input4MAUD: an efficient program for automatic two-dimensional diffraction image series input and/or batch refinement with MAUD

In materials science or applied crystallography, X-ray diffraction represents a versatile and useful method with which one can obtain the orientation of single crystals or even the texture of a polycrystalline material. When the investigated sample consists of many phases, or phases of low symmetry, it becomes difficult to measure pole figures from single diffraction peaks. A combined Rietveld-texture analysis with the program MAUD is perfectly suitable to deal with conditions of overlapping diffraction peaks, including those arising from different phases. Even though nearly no alternative to MAUD exists, it is not always easy to use. The input of a file series of two-dimensional diffraction images, for example from a texture measurement, can be time consuming since each individual image must be loaded manually, and only the newest beta version of MAUD allows semi-automated file input. The new program input4MAUD, which is presented in this paper, offers a much more efficient way to automate both single and batch file series input into MAUD as well as the preparation of basic batch refinements with MAUD. input4MAUD is written in Visual C++ and is currently available as a 32-bit statically compiled binary executable file for Windows.