Mosflm processes EIGER data directly

Mosflm can now process EIGER data directly as HDF5. No conversion to CBF is required anymore. This will streamline processing and ensure that iMosflm's intuitive interface and clear output continue to see productive use. It also means that data processing can be done on Windows computers.

Processing of images read by Mosflm directly from the HDF5 data

Mosflm is popular among crystallographers because of its clear user interface called iMosflm. It makes visualizing spots easy and gives visual feedback on the quality of processing in real time. This permits reliable assessment of the data quality and the accuracy of the configuration parameters while processing is ongoing.

In spite of iMosflm's power, crystallographers have increasingly turned to XDS, DIALS and HKL to process EIGER data. These three programs can read HDF5 files directly. Mosflm required a tedious conversion step before it could read EIGER images. This additional step has now been eliminated.

Earlier this year, DECTRIS, CCP4 and Diamond Light Source jointly funded a software development project to add HDF5 support to Mosflm. Harry Powell, formerly one of the main developers of iMosflm and now an independent crystallographic consultant, designed a work plan to add the missing feature. He finished the project on time and within budget. Expanded versions of Mosflm can now be downloaded for Windows, macOS and Linux.