></b></em> <p><b><em></em></b> <p><em>Virtual Earth v6.1 is backward compatible with v6.0, therefore, your v6.0 applications will continue to function as expected after the automatic upgrade, provided you have developed your v6.0 applications as documented in the Virtual Earth SDK. </em>" <p>Also, don't forget, we <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/virtualearth/archive/2008/03/03/deprecating-older-versions-of-virtual-earth.aspx" target="_blank">plan to deprecate Version 3, 4 and 5</a> on August 31, 2008. If you're still on one of those versions you may as well move to Version 6.1. The clock is ticking on that, so get going. If you need help, hit up the forums (see sidebar links) or contact the Virtual Earth support team if you have a contract. Hit me if you have questions about the upgrade. <p>CP</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8476045" width="1" height="1">

A couple of days ago I filed a ticket with OpenLayers to add support for v5 & v6. I've just added expiration date for v3 & v4. OpenLayers currently only supports v3/v4. This should be sufficient for whilst we're out in Costa Rica, but I'll need an update for next year.


Richard

Do you have any information about OpenLayers support of VE?

I found this example OpenLayers Virtual Earth Example (http://www.openlayers.org/dev/examples/ve.html) from their Example List
OpenLayers Examples (http://www.openlayers.org/dev/examples/example-list.html)

Is this one example it or is there other support for VE in OpenLayers?

Thanks,
Eric

Yes that is it.

I have an example working with some of my own map data. Switching base layers doesn't work very well, so I was going to have two pages - one uses my own WMS-delivered base layer, and the other uses Virtual Earth.

The examples also use v3. v4 also works, but 5 and 6.1 do not. There was an api change between 4 & 5. I filed a ticket for have v5/v6 support added. I've also added a note with a link to the retirement schedule for v3,v4,v5.


Richard