Render custom data on a raster map

• 12/07/2020
• 5 minutes to read
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This article explains how to use the static image service, with image composition functionality, to allow overlays on top of a raster map. Image composition includes the ability to get a raster tile back, with additional data like custom pushpins, labels, and geometry overlays.

To render custom pushpins, labels, and geometry overlays, you can use the Postman application. You can use Azure Maps Data Service APIs to store and render overlays.

Prerequisites

Create an Azure Maps account

To complete the procedures in this article, you first need to create an Azure Maps account and get your maps account key. Follow instructions in Create an account to create an Azure Maps account subscription and follow the steps in get primary key to get the primary key for your account. For more information on authentication in Azure Maps, see manage authentication in Azure Maps.

Render pushpins with labels and a custom image

The Azure Maps account S0 tier supports only a single instance of the pins parameter. It allows you to render up to five pushpins, specified in the URL request, with a custom image.

To render pushpins with labels and a custom image, complete these steps:

1. Create a collection in which to store the requests. In the Postman app, select New. In the Create New window, select Collection. Name the collection and select the Create button.

2. To create the request, select New again. In the Create New window, select Request. Enter a Request name for the pushpins. Select the collection you created in the previous step, as the location to save the request. Then, select Save.

   

3. Select the GET HTTP method on the builder tab and enter the following URL to create a GET request.

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/map/static/png?subscription-key={subscription-key}&api-version=1.0&layer=basic&style=main&zoom=12&center=-73.98,%2040.77&pins=custom%7Cla15+50%7Cls12%7Clc003b61%7C%7C%27CentralPark%27-73.9657974+40.781971%7C%7Chttps%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2FAzure-Samples%2FAzureMapsCodeSamples%2Fmaster%2FAzureMapsCodeSamples%2FCommon%2Fimages%2Ficons%2Fylw-pushpin.png
   

   Here's the resulting image:

   

Get data from Azure Maps data storage

You can also obtain the path and pin location information by using the Data Upload API. Follow the steps below to upload the path and pins data.

1. In the Postman app, open a new tab in the collection you created in the previous section. Select the POST HTTP method on the builder tab and enter the following URL to make a POST request:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/mapData/upload?subscription-key={subscription-key}&api-version=1.0&dataFormat=geojson
   

2. On the Params tab, enter the following key/value pairs, which are used for the POST request URL. Replace the subscription-key value with your Azure Maps subscription key.

   

3. On the Body tab, select the raw input format and choose JSON as the input format from the dropdown list. Provide this JSON as data to be uploaded:

   {
     "type": "FeatureCollection",
     "features": [
       {
         "type": "Feature",
         "properties": {},
         "geometry": {
           "type": "Polygon",
           "coordinates": [
             [
               [
                 -73.98235,
                 40.76799
               ],
               [
                 -73.95785,
                 40.80044
               ],
               [
                 -73.94928,
                 40.7968
               ],
               [
                 -73.97317,
                 40.76437
               ],
               [
                 -73.98235,
                 40.76799
               ]
             ]
           ]
         }
       },
       {
         "type": "Feature",
         "properties": {},
         "geometry": {
           "type": "LineString",
           "coordinates": [
             [
               -73.97624731063843,
               40.76560773817073
             ],
             [
               -73.97914409637451,
               40.766826609362575
             ],
             [
               -73.98513078689575,
               40.7585866048861
             ]
           ]
         }
       }
     ]
   }
   

4. Select Send and review the response header. Upon a successful request, the Location header will contain the status URI to check the current status of the upload request. The status URI would be of the following format.

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/mapData/{uploadStatusId}/status?api-version=1.0
   

5. Copy your status URI and append the subscription-key parameter to it with the value of your Azure Maps account subscription key. Use the same account subscription key that you used to upload the data. The status URI format should look like the one below:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/mapData/{uploadStatusId}/status?api-version=1.0&subscription-key={Subscription-key}
   

6. To get the udId, open a new tab in the Postman app. Select GET HTTP method on the builder tab. Make a GET request at the status URI. If your data upload was successful, you'll receive a udId in the response body. Copy the udId.

