[Live-demo] Review of SAGA GIS overview docs

[Cameron Shorter]

Hi Johan, These docs are looking good.
I've picked up a couple of minor English grammar issues, which I've fixed.
I've also added my comments in italics below. Could you please action, 
or ignore by the end of the week.


  SAGA GIS¶ <cid:part1.05080902.08070707 at gmail.com>


    Desktop GIS¶ <cid:part2.09050303.05000704 at gmail.com>

/Cameron: I changed the above subheading from "System for Automated 
Geoscientific Analysis" to be consistent with our template which is 
focusing on categories for the above subtitle.

/SAGA GIS (System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses) is a free and 
open source geographic information system used for editing and analysing 
spatial data.
/
Cameron: I suggest use "SAGA" instead of "SAGA GIS" in this description, 
as GIS would be assumed from the rest of your description.
Cameron: Note that some people will only read your first sentence, so 
make sure it contains the most important parts of your project in it. As 
all projects on the DVD are "free and open source" I wouldn't use it, 
and if you do use it, just say "open source" and move it further down 
your text. Maybe use the first line of "SAGA (System for Automated 
Geoscientific Analyses) provides over 300 modules for editing and 
analysing spatial data. The modules are used for the analysis of ..."/

  It includes a large number of modules for the analysis of vector 
(point, line and polygon), table, grid and image data. Among others the 
package includes modules for geostatistics, image classification, 
projections, simulation of dynamic processes (hydrology, landscape 
development) and terrain analysis. The functionality can be accessed 
through a GUI, the command line or by using the C++ API.

SAGA GIS has been in development since 2001, and the centre of SAGA 
development is located in the Institute of Geography at the University 
of Hamburg, with contributions from the growing world wide community.
/
Cameron: The above sentence holds minimal interest to most users, unless 
you can tie it back to a key user interest (like the software is robust 
and stable and supported). I'd be inclined to remove the above sentence. 
If you keep it, then say something like "SAGA is robust. It has been in 
development since 2001 and is deployed and supported by <mention risk 
adverse clients like defence or government>./

SAGA comes with a comprehensive set of free modules, most of them 
published under the GPL (332 modules in 45 libraries).
/Cameron: You possibly won't need this like if you are describing number 
of modules above. Otherwise, I'd spend half a sentence explaining what a 
module is, and I wouldn't worry about mentioning GPL (as it is mentioned 
below and you already say it is free). /


      Core Features¶ <cid:part3.05090300.01020904 at gmail.com>

    * Access to a large number of scientific modules via the Graphical
      User Interface or the command line

        * Import/Export to different file formats
        * Reprojection/Resampling of data
        * Manipulation of vector data (merging/intersection/attributes)
        * Manipulation of point clouds from lidar data
        * Raster data: interpolation, cost analysis, ...
        * Image analysis: filters, edge detection, cluster analysis,
          segmentation
        * Digital Terrain Analysis: generate geomorphometric indexes,
          channel networks, profiles, contour lines, ...
        * Geostatistics: modules for variogram fitting and kriging

    * Fast user interface for managing and visualising data

        * 3D visualisation

    * Straightforward C++ API for creating new modules
    * Scripting through command line, bindings for python
    * Access from R through RSAGA
    * /Cameron: I suggest explaining what R is, and you don't need to
      mention how you access it (users don't care). Maybe "Access
      statistical functions from `R R_overview.rst`_ "/


      Details¶ <cid:part4.05090104.01040308 at gmail.com>

*Website:* http://www.saga-gis.org

*Licence:* LGPL v2.1 (api); GPLv2 (GUI and modules)

*Software Version:* 2.0.4

*Supported Platforms:* Linux, Windows

*API Interfaces:* C++

*Support:* http://www.saga-gis.org

-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

Think Globally, Fix Locally
Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
http://www.lisasoft.com

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