HELIXPLORER-1 is a powerful tool designed to assist in determining the helical symmetry parameters of your structure. It works with the diffraction pattern (Fourier transform) of a helical structure that you provide.

The tool overlays a theoretically predicted pattern, calculated from an ideal helix, onto your experimental diffraction pattern. It then evaluates the match by calculating a score based on the average pixel intensity in regions where the maxima of the pattern are expected.

These scores are plotted for all tested helical parameters, providing visual feedback in the form of interactive 1D or 2D graphs. By clicking on these plots, you can explore the agreement between your experimental data and the theoretical patterns.

Ideally, the plots will reveal a peak score corresponding to the true helical symmetry parameters of your structure. However, ambiguities may arise, and the highest score may not always be unique. Nonetheless, HELIXPLORER-1 will help narrow down the possibilities to a more manageable subset.

Good luck, and enjoy using the tool!