• It has built-in knowledge about the hardware components that have been used to acquire the image. Choose among pre-programmed camera models or automatically get their specifications (for our calibrated cameras-lenses).

• It has some built-in knowledge about the hemispherical image analysis process. It knows that a series of consecutive steps are required to analyse an image. You don't have to tell the program which steps to do next as in other programs. You can analyse an image or a set of images with a single mouse click. You can even analyse each image more than one time with different parameters (growing season dates, sky divisions, radiation model...) with a single mouse click.

• It knows that some parameters are common to a set of images while others must be specified for each image. Parameters common to more than one images (field trip date, operator, experiment location...) are entered once before analysing the first image while the other parameters (photo #, orientation,...) are automatically asked (and sometimes filled-in) at the beginning of the analysis (so that you don't forget to set them).

• It is easy to specify the analyses to do on the images from predefined choices. Unlike some programs, all processings are done by WinSCANOPY not by independant modules that you must manually activate to get their data. Before the analysis, you simply indicate the processing you want to be done and set their parameters and for each analysed image, the selected processings will automatically be applied.

• It is easy to produce data and to visualize them. You don't have to juggle among multiple files. Data are saved in the file that you select (you can produce one file per image or for a set of images) in standard ASCII text format that is spreadsheet-style friendly. Because WinSCANOPY produces a few types of data and sometimes in large quantities, we have designed a companion software named XLScanopy that runs in Microsoft Excel for data visualization.

WinSCANOPY is made in the C++ programming language from source code made by Regent Instruments programmers. Computer programs made internally are easier to maintain and update as the manufacturer has full control over all its parts and can modify any of them. This can easily be seen in our past tracking record of updates. This approach contrasts with some competing products, either freeware or commercial. Some software programs (2) are based on a library of functions that is now discontinued while others (3), require an expensive environment (program) to run them. These are in fact the equivalent of a set of macros which runs into complex and difficult to learn programs (that you must purchase separately).

A strong emphasis is also made on the notion of "system" which comprises software and hardware made for each other. We do not sell cameras and lenses but solutions for canopy analysis. As new hardware, cameras and lenses, become available, the WinSCANOPY software program is updated to include new specifications and calibration profiles (an unlikely features of freewares). While those updates are not free, it is non the less ideal for those who's time is money and who needs a working system rapidly, safely and with assistance after purchase should they need it.