HERE platform release announcement - December 2023 update

Dear customer,
we are pleased to inform you about our recent releases of the HERE platform.

Highlights

HERE SDK 4.16.4.0

We are pleased to announce the availability of our minor release 4.16.4.0 of the HERE SDK for iOS, Android and Flutter.

The HERE SDK product family enables you to build powerful map applications based on the latest data from the HERE platform incorporating microservices and highly modularized components.

HERE SDK 4.16.4.0 is a minor release for the 4.16 code line with a lot of bugfixes and improvements based on customer feedback. We also added some new features for this release, for example:

• Routing: Added builtUpArea and controlledAccessHighway to StreetAttributes enum.
• Map style update: Added a new coach icon and improved the existing tram icon, state and county capital label priority.
• Map style update: Improved toll tunnel styling in Japan for the day, night and logistics map schemes.
• Navigation: Added signpost direction information to voice maneuver notifications and a new warner to listen for BorderCrossingWarningevents..
• Navigation: Added new field TruckRestrictionWarning.axleCount to warn about truck restrictions with a range of axles and enhanced TruckRestrictionWarning.
• OfflineSearchEngine : Added support for Details.foodTypes to show food types assigned to a place
• Search: Added POIPaymentDetails , POIPaymentMethod and Details.payment to show the available payment options at a POI.

Take a look at the latest release notes for your edition and platform to find out more details.

HERE Map Image API v3

We are happy to announce the release of the successor to the HERE Map Image API v1:

• New HERE Map Image API v3 is a restful web service that allows you to create high-quality, configurable, static map images with the inclusion of custom overlays such as markers, polygons or lines. The service supports the full variety of map schemes and styles, and detailed map of Japan, just like the HERE Raster API.
• The Developer guide and the Migration guide are published on the HERE documentation portal.
• The new service is only available on the HERE Platform Portal. Customers with a HERE Developer Portal account should first migrate to HERE Platform Portal.
• To enable access to the HERE Map Image API v3 for an existing HERE platform account, please create a support ticket in the HERE Support Portal.
• HERE Map Image v1 is now deprecated. Please upgrade your applications to version 3, and migrate to platform terms and conditions, before Map Image v1 is discontinued on 30.06.2024.

HERE Raster Tile API 3.0.19 and 3.0.20

• Added elevation visualization for mountain peaks.
• Improved the selection of administrative labels based on state or county capital status and size.
• Added a new topographic map style, topo.day, as a successor to the terrain.day style in the HERE Map Tile API. It highlights geographical features such as elevation, landforms and natural landscapes to provide a clear representation of the terrain. This style is continuously evolving, with future updates planned.

HERE Vector Tile API 2.3.10

• Added the population_rank attribute to borough labels in the places layer.
• The road_labels layer is now deprecated and will be removed from the default tile content as part of a future release. To keep using the layer without an interruption, add the following parameter to query URL: content=default,road_labels.
• The mv parameter, used for specifying the map version, is now deprecated. Although the API will continue to accept the mv parameter during a transition period of 6 months, its value will no longer have any effect. The resulting output will always be based on the latest map version.

HERE Routing

We are happy to announce some new improvements to our Routing API. Here's what's new:

1. Avoid areas with exceptions: This feature allows you to define avoid areas, but additionally on top of this exceptions. A typical use case is for example to allow delivery towards a city center only via chosen paths/routes. Allowing to define this in a routing request gives you full flexibility to make use of this feature.
2. Matrix routing supports avoidance of environmental zones: To be now aligned within the routing offering, we ported this avoidance option to matrix routing.

