DigitalGlobe Maps API had a free plan to use their maps, but it will expire on May 31 2017.
UPDATE: It’s expired now 🙂
So here’s a quick comparison I did with their maps.
DigitalGlobe distributes their maps via MapBox so the API is the same: you just have to use different map names and API keys.
At low zoom levels (1:144000 and smaller scale) the maps are the same, it’s the standard MapBox Satellite map.
After zooming in we start to notice the differences.
On the left you can see the DigitalGlobe Recent imagery, on the right MapBox Satellite one.
The recent one looks like a patchwork because it actually is: every time they acquire a new image from the satellites they update the map.
At first it can look a little ugly compared to the other one, but there is a reason for that: every processing on the images to make them “look good” will just degrade the quality of the image. If you want recent images it because you want to know what’s there, not just a good looking background.
Let’s have a closer look.
In this comparison we can see a new mall in the center. That mall is not visible in MapBox Satellite map (right), that means that those images dates back at least to 2013, since the construction started in 2014. DigitalGlobe Recent on the other side (left) shows the mall and two other buildings on the side, dating the images near the end of 2015.
Two years ahead in this city, but I’m sure more interesting ones are updated more frequently.
They also have transparent maps with road names in both English (where available) and Local language.
It was interesting playing around during the free trial, I think I’m going to keep an eye on that maps for future projects.
The GIS viewer in the screenshots is MapStore2 , a free open-source map editor made by my company GeoSolutions. Feel free to give it a try!
Gnafu Braindumps 