- ChimeraX-users - RBVI Mailing Lists

Re: [chimerax-users] Regarding animation Tool bar
by Elaine Meng 06 Dec '21

06 Dec '21

Hi Dilip, Sorry, only Chimera (not ChimeraX) has the Animation graphical interface currently. Of course, you can make movies with ChimeraX, but you would need to use a ChimeraX command script to do it. More information about making movies in ChimeraX, including links to tutorials with examples: <https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/movies.html> I hope this helps, Elaine ----- Elaine C. Meng, Ph.D. UCSF Chimera(X) team Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry University of California, San Francisco > On Dec 5, 2021, at 1:57 PM, Dilip Badgujar <dilip.badgujar(a)kemi.uu.se> wrote: > > Hi Chimera team, > I am new to the the Chimera and I found it is really nice and user friendly. > I have ChimeraX version 1.2.5 on Ubuntu 16.04 system. > I wanted to make movies using the animation tool in ChimeraX but my utilities tab only have two options Registration and updates. > How can I access the animation pane? > Best > Dilip Badgujar

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Re: [chimerax-users] [Chimera-users] .dae export for ChimeraX
by Tom Goddard 03 Dec '21

03 Dec '21

Hi Byrne, Thanks! So Blender can convert GLTF to Collada. The ChimeraX GLTF is binary and Collada is all text, so no surprise that the file size is much larger. If we add Collada support it would be produced directly from the ChimeraX scene, not converting from GLTF. But we have hundreds of new feature requests so I don't think Collada output is likely to be added soon, unless a funded project needs it. Tom > On Dec 3, 2021, at 9:48 AM, Byrne Pedit <bpedit(a)comcast.net> wrote: > > Hi Tom, > > A follow-up for future reference. Blender, the one recommendation I found on StackOverflow, is indeed capable of converting GLTF to DAE. But the conversion bloats the files by as much as 10x! In addition, the hierarchy is only partially preserved. I tried an on-line converter with even less satisfactory results. So I think this pathway is a bust. This might serve as a fair warning for ChimeraX developers to avoid an internal conversion from GLTF if introducing a DAE export option. > > > Byrne > > > > >> On Dec 2, 2021, at 2:22 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard(a)sonic.net <mailto:goddard@sonic.net>> wrote: >> >> Hi Byrne, >> >> I agree, OBJ and STL are very limited compared to Collada and GLTF. OBJ is supported by almost every 3D model program and STL is commonly used for 3D printing (single color) which is why they are in ChimeraX. GLTF is definitely the best option in ChimeraX for your case. >> >> There appear to be lots of programs that convert GLTF to Collada and the other direction too. But I have not tried any of them so don't have any recommendation. Let us know if you find one that works well -- other ChimeraX users may have the same need. >> >> A major stumbling block exporting 3D models from ChimeraX (or Chimera) is that they use vertex colors, while most of the non-biology 3D model world uses texture colors, and will simply ignore vertex colors losing all your color information. That example I linked to in the last email describes a relatively new ChimeraX feature to export texture colors (for limited cases, e.g. discrete colors only). >> >> Another common problem exporting molecular models for use in other software is that the file size and number of triangles is too large for the application that you want to use them in, often tens of millions of triangles or hundreds of Mbytes to Gbytes in size. The example also shows how to tell ChimeraX to limit the number of triangles. >> >> https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html> >> >> Tom >> >> Model from gltf export from linked ChimeraX example >> >> <spike.png> >> >> >>> On Dec 2, 2021, at 2:04 PM, Byrne Pedit <bpedit(a)comcast.net <mailto:bpedit@comcast.net>> wrote: >>> >>> Hello Tom, >>> >>> Thanks for the response. I tried the GLTF export, not recognizable by Xcode (the development platform for iOS and Mac OS). The only ChimeraX file options I’ve found to be openable are OBJ and STL. These are, however, problematic and unusable. >>> >>> But your hint of using GLTF as an intermediary offers an avenue for exploration, it’s not a format I’ve used. I see it supports scene graph hierarchy, absent with OBJ and STL( exported from ChimeraX anyway) so this is promising. Now to find a converter. >>> >>> The GLTF export link is informative, it may help further refine my approach. Interestingly, the molecule you’ve chosen for demo purposes appears to be the one, or a variant thereof, I’ve been testing with! >>> >>> Thanks again, >>> >>> Byrne >>> >>> >>>> On Dec 2, 2021, at 12:30 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard(a)sonic.net <mailto:goddard@sonic.net>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Byrne, >>>> >>>> We have long been interested in adding Collada format export of scenes from ChimeraX. Here is the feature request for that >>>> >>>> https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485 <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485> >>>> >>>> But our scene export in ChimeraX has focused on GLTF format, as that has been the most requested. Here is an example showing GLTF export from ChimeraX (including texture colors). >>>> >>>> https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html> >>>> >>>> ChimeraX also exports OBJ, STL, X3D, VTK as shown in the save command docs >>>> >>>> https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/save.html#formats <https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/save.html#formats> >>>> >>>> Can you make use of GLTF files? If not, a quick solution might be to convert ChimeraX GLTF files to Collada with third-party software. >>>> >>>> Tom >>>> >>>>> On Dec 2, 2021, at 10:41 AM, Byrne Pedit via Chimera-users <chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimera-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> ChimeraX is awesome and definitely superior to the original but for the inability to export as .dae (Collada). Is that possibly on the to-do list? This is important for those of us (just me?) writing interactive molecular apps for devices. It is the only satisfactory path I’ve found between a PDB file and SCNNodes/Scenes in iOS. (See the iOS app ‘BioMole’, free, if interested in an application.) >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Chimera-users mailing list: Chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:Chimera-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> >>>>> Manage subscription: https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/mailman/listinfo/chimera-users <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/mailman/listinfo/chimera-users> >>>>> >>>> >>> >> >

