Dear Iman,

First of all, we should differentiate between specific software for satellite image analysis, and GIS that can apply commands or satellite image processing applications. In the first category, we could talk about ERDAS or ENVI, which are very complete and powerful developments for the analysis and processing of satellite data and aerial orthoimagery. My experience in using both was very satisfactory, perhaps ERDAS is simpler and more intuitive than ENVI to get started in this field of work. The disadvantage is that you will need a complementary GIS to elaborate more complex spatial analyses than those provided by the tool.

In this case, there are many GIS available that incorporate satellite image analysis packages. So in my experience, I recommend using this solution as long as you do not need complex and specific tasks that can only be performed in specialised software, since with only one tool you can be more efficient in your purposes. Regarding GIS I can advise you ArcGIS (which has a remote sensing analysis package coming from ERDAS), or in open source QGIS in which you can use the remote sensing command packages of GRASS or SAGA, as well as install plugins like 'Semi-Automatic Classification Plugin' developed by Luca Congedo (https://fromgistors.blogspot.com); or 'Orfeo Toolbox (OTB)' (https://www.orfeo-toolbox.org/). In my case, I have applied QGIS with these plugins as a teaching solution with my students, with which I am very pleased.

I hope this comment can help you to answer your question.

Regards

I have a tool bag with a hammer, wrenches, Phillips and flathead screw drivers, and a case with a couple of hundred other bits, along with a wide variety of manual and power tools, along with a nail gun that can shoot through a wall.

There aren't any pros or cons, one just uses the best tool suitable and available.

And your list misses the most important processing toolchains going forward into the exponentially expanding blizzard of orbital data, which are the cloud based pipelines like Google Earth Engine, ASF ASF HyP3 ( https://asf.alaska.edu/information/general/custom-processing/ ), and commercial offerings like https://astraea.earth/

Dear Iman,

Processing of remote sensing image data is a series of operations such as radiometric correction and geometric correction, image finishing, projection transformation, mosaic, feature extraction, classification, and various thematic processing to achieve the desired purpose. Remote sensing image processing can be divided into two categories: one is the use of optical, photographic, and electronic methods to process remote sensing analog images (photographs, negatives), referred to as optical processing; the other is the use of computers to perform a series of operations on remote sensing digital images. The technology to obtain a certain expected result is called remote sensing digital image processing.

-ENVI/ERDAS/ArcGIS is the most commonly used extensive remote sensing processing software, all of which are very good.

-MATLAB/R/Python is an effective helper for automated processing, but it requires a certain programming foundation.

-PCI Geomatica is mainly suitable for 3D reconstruction of high-resolution satellite images

-SNAP should be mainly for the processing of sentinel data

-eCognition is an excellent object-oriented commercial image processing software.

-The advantage of QGIS is open-source and free, and you can develop your own algorithms.

Hope this will help.

Zhouxuan Xiao

It depends on our requirement