MapQuest Static Maps with POI's (advanced features)

MapQuest Static Maps with POI's (advanced features)

Interesting update from Mapquest API's

De-cluttering Points of Interest [POI] with the static maps api

Creating Static Maps with your own POI- this example show how to use the de-clutter option (when points of interest are too close to each other and maintaining a pre-defined zoom level)

This static map is create with the url request

http://platform.beta.mapquest.com/staticmap/v3/getmap?type=map&center=51.044600,-1.3413100&size=800,600&zoom=10&pois=1,51.044900,-1.3413450,-51,-51|orange-100,51.044900,-1.3412700,51,-51|green,51.044200,-1.3413450,
-51,51|yellow-s,51.044200,-1.3412700,51,51|&key=[YOUR_KEY_HERE]*

live link tinyurl'ed - http://tinyurl.com/declutter-poi

pois=1,51.044900,-1.3413450, centred locations by latitude/longitude
51,51 (with +/-) is the de-clutter default
(more info on this see http://platform.beta.mapquest.com/staticmap/index.html#advancedoptions

*copying and pasting the long url will work - though for geocoding and other controlled functions require an api key.
API keys are free - they can be created by signing up to Mapquest API via
http://developer.mapquest.com/

Mapquest Static Maps API
http://platform.beta.mapquest.com/staticmap/

source:
http://devblog.mapquest.com/2009/09/14/geocoding-and-static-map-web-services-now-in-beta/