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Re: [chimerax-users] [Chimera-users] .dae export for ChimeraX
by Tom Goddard 02 Dec '21

02 Dec '21

Hi Byrne, I agree, OBJ and STL are very limited compared to Collada and GLTF. OBJ is supported by almost every 3D model program and STL is commonly used for 3D printing (single color) which is why they are in ChimeraX. GLTF is definitely the best option in ChimeraX for your case. There appear to be lots of programs that convert GLTF to Collada and the other direction too. But I have not tried any of them so don't have any recommendation. Let us know if you find one that works well -- other ChimeraX users may have the same need. A major stumbling block exporting 3D models from ChimeraX (or Chimera) is that they use vertex colors, while most of the non-biology 3D model world uses texture colors, and will simply ignore vertex colors losing all your color information. That example I linked to in the last email describes a relatively new ChimeraX feature to export texture colors (for limited cases, e.g. discrete colors only). Another common problem exporting molecular models for use in other software is that the file size and number of triangles is too large for the application that you want to use them in, often tens of millions of triangles or hundreds of Mbytes to Gbytes in size. The example also shows how to tell ChimeraX to limit the number of triangles. https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html Tom Model from gltf export from linked ChimeraX example > On Dec 2, 2021, at 2:04 PM, Byrne Pedit <bpedit(a)comcast.net> wrote: > > Hello Tom, > > Thanks for the response. I tried the GLTF export, not recognizable by Xcode (the development platform for iOS and Mac OS). The only ChimeraX file options I’ve found to be openable are OBJ and STL. These are, however, problematic and unusable. > > But your hint of using GLTF as an intermediary offers an avenue for exploration, it’s not a format I’ve used. I see it supports scene graph hierarchy, absent with OBJ and STL( exported from ChimeraX anyway) so this is promising. Now to find a converter. > > The GLTF export link is informative, it may help further refine my approach. Interestingly, the molecule you’ve chosen for demo purposes appears to be the one, or a variant thereof, I’ve been testing with! > > Thanks again, > > Byrne > > >> On Dec 2, 2021, at 12:30 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard(a)sonic.net <mailto:goddard@sonic.net>> wrote: >> >> Hi Byrne, >> >> We have long been interested in adding Collada format export of scenes from ChimeraX. Here is the feature request for that >> >> https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485 <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485> >> >> But our scene export in ChimeraX has focused on GLTF format, as that has been the most requested. Here is an example showing GLTF export from ChimeraX (including texture colors). >> >> https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html> >> >> ChimeraX also exports OBJ, STL, X3D, VTK as shown in the save command docs >> >> https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/save.html#formats <https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/save.html#formats> >> >> Can you make use of GLTF files? If not, a quick solution might be to convert ChimeraX GLTF files to Collada with third-party software. >> >> Tom >> >>> On Dec 2, 2021, at 10:41 AM, Byrne Pedit via Chimera-users <chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimera-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote: >>> >>> ChimeraX is awesome and definitely superior to the original but for the inability to export as .dae (Collada). Is that possibly on the to-do list? This is important for those of us (just me?) writing interactive molecular apps for devices. It is the only satisfactory path I’ve found between a PDB file and SCNNodes/Scenes in iOS. (See the iOS app ‘BioMole’, free, if interested in an application.) >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Chimera-users mailing list: Chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:Chimera-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> >>> Manage subscription: https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/mailman/listinfo/chimera-users <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/mailman/listinfo/chimera-users> >>> >> >

