SIMBAD references

The last 15 years have seen a surge of new multi-chip optical and near-IR imagers. While some of them are accompanied by specific reduction pipelines, user-friendly and generic reduction tools are uncommon. In this paper I introduce THELI, an easy-to-use graphical interface driving an end-to-end pipeline for the reduction of any optical, near-IR, and mid-IR imaging data. The advantages of THELI when compared to other approaches are highlighted. Combining a multitude of processing algorithms and third party software, THELI provides researchers with a single, homogeneous tool. A short learning curve ensures quick success for new and more experienced observers alike. All tasks are largely automated, while at the same time a high level of flexibility and alternative reduction schemes ensure that widely different scientific requirements can be met. Over 90 optical and infrared instruments at observatories world-wide are pre-configured, while more can be added by the user. The Appendices contain three walk-through examples using public data (optical, near-IR, and mid-IR). Additional extensive documentation for training and troubleshooting is available online.