Hi Oli, Short answer is that (at least in my hands) the horizontal motions don't elicit much Z-translation -- try moving the cursor vertically. In all my tests below that worked with translation assignment +Ctrl to give Z-translation.
Long answer with several rounds of testing:
I don't know if this applies to you, but since I work on a Mac with a trackpad most of the time, I avoid explicitly assigning anything to alt-left or command-left because these emulate the middle and right mouse buttons. https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/ui.html#touchpad
I don't know whether you actually assigned alt-left to translate, but the factory default assignment for middle mouse ( = alt-left if you call trackpad click-drag "left") is translation, so it's effectively the same as what you said. https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/ui.html#mousemode
Using the factory defaults (translation nominally assigned to middle mouse), the Z-translation with alt-left-drag-Ctrl is working for me on a Mac with trackpad and UCSF ChimeraX version 1.7.1 (2024-01-23) as well as recent daily build 1.8.dev202403072314 (2024-03-07).
Next I tried it with two models open, one selected, and the "translate selected models" assigned to right mouse button (= Mac trackpad command-left) and it works fine to XY- and Z-translate (with added Ctrl) the selected model only.
If I actually assign
mousemode alt left "translated selected models"
That also works alt-left to XY translate and Z-translate (with added Ctrl) the selected model only.
However, I usually have to try a little XY-translation first before attempting Z-translation because it is a little persnickety and/or I am not coordinated enough to use these multiple keys at the same time. And again, I don't know what exactly is going on in the video you sent, but, horizontal cursor motion doesn't seem to do much Z-translation for rme, only vertical.
If you can't get it to work, please use Help.. Report a Bug so we will know your exact version and platform details.
I hope this helps, Elaine ----- Elaine C. Meng, Ph.D. UCSF Chimera(X) team Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry University of California, San Francisco
On Mar 11, 2024, at 7:33 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu wrote:
Hi,
I can't seem to get the mousemode "Z-translate selected models" to work properly. I have "translate selected" set to Alt+left-drag, so per the docs ("assigned button + Ctrl (in that order) switches to Z-translation instead"), Alt+Ctrl+left-drag should translate the selected model in Z. It does not, or at least in any reproducible manner.
Watch the selected yellow marker in