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Re: [chimerax-users] [Chimera-users] .dae export for ChimeraX
by Tom Goddard 02 Dec '21

02 Dec '21

Hi Byrne, We have long been interested in adding Collada format export of scenes from ChimeraX. Here is the feature request for that https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485 <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/trac/ChimeraX/ticket/485> But our scene export in ChimeraX has focused on GLTF format, as that has been the most requested. Here is an example showing GLTF export from ChimeraX (including texture colors). https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/texture-may2021/export_3d.html ChimeraX also exports OBJ, STL, X3D, VTK as shown in the save command docs https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/save.html#formats Can you make use of GLTF files? If not, a quick solution might be to convert ChimeraX GLTF files to Collada with third-party software. Tom > On Dec 2, 2021, at 10:41 AM, Byrne Pedit via Chimera-users <chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote: > > ChimeraX is awesome and definitely superior to the original but for the inability to export as .dae (Collada). Is that possibly on the to-do list? This is important for those of us (just me?) writing interactive molecular apps for devices. It is the only satisfactory path I’ve found between a PDB file and SCNNodes/Scenes in iOS. (See the iOS app ‘BioMole’, free, if interested in an application.) > _______________________________________________ > Chimera-users mailing list: Chimera-users(a)cgl.ucsf.edu > Manage subscription: https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/mailman/listinfo/chimera-users >

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coloring clipped surface only separately
by Y. Mutum 02 Dec '21

02 Dec '21

Hi Elaine and Team My question relates on how we can color the 'clipped surface only' using a different color independently. This is without messing up the color of the outer surface of the model. Suppose the outer surface of the pdb-model has been colored by hydrophobicity (mlp). Then, I slice the model using the 'side view' tool. Now, using the 'surface cap' command, I can get a clipping plane which is colored 'bychain'. However, if I try to color the clipped surface using a different color, the entire hydrophobicity surface is no longer there. These are my commands below. Is there a way to color the clipped surface by a different color? If not is there a way around? The commands I have used are: >>> open 6g2j; hide all; >>> color #1 green; color /B-G,I,Q,P,R,W,q yellow; Then using the side view tool, clip the surface of the model to get a slice. I am trying to clip in the plane containing Chain D and B. >>> mlp #1; >>> surface cap true; Then, I can get a clipping plane colored by-chain. If I then type >>>color zone #1 near #1 distance 5 Then, I can get the clipped surface to change its color but this messes up the hydrophobicity of the outer surface. Thus, 1. Is there a way to color the clipped surface separately, while not messing up with the outer surface coloring (hydrophobity in this case)? 2. Suppose I want to remember this clipping plane for another ChimeraX session and would like to avoid the manual clipping using the 'Side view'. Using command line, is there a way to get back to the clipping plane? Similar to 'camera matrix' command, but, with the 'sectioned plane' also included. Thanks Yaikhomba

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measuring rotation between two homologous PDB models
by Y. Mutum 28 Nov '21

28 Nov '21

Hi Elaine and ChimeraX Team My query relates to measuring rotation between two subunits from homologous models in ChimeraX. Here, I have first aligned the two models on one of sub-domains of these multi-domain complex. Then, without moving the models, the plan is to calculate the rotation in another domain, between the 2 models, apart from measuring the translational shift. So, * Align Chain /L,M (model #1, PDB:6g2j ) and Chains /5,4 (model #2, PDB:6rfr). * Calculate rotation of Chain /F (model #1, PDB:6g2j) and Chain /B (model #2, PDB:6rfr). I am using the following commands: -- open 6g2j; open 6rfr; -- match #1/L,N to #2/5,4 pair ss; -- measure rotation #1/F toModel #2/B coordinateSystem #1/F showAxis true showSlabs true; The log report is: Position of 6g2j #1 relative to 6rfr #2 in 6g2j #1 coordinate system: Matrix rotation and translation 0.80441124 0.40360431 -0.43591986 67.76279700 0.18783349 0.52334489 0.83116106 -121.82969657 0.56359661 -0.75047565 0.34517410 202.31442783 Axis -0.83978100 -0.53070022 -0.11456502 Axis point 0.00000000 87.13355460 206.39866592 Rotation angle (degrees) 70.33834463 Shift along axis -15.42901832 Thus, ChimeraX is calculating a rotation of ¬70 degrees, which is clearly the case. The visual inspection suggests, that the rotation should be no more than ~15-20 degrees. I am not sure where I am going wrong. Could you please help? Thanks Yaikhomba

