SAGA GIS 2.0 RC3 review

SAGA comes from System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses- is a hybrid GIS software

License: GPL (GNU General Public License) File size: 0K Developer: SAGA Team

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SAGA comes from System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses- is a hybrid GIS software. The first objective of SAGA is to give (geo-)scientists an effective but easy learnable platform for the implementation of geoscientific methods, which is achieved by SAGA's unique Application Programming Interface (API).

The second is to make these methods accessible in a user friendly way. This is mainly done by the Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Together this results in SAGA's true strength: a fast growing set of geoscientifc methods, bundled in exchangeable Module Libraries.The figure shows SAGA's system architecture.

SAGA is written in the widespread and powerful C++ programming language and follows an object oriented approach. Moreover it relies on the GNU Public License, which means it is an open source project.

All this designates SAGA to be a first choice tool for everybody who works in the field of geosciences, in particular for those who want transparent state of the art methods.

Here are some key features of "SAGA GIS":
File access: interfaces to various table, vector, image and grid file formats.
Filter for grids: gaussian, laplacian, multi direction lee filter...
Gridding: interpolation from vector data using triangulation, nearest neighbour, inverse distance...
Geostatistics: residual analysis, ordinary and universal kriging, single and multiple regression analysis, variance analysis...
Grid calculator: combine grids through user defined functions...
Grid discretisation: skeletonisation, segmentation...
Grid tools: merging, resampling, gaps filling...
Image classification:cluster analysis, box classification, maximum likelihood, pattern recognition, region growing...
Projections:various coordinate transformations for vector and grid data (using Proj4 and GeoTrans libraries), georeferencing of grids.
Simulation of dynamic processes: TOPMODEL, nitrogen distributions, erosion, landscape development...
Terrain analysis:slope, aspect, curvatures, curvature classification, analytical hillshading, sink eliminition, flow path analysis, catchment delineation, solar radiation, channel lines, relative altitudes...
Vector tools: polygon intersection, contour lines from grid...
And more...