WWT SDK - As in WorldWide Telescope SDK Beta download now from Microsoft Research

"The WorldWide Telescope SDK is a set of API calls, tools and samples that enable data to be visualized in WorldWide Telescope. Applications can be written to transmit time-series spreadsheet data to WorldWide Telescope for rendering, or perhaps to transmit images, point data or 3d Models. The SDK also enables the preparation of tile pyramids in the correct format for rendering in WorldWide Telescope. The tile pyramids can be created with imagery of the entire Earth (or other planet or moon) or just specific regions, and include DEM (digital elevation model) data.

Download Details

File Name: WWTSDK.msi

Version: Beta (1.0)

Date Published: 9 May 2011

Download Size: 3.77 MB

..."

From the Getting Started guide in the SDK;

Software

• Windows 7 Enterprise or Windows Server 2008 R2
• .NET Framework 4.0
• Visual Studio 2010
• Silverlight SDK 4.0
• Web Deploy Tool (this is required if the Image Service tool is to be deployed).
• WorldWide Telescope Windows Client
• IIS with default web site and default app pool tool configured to use .Net 4.0.

Hardware

• A 64-bit dual-core processor is recommended, though a 32-bit is sufficient.
• 4 GB of physical memory

Components of the SDK

There are four main components to the SDK:

Component	Description	Documentation
LCAPI (Layer Control API)	The Layer Control API provides an extensive range of functions to transmit and receive data to and from WorldWide Telescope. The purpose of this API is that it enables custom applications to be built that typically transmit time-series spreadsheet data to WorldWide Telescope to be rendered appropriately, though other layer data (point data, 3d Models, images) can also be handled.	WorldWide Telescope LCAPI
Tile Pyramid SDK	This SDK provides samples and source code that enable the tiling of one or multiple images into a format suitable for WorldWide Telescope. The working samples show how to handle a single image, multiple images, DEM (altitude) data, and specific regions rather than an entire planet or moon. The Tile Generator is included as a fully functional application, and an additional sample demonstrates how to share and provide easy access to the tile pyramids created.	WorldWide Telescope SDK (Beta) WorldWide Telescope SDK (Beta) Samples
Sphere Toaster	The Sphere Toaster is a legacy tool that takes as input a single image (typically of an entire planet or moon) and generates a complete tile pyramid for the image in Toast format, including the required thumbnail image and WTML data files to provide easy access to the pyramid. Toast format is specific to WorldWide Telescope, and provides a projection that minimizes distortion and enables the north and south pole to be rendered.	WorldWide Telescope Data Tools Guide
Study Chopper	The Study Chopper is a legacy tool that takes an image (typically a telescope image of a distant stellar object) and tiles the image into a format that is usually added to the Sky view of WorldWide Telescope. For example, a very detailed Hubble Space Telescope image of a distant galaxy could be prepared for use as a foreground image in WorldWide Telescope using this tool. Thumbnail images and WTML data files are also produced by the tool.	WorldWide Telescope Data Tools Guide

..."

And from the Samples document in the SDK;

WorldWide Telescope SDK (Beta) Samples

Note: This documentation is preliminary and subject to change.

There are five sample applications provided with the SDK that demonstrate how to use the APIs. Each of these samples deals with a different type of dataset and produces a single collection that can be viewed in Worldwide Telescope.

1. BlueMarbleApp: This sample demonstrates how a single image in Equirectangular projection or set of images in Equirectangular projection can be transformed to TOAST or Mercator projection image pyramids that can be visualized in WorldWide Telescope
2. SpecificRegionDataSet: This sample demonstrates how an Equirectangular dataset in XYZ format, for a specific region of the world can be transformed to TOAST or Mercator projection image pyramids that can be visualized in WorldWide Telescope. This sample also supports the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). A digital elevation model is a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain. DEMs are used often in geographic information systems and are the most common basis for digitally-produced relief maps. This sample needs the Image Service application to be set up. The data needs to be comma separated containing latitude, longitude and depth values.
3. WorldDataSet: This sample demonstrates how a data set in XYZ format, for the entire world can be transformed to TOAST or Mercator projection image pyramids that can be visualized in WorldWide Telescope. The data needs to be comma separated containing latitude, longitude and depth values.
4. Delineation: This sample demonstrates how to mask an input image by using a predefined map shape file. It can be masked with respect to continent/country/state boundaries using suitable shape files. Shape files are data files that specify physical boundaries. A tile pyramid with the desired number of levels is built using these shape files. This is used as background and the input map is super-imposed on this to delineate the boundaries.
5. Image Service: This sample demonstrates how a web application can be set up to serve images and DEM tiles to WWT. It also provides a means for users to share their collections with others, by accessing pyramids via URL rather than a local folder path

..."

So pretty much if you're a WorldWide Telescope dev fan, then this SDK might be worth a look...

Note that the license is MSR-LA, (Microsoft Research License Agreement, Research Use Only)