Dials
Dials is a software toolkit for the automated processing of X-ray diffraction data, primarily used in structural biology and materials science. It provides algorithms for indexing, integrating, and scaling diffraction images from synchrotron or laboratory sources to determine crystal structures. It is part of the CCP4 software suite and integrates with other crystallography tools like XDS and Mosflm.
Developers should learn Dials when working in computational crystallography, bioinformatics, or scientific data analysis involving X-ray diffraction. It is essential for automating the processing of large datasets from modern detectors, enabling high-throughput structure determination in fields like drug discovery and materials research. Use cases include processing data from macromolecular crystallography experiments at synchrotrons or analyzing powder diffraction patterns.