Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Software
GeoMedia is a powerful, flexible GIS management platform that can aggregate data from a variety of sources and analyze them in unison to extract clear, actionable information. It provides simultaneous access to geospatial data in almost any form, uniting them in a single map view for efficient processing, analysis, presentation, and sharing.
RemoteView was the first successful electronic light table application to be widely available, initially developed and released commercially by Sensor Systems in 1996. An electronic light table makes it possible for imagery analysts to review satellite images on a computer instead of examining film or printed photographs. RemoteView’s main function is an imagery and geospatial analysis tool. It can display and analyze a wide array of imagery formats, elevation datasets, and vector datasets.
QGIS is an open source Geographic Information System that supports most geospatial vector and raster file types and database formats, and Open Geospatial Consortium visualization and data access services. Unlike many other open source GIS software, QGIS is available for a number of operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. The QGIS platform offers standard GIS functionality, including a large variety of mapping features, data editing, on-the-fly projection, and digitizing.
MapInfo GIS is of the major competitors to ESRI, which primarily sold more expensive GIS software, though functionality it covers many of the same things as ArcGIS. MapInfo GIS is comprehensive location-intelligence software package targeted mainly to business users but widely deployed for a range of geospatial applications, such as network planning in telecommunications, city planning, and emergency response. It is a powerful mapping and analysis tool packed with features to help users identify trends and patterns to make informed decisions in the context of business.
Manifold System is a modern, low-cost, high-performance GIS software package that runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system. Manifold System delivers the world’s most powerful, most full-featured, and most modern GIS software package as a fully integrated application.
IDRISI is integrated GIS and RS software developed by Clark Labs (Worcester, MA) at Clark University. IDRISI is a Microsoft Windows-based system that offers tools for researchers and scientists engaged in analyzing earth system dynamics for effective and responsible decision making for environmental management, sustainable resource development, and equitable resource allocation. Environmental managers and researchers benefit from the unsurpassed range of geospatial tools – nearly 300 modules for the analysis and display of digital spatial information.
GRASS is an Open Source Geographic Information System that supports 2D and 3D raster (grid) and vector (point/line/polygon) data processing, analysis, and modeling capabilities. Grass supports dozens of raster and vector data formats for import and export, and may also connect to external geodatabases. GRASS includes both a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a command line mode for interaction with the system. The command line capabilities of GRASS are also accessible through a variety of scripting languages (e.g.
ERDAS IMAGINE is easy-to-use, raster-based remote sensing software designed specifically to extract information from images. It is a Microsoft Windows-based system that aims primarily at geospatial raster data processing and allows the user to prepare, display, and enhance digital images for mapping use in geographic information system (GIS) or in computer-aided design (CAD).
ENVI products are commonly used by remote sensing professionals and image analysts to process and analyze imagery for informed decisions in many fields, including Defense and Intelligence, Environmental Monitoring, and Academic fields. Unlike other commercial remote sensing and image processing software, ENVI is available for a number of operating systems, including Windows, Macintosh, and Unix.
AutoCAD Map 3D is developed by the famous Autodesk Inc. It is a GIS and mapping program that lets user use large aerial maps, in conjunction with GIS data to develop designs for the infrastructure community. It is a product that bridges the gap between CAD and GIS. In particular, AutoCAD Map 3D provides users with powerful tools for infrastructure and land use planning. It can be useful for any fields but really meant for the high end mapping and/or land development specialists.