A simplified cylindrical distribution function is proposed, which yields a considerable amount of structural information concerning moderately oriented noncrystalline fibers. This function can be obtained with only a small fraction of the labor required for the complete cylindrical distribution function. It is the transform of the difference between the scattered intensity and its average over the polar angle in reciprocal space, and is calculated by means of an expansion of the Fourier‐Bessel integral in spherical harmonics. Because all isotropic contributions to the scattered intensity are automatically omitted from the calculation, no consideration need be given to independent scattering, air scattering or, as a rule, the contribution of extraneous wavelengths. The resulting function is the difference between the cylindrical and radial distribution functions on an arbitrary scale, measured from an unknown baseline. Although these features limit the information obtained, that which is obtained is of considerable use in elucidating fiber structures.