The measurement of individual crystal orientations in heavily deformed materials is of great importance especially for the study of recrystallization mechanisms. The electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) technique which is frequently used nowadays in the SEM for these kind of studies has three important drawbacks: first, its spatial resolution is limited to about 0.5 μm, second, the sample deformation is limited to only about 60 %, and third, the dislocation microstructure cannot be observed. All these problems can be overcome using a micro beam diffraction technique in the TEM. Two techniques can be distinguished, the Kikuchi pattern technique and the spot pattern technique. With a spatial resolution of down to about 10 nm they arc well suited for orientation measurements in highly deformed material. Nevertheless, since spot patterns are less sensible to deformation the spot technique is the ultimate choice in the case a most highly deformed material. An automatic procedure for the evaluation of spot patterns has been developed and, together with the Kikuchi technique, implemented in a computer program for the on-line analysis of crystal orientations at the TEM. The new procedure and its applications to highly deformed materials is the subject of this presentation. Spot patterns are less sensitive to the sample deformation than Kikuchi patterns due to the differences in the diffraction geometry and due to the relaxation of the Bragg diffraction conditions for spot patterns.