One of the aims of modern microscopy is to quantify two-, three-, or even four-dimensional phenomena in biology, medicine, and material sciences. The requirements imposed on software by such data processing are exemplified by the design considerations of the IMAGIC-5 software system. This system includes facilities for multivariate statistical analysis of large data sets, for correlation averaging of two-dimensional crystals, and for three-dimensional reconstruction of macromolecular structures. The molecules may be arranged as two-dimensional crystals, as helices, or as single particles with arbitrary pointgroup symmetry. IMAGIC's novel angular reconstitution approach allows for the rapid determination of three-dimensional structures of uncrystallized molecules to high resolution. The general organization, user interaction strategy, file structure, and extendibility of IMAGIC are discussed and illustrated with some practical examples. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.