Re: ENVI: Anyone created custom applications?

[davidf(at)dfanning.com (David Fanning)]

Liam Gumley <liam.gumley@ssec.wisc.edu> writes:

> I'm planning to develop a GUI satellite image view/analysis application
> that will need features like:
> 
> - import of HDF SDS data
> - zoom/scroll image windows
> - image annotation (e.g. time codes along one axis)
> - overlay of coastline vectors (image association to lat/lon arrays)
> - resampling of imagery to a map projection
> - display of single bands (greyscale) or multiple bands (RGB)
> - easy access to Postscript/GIF image output
> 
> Has anyone used ENVI to develop a similar application? I'm trying to
> decide whether it would be more efficient to use the ENVI compound
> widget library, or to just use IDL. I should say that I really want this
> application would has to be more than just an ENVI recipe book - it has
> to present an easy-to-use, consistent, dedicated user-interface.
> 
> Any comments related to ease-of-use of the ENVI library routines to
> develop an application of this type would be  much appreciated. 

ENVI is a fine product, no question about that, with a *lot* of
great functionality. The way Adam Letkoff and the other programers
at Better Solutions Consulting have implemented memory management
in ENVI is just flat-out outstanding.

But, given the requirements stated above, ENVI--with its larger
price tag--may be just a *bit* of overkill. How many features
will you be paying for that you won't use? Will the ENVI interface
be confusing or helpful to your end users?

I have IDL programs sitting on my self here to do most of what
you have in mind. Throw in Phil Williams' great modual tool
XDISPLAY to handle region of interest problems for you, and
I'll bet a fairly sophisticated program meeting most of your
requirements can be put together in IDL in less than a week. 

The main advantage of this, of course, is that you won't need
the ENVI widget library at all. This will make your program
more portable when all those NASA types get word of it. :-)

My two cents worth.

Cheers!

David

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David Fanning, Ph.D.              
Fanning Software Consulting
2642 Bradbury Court, Fort Collins, CO 80521
Phone: 970-221-0438   Fax: 970-221-4762   
E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com   
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com
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