   {
      "udid" : "{udId}"
   }
   

7. Use the udId value received from the Data Upload API to render features on the map. To do so, open a new tab in the collection you created in the preceding section. Select the GET HTTP method on the builder tab, replace the {subscription-key} and {udId} with your values, and enter this URL to make a GET request:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/map/static/png?subscription-key={subscription-key}&api-version=1.0&layer=basic&style=main&zoom=12&center=-73.96682739257812%2C40.78119135317995&pins=default|la-35+50|ls12|lc003C62|co9B2F15||'Times Square'-73.98516297340393 40.758781646381024|'Central Park'-73.96682739257812 40.78119135317995&path=lc0000FF|fc0000FF|lw3|la0.80|fa0.30||udid-{udId}
   

   Here's the response image:

   

Render a polygon with color and opacity

You can modify the appearance of a polygon by using style modifiers with the path parameter.

1. In the Postman app, open a new tab in the collection you created earlier. Select the GET HTTP method on the builder tab and enter the following URL to configure a GET request to render a polygon with color and opacity:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/map/static/png?api-version=1.0&style=main&layer=basic&sku=S1&zoom=14&height=500&Width=500&center=-74.040701, 40.698666&path=lc0000FF|fc0000FF|lw3|la0.80|fa0.50||-74.03995513916016 40.70090237454063|-74.04082417488098 40.70028420372218|-74.04113531112671 40.70049568385827|-74.04298067092896 40.69899904076542|-74.04271245002747 40.69879568992435|-74.04367804527283 40.6980961582905|-74.04364585876465 40.698055487620714|-74.04368877410889 40.698022951066996|-74.04168248176573 40.696444909137|-74.03901100158691 40.69837271818651|-74.03824925422668 40.69837271818651|-74.03809905052185 40.69903971085914|-74.03771281242369 40.699340668780984|-74.03940796852112 40.70058515602143|-74.03948307037354 40.70052821920425|-74.03995513916016 40.70090237454063
   &subscription-key={subscription-key}
   

   Here's the response image:

   

Render a circle and pushpins with custom labels

You can modify the appearance of the pins by adding style modifiers. For example, to make pushpins and their labels larger or smaller, use the sc "scale style" modifier. This modifier takes a value that's greater than zero. A value of 1 is the standard scale. Values larger than 1 will make the pins larger, and values smaller than 1 will make them smaller. For more information about style modifiers, see static image service path parameters.

Follow these steps to render a circle and pushpins with custom labels:

1. In the Postman app, open a new tab in the collection you created earlier. Select the GET HTTP method on the builder tab and enter this URL to make a GET request:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/map/static/png?api-version=1.0&style=main&layer=basic&zoom=14&height=700&Width=700&center=-122.13230609893799,47.64599069048016&path=lcFF0000|lw2|la0.60|ra1000||-122.13230609893799 47.64599069048016&pins=default|la15+50|al0.66|lc003C62|co002D62||'Microsoft Corporate Headquarters'-122.14131832122801  47.64690503939462|'Microsoft Visitor Center'-122.136828 47.642224|'Microsoft Conference Center'-122.12552547454833 47.642940335653996|'Microsoft The Commons'-122.13687658309935  47.64452336193245&subscription-key={subscription-key}
   

   Here's the response image:

   

2. To change the color of the pushpins from the last step, change the "co" style modifier. Look at pins=default|la15+50|al0.66|lc003C62|co002D62|, the current color would be specified as #002D62 in CSS. Let's say you want to change it to #41d42a. Write the new color value after the "co" specifier, like this: pins=default|la15+50|al0.66|lc003C62|co41D42A|. Make a new GET request:

   https://atlas.microsoft.com/map/static/png?api-version=1.0&style=main&layer=basic&zoom=14&height=700&Width=700&center=-122.13230609893799,47.64599069048016&path=lcFF0000|lw2|la0.60|ra1000||-122.13230609893799 47.64599069048016&pins=default|la15+50|al0.66|lc003C62|co41D42A||'Microsoft Corporate Headquarters'-122.14131832122801  47.64690503939462|'Microsoft Visitor Center'-122.136828 47.642224|'Microsoft Conference Center'-122.12552547454833 47.642940335653996|'Microsoft The Commons'-122.13687658309935  47.64452336193245&subscription-key={subscription-key}
   

   Here's the response image after changing the colors of the pins:

   

Similarly, you can change, add, and remove other style modifiers.

Next steps

• Explore the Azure Maps Get Map Image API documentation.
• To learn more about Azure Maps Data service (Preview), see the service documentation.