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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | Re: GISList: Re: Definiens 'eCognition' |
| Date: |
06/28/2002 03:15:46 PM |
| From: |
David Burnham |
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Some quick points of clarification:
First, I'm sure eCognition is a great product. I think that perhaps it just
takes intelligence beyond my personal mental capabilities. I know I've
given up trying.
>As far as I remember eCognition was amongst the top 16 in the NIMA
>evaluation, wasn't it.
Sorry. You are correct with last year's Pathfinder (2002) with MSI/HSI
products (which I think was recently PUBLICLY released). In this year's
Pathfinder (2003) which is a more comprehensive evaluation of image
processing and GIS, eCognition was 32 of 48 and Feature Analyst was
preliminarily 3 of 48. Please understand 32 was good, since eCognition is a
niche software (feature extraction and image classification) being evaluated
in a much broader category: at the same time Feature Analyst is the same
niche and finished 3rd, which makes it all that more impressive. To me, the
innovation of both products is contextual classification, which is what
helps separate both products from other products and past failures. Feel
free to discount the Pathfinder results all you want, but I tend to value
the recommendation of the US Dept of Defense and NIMA when it comes to
remote sensing, image processing, and GIS.
>Feature Analyst is about half the cost of eCognition. But it only >offers
>20% of eCognition's functionalities.
I couldn't disagree more. All I can say to the general audience is download
both products and see for yourself. Feature Analyst is an extension. You
have to buy ArcGIS (or soon IMAGINE) to run. This is a drawback (although I
owned ArcGIS first). At the same time, you can buy both FA and ArcGIS (or
IMAGINE) for less than (or about the same as) eCognition, and have much
*more* functionality.
My preference, I don't want to purchase duplication, but enhancements. Thus
extensions to my existing products are infinitely more valuable to me.
Others feel differently and like many disjoint stand-alone products. It is
personal and organizational preference.
>eCognition is a full image classification software whereas FA seems >to be
>kind of a "pattern recognition" tool.
Feature Analyst does both feature extraction AND intelligent image
classification as well. In fact, the mode I run Feature Analyst is image
classification (wall-to-wall coverages). I can split out classes, fine tune
results, and integrate back into my full coverages. Very slick, easy, and
accurate.
> * Workflow: eCognition is stand-alone. Who cares? Import/Export of data
>is a piece of cake.
Who cares?! Well, personally, I care very much. Integration goes well
beyond being compatible via Import/Export. I stay in my GIS workflow, use
my GIS, Image handling, and cleanup tools that I'm used too - and I don't
have to pay for duplicate functionality from one system to the next. Not
only do I feel much more comfortable with the workflow - I know that as
ArcGIS gets better, my FA gets better as well - it doesn't have to keep up.
Plus I have colleagues that use ArcGIS, so we can share ideas, information,
etc. I'm very excited about the IMAGINE-FA extension. I get one that
extends my GIS workflow, and I get one that extends my image-processing
workflow. Kind of bridges the gap for me.
Again, this is a personal decision.
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