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Exporting Measure and Color Blob data
by BINGHAM Dominic 25 Nov '21

25 Nov '21

Hello, I am wanting to get the volumetric data of several blobs in a manner I can easily export and analyse. I am using the Measure and Color Blobs tool and I can see the data I need. However, I have lots of models, with lots of blobs. That means me stopping and writing down the volume data each time I click is not very efficient. So is there anyway I can export all the volume data per each selected blobs per each image into one file? Thanks, Dominic Bingham

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Match the scale of OBJ and volume
by Roden Deng Luo 24 Nov '21

24 Nov '21

Hi, As shown in the screenshot, I have opened one volume and one obj. But they should have the same scale. How can I achieve this? Thanks, Roden -- This message and its contents, including attachments are intended solely for the original recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message from your computer system. Any unauthorized use or distribution is prohibited. Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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Color volume series by per voxel variance?
by Oliver Clarke 24 Nov '21

24 Nov '21

Hi all, Is there any way in either Chimera or X to calculate the per voxel variance of a volume series, and then use that to color the individual voxels in each frame? When one has a series of volumes showing a subtle conformational change - lets say identified using cryoDRGN or 3D variability analysis in cryoSPARC - it would be nice to be able to visually highlight on the map the region that is changing the most, in some kind of quantitatively sound way. Often local changes are visually apparent when looking at the maps and rotating them around, but don't necessarily stand out in a movie of the whole volume. Coloring the series of maps (which are all on the same grid) by the variance of the density value at each voxel might be one way to visualize this. Is this possible? Cheers Oli

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ChimeraX import multiple positions of the same .pdb structure
by Frey, Lukas 23 Nov '21

23 Nov '21

Dear Elaine, I have an external file with a transformation matrix (orientation and translation) for a .pdb structure and I would like to apply the transformation in ChimeraX to a .pdb file. I’m aware that ChimeraX needs a matrix like [[1,1,1],[2,2,2],[3,3,3],[x,y,z]], where the first 3 columns are the orientation the last column the x,y,z translation positions. One can load a new orientation/translation into chimeraX with the „open“ command: https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/formats/positions.html in the command line of chimeraX I had to type in: open path-to-file/test.positions models #1 childModels true matchNames true my test.positions file is a .txt file containing the name of the .pdb structure and transformation matrix and I already loaded the .pdb structure before I applied the transformation matrix. Below you can find the input of the transformation matrix file, called text.positions: 6y2l.pdb,-0.6515591636522021,-0.6041757901381976,-0.45873987277293393,0.09148867345316551,-0.662890582358989,0.7431055769199559,-0.7530607405054541,0.44220774578318395,0.48718767500700594,30.0,20.0,30.0 If I apply the open command in chimera somehow it leads to a distortion of the .pdb protein structure. If I check the transformation position of the model with „view matrix“, then I have the following output: view matrix camera position: 0.94464,-0.25925,-0.20113,-578.87,-0.29451,-0.94014,-0.17144,1242.4,-0.14464,0.22118,-0.96445,-8143.8 model positions: #1,-0.65156,-0.60418,-0.45874,0.091489,-0.66289,0.74311,-0.75306,0.44221,0.48719,30,20,30,#1.1,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,#1.2,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0 Somehow the transformation matrix is only applied to #1 but not to #1.1 and #1.2, do you have an idea what I have to change? If I save the transformation matrix of the distorted .pdb structure via the save command: save path-to-file/test_2.positions models #1 childModels true I have the following output: 6y2l.pdb,-0.651559163652,-0.604175790138,-0.458739872773,0.0914886734532,-0.662890582359,0.74310557692,-0.753060740505,0.442207745783,0.487187675007,30,20,30 metal coordination bonds,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0 missing structure,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,0 The goal in the future is to load several positions (1 … 100) of the same .pdb structures. Best, Lukas Lukas Frey Visiting Postdoctoral Associate UMASS Medical School Worcester Grigorieff Laboratory

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