Bing Maps > REST > Imagery > Metadata > Birdseye image doesn't return data

Question

Hi Bing team,

Today I got an issue when trying to get Static image (Birdseye image) from REST service.

My call: https://dev.virtualearth.net/REST/V1/Imagery/Metadata/Birdseye/33.869503,-118.25325?key=[KEY]

<Response xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/search/local/ws/rest/v1">
<Copyright>
Copyright © 2017 Microsoft and its suppliers. All rights reserved. This API cannot be accessed and the content and any results may not be used, reproduced or transmitted in any manner without express written permission from Microsoft Corporation.
</Copyright>
<BrandLogoUri>
http://dev.virtualearth.net/Branding/logo_powered_by.png
</BrandLogoUri>
<StatusCode>200</StatusCode>
<StatusDescription>OK</StatusDescription>
<AuthenticationResultCode>ValidCredentials</AuthenticationResultCode>
<TraceId>
e1cc41a09c0e407f9f337de135c72227|CO30263812|7.7.0.0|
</TraceId>
<ResourceSets>
<ResourceSet>
<EstimatedTotal>0</EstimatedTotal>
<Resources/>
</ResourceSet>
</ResourceSets>
</Response>

It works if I change the call to get Aerial image instead of Birdseye image:

https://dev.virtualearth.net/REST/V1/Imagery/Metadata/Aerial/33.869503,-118.25325?key=[KEY]

<Response xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/search/local/ws/rest/v1">
<Copyright>
Copyright © 2017 Microsoft and its suppliers. All rights reserved. This API cannot be accessed and the content and any results may not be used, reproduced or transmitted in any manner without express written permission from Microsoft Corporation.
</Copyright>
<BrandLogoUri>
http://dev.virtualearth.net/Branding/logo_powered_by.png
</BrandLogoUri>
<StatusCode>200</StatusCode>
<StatusDescription>OK</StatusDescription>
<AuthenticationResultCode>ValidCredentials</AuthenticationResultCode>
<TraceId>
c24e35f9c6e848a596d2fdab0bdf6633|CO30263812|7.7.0.0|
</TraceId>
<ResourceSets>
<ResourceSet>
<EstimatedTotal>1</EstimatedTotal>
<Resources>
<ImageryMetadata>
<ImageUrl>
http://ecn.t2.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/a02301231133010001032.jpeg?g=5938
</ImageUrl>
<ImageWidth>256</ImageWidth>
<ImageHeight>256</ImageHeight>
<ZoomMin>20</ZoomMin>
<ZoomMax>20</ZoomMax>
<VintageStart>2014-11-16</VintageStart>
<VintageEnd>2014-11-24</VintageEnd>
</ImageryMetadata>
</Resources>
</ResourceSet>
</ResourceSets>
</Response>

Can you explain to me what could be reason on this issue ?

Thanks

Answer 1

The URL points to the old Birdseye data, use BirdseyeV2 instead to get information about the new Birdseye imagery.

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Answer 2

Hi Ricky,

Thanks for your help.

Do you have any reference about BirdseyeV2 and any article relate with "Bing will stop old Birdseye support". I didn't get any update about that.

Thanks

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Answer 3

Birdseye V2 is documented here https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/ff701716.aspx The old birdseye imagery was not to be used outside of the Bing Maps controls. So using the imagery metadata service to get the tile URL and then reverse engineering the tileId value is against the terms of use of Bing Maps. 

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Answer 4

Hi Ricky,

When I change to BirdseyeV2, I can not calculate TileId to replace to ImageURL:

http://ak.{subdomain}.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/be000000022222312-9-14-20-{tileId}.jpeg?g=5939&key=[KEY]

Previously we call to http://dev.virtualearth.net/services/v1/ImageryMetadataService/ImageryMetadataService.asmx/GetBirdsEyeSceneByLocation

to get TileID but look like this is private API and Bing doesn't allow this API anymore.

Could you mind provide me another ways to get correct TileID by Lat & Lon ?

Thanks

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Answer 5

That was an undocumented service that was and is not to be used directly. You are reverse engineering the bing maps API which is against the terms of use.

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