Refer to Routing documentation, which you can find on HERE new documentation portal: www.here.com/docs

HERE Map Content v2

The following dataset enhancements and new features were implemented:

• Place category translations in various languages have been added to the Places Categories metadata. See example below
• The Vehicle Regulations layer is fully aligned to global HERE portfolio ( e..g Emergency Phone Numbers, … ) As a result, also ISO L2 codes are added to the applicable countries in the Administrative Places layer
• The Commercial Vehicle Regulations layer is fully aligned to global HERE portfolio
• Several inspection/rendering script improvements, for example Toll Cost and Places
• The Postal Area Boundaries layer has been updated to align with portfolio
• Built-up Area polygons are now included in the 'cartography' layer as category 900156. So far these were only made available by Administrative Places/Locations layer

Please consult your Account or Technical Support representative for further details.

New EV Charging Location layer

A new EV Charging Locations layer was added, that publishes the new and enriched HERE EV content portfolio. The new layer publishes all attributes as available via the OCPI industry standard. Layer specifics and schema details can be found in the HERE Map Content specification document.

Separate messaging on HERE EV can be expected soon. In case of any portfolio and roadmap inquiries or licensing aspects, please consult your Account Executive

Statistical metadata

Also, a preview of global dataset statistics announced previously, can now be made available on request

• Map feature and attribute counts at partition level
• Further aggregated counts by area ( e.g. country ) by a global layer in interoperable format (GeoJSON)

Please consult your Account Executive of Technical Support representative for details and making this data available.

Statistical metadata example

Place category translations example

Changes, additions, deprecations, and known issues

This email focuses on highlights. However, a lot more has happened since our last announcement. Our APIs, SDKs, and tools publish their detailed API level changes in form of changelogs or release notes. For the recent changes, refer to the corresponding changelog or release notes directly:

• HERE Map Rendering
  • HERE Raster Tile API
  • HERE Vector Tile API
  • HERE Maps API for JavaScript
  • HERE Map Image API
• HERE Geocoding & Search
  • HERE Geocoding & Search API
  • HERE Batch Geocoder API
  • HERE Geofencing API
• HERE Routing
  • HERE Routing API
  • HERE Isoline Routing API
  • HERE Matrix Routing API
  • HERE Waypoints Sequence API
  • HERE Route Matching API
• HERE Real-time Traffic
  • HERE Traffic API
• HERE Transit
  • HERE Public Transit API
  • HERE Intermodal Routing API
• HERE Positioning
  • HERE Network Positioning API
  • HERE HD GNSS Positioning & HERE A GNSS Positioning API
• HERE SDK for Android
  • Explore Edition
  • Navigate Edition
  • Lite Edition
• HERE SDK for IOS
  • Explore Edition
  • Navigate Edition
• HERE SDK for Flutter
  • Explore Edition
  • Navigate Edition
• HERE Map Attributes API
• Tools
  • Command Line Interface
  • Data Inspector Library
• Data SDKs
  • Data SDKs for Java & Scala
  • Data SDKs for Python,
  • Data SDKs for TypeScript
  • Data SDKs for C++

What`s in the works

HERE Style Editor 1.5

A new version of HERE Style Editor will be launched shortly.

Version 1.5 will bring tool improvements as well as new features to customize the map.

Among other enhancements a color vision deficiency view to test the developed styles against as well as an improved version of style selector dropdown will be added. Two new base map styles supporting the road network will bring additional customization options.

HERE Map Content v2

Several dataset layers will be enhanced in 2024, mainly resulting from HERE content portfolio improvements and user feedback.

• Toll Cost (Emission related changes)
• Vehicle Regulations
• Environmental Zones

Please consult your Account of Technical Support representative for details.

As a result of introducing the new EV Charging Locations layer, the existing EV Charging Stations layer ( ID = electric-vehicle-charging-stations ) will be deprecated.

For general usability reasons, existing catalog and layer descriptions and tags will be replaced by more generic metadata describing:

• Map source / supplier ( e.g. source:HERE )
• Feature published ( e.g. feature:topology )
• Attributes published ( e.g. attribute:FunctionalClass, attribute:SpeedLimit )
• Licensing portfolio references, supplier dependent
• Support contact

More details will be shared in advance.