Here are answers to some of the most common questions that we are asked about the Map Suite .NET GIS control for iOS. If you still have questions after reading these, feel free to post them in our discussion forums. Our forums are monitored by our development staff in order to provide detailed and technical answers when you need them.

Yes, absolutely! ThinkGeo's Map Suite is a .NET control, so you can easily integrate it into your broader app just like any other user control.

We expose a large amount of APIs that allow you to customize every aspect of the map and the user interface so that they fit in with the look and feel of your app.

Map Suite for iOS requires Xamarin, a platform that enables you to develop iPhone® and iPad® apps using the Microsoft .NET Framework and the C# programming language. Through Xamarin, your app compiles to a native binary, providing blazing fast performance and a smooth user experience. You can develop your application using Microsoft Visual Studio or alternatively the Xamarin Studio IDE.

All of this means you can design professional-grade GIS software with ThinkGeo's Map Suite that run as a native app on iPhones® and iPads® without having to learn new languages, new controls or new tools!

Please note that a Xamarin development license is required at an additional cost. For answers to common questions about Xamarin, see this FAQ.

Map Suite for iOS lets you use several different types of vector-based map data. Data files can be loaded onto your iPhone® or iPad® in ShapeFile, TinyGeo, MapInfo TAB or GPS eXchange (GPX). You can also consume WMS-compliant online mapping services or other base maps like Google Maps*, , Bing Maps, MapBox, or OpenStreetMap. Raster imagery is supported in standard, web-compatible bitmap formats like JPEG, PNG, BMP and some limited support for TIFF.

*Use of Google Maps® within a Map Suite developer SDK requires a Google Maps API For Business license and is subject to Google's licensing terms. For more information, please visit: https://developers.google.com/maps/licensing

ThinkGeo's Map Suite was designed to be easy to understand and easy to use. While mapping/GIS controls typically have a larger learning curve than other simpler controls, like grids or charts, we feel Map Suite has taken the complexity out of mapping and allows you to develop your application in days or weeks instead of months or years.

We have a very active Developer Community discussion forum, a large number of sample applications with source code in C#, and we also offer professional services if you need to talk with a developer one-on-one.