Windows Phone 8/8.1 's improvements to map development

This article introduces the functions of WP platform for map development from Windows Phone 8.0 to 8.1 two sections.

DirectX

We used DirectX in the new "Gold map Windows Phone 8 SDK". Compared to the previous Windows Phone 7 grid Map, DirectX brings the following improvements:

1. DirectX can interact with XAML in a managed manner so that the map can appear as a single control, which is easy for third party developers to control and use.

Figure 1. D3D Control Demo

2. Because of WP8 hardware specifications upgrades, using DirectX provides a higher number of frames to draw, making the map more fluid in the process of running.

3. DirectX is a 3D engine, so it is possible to provide 3D effects that the grid map cannot provide, while supporting the rotation angle and changing the elevation:

Figure 2. Windows Phone 8 3D engine