Pushpin Clustering in Bing Maps V8

Last month we announced the preview release of the Bing Maps V8 Web control. This new HTML5 power map control brings a lot of performance improvements and many new features. Today we would like to highlight the new Clustering module.

What is Pushpin Clustering?

With the performance improvements in the V8 map control it may be tempting to simply load all your data onto the map. However, if you add enough pushpins, eventually they will cover most of the map and make the map cluttered and difficult to navigate. For example, here is a map with 1,000 pushpins on it:

Pushpin clustering makes it easier to navigate when there are a lot of pushpins on the map by taking closely positioned pushpins and grouping them into clusters. These clusters can then be displayed differently to indicate that they are a cluster of pushpins, and not a single pushpin. By default, the Clustering module represents clusters by using the default pushpin and simply adds the number of pushpins in a cluster as text on it. As you zoom into the map, the clusters will break apart into their individual pushpins. Here is an example of 1,000 pushpins rendered using the clustering module. As it zooms in the clusters break apart into their individual pushpins.

Read the rest on the Bing Maps blog here.