If you know enough of the basics of Python to write a loop, then as Elaine pointed out these color transitions become less onerous.  Also, you don't need to know the Python equivalent of every Chimera command you need, since you can:

from chimera import runCommand

to make the runCommand function available and then thereafter use it to execute a string with the command you want, e.g.:

runCommand("open 1gcn")

to open 1gcn.

--Eric