Is there a way to get a point elevation in Azure Maps, using a similar URL like in Bing Maps?

Question

Dear all,

It is possible to find out the elevation of a point using Azure Map like I did before, using an URL in Bing Maps?

http://dev.virtualearth.net/REST/v1/Elevation/List?heights=sealevel&output=xml&key={BingMapsKey}&points=45.9432,24.9668

If so, may I have a sample of syntax?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi Nicu Manda

Azure Maps does not offer a direct REST endpoint like Bing Maps for elevation queries. Instead, it provides a more flexible and customizable solution using Azure Functions, Azure Blob Storage, and RGB-encoded DEM tiles.

Here's a summary of how you can set it up:

Create Elevation API Using Azure Function

You can build an elevation service using open data (e.g., USGS DEM tiles) and host it on Azure. The process involves:

• Downloading DEM data (GeoTIFF format) from USGS EarthExplorer.
• Encoding the GeoTIFF as RGB using the rio-rgbify Python package.
• Hosting the RGB tiles in Azure Blob Storage.
• Creating an Azure Function that reads the RGB values and converts them to elevation data.

This setup allows you to query elevation by coordinates, similar to your Bing Maps example

Hope it helps.

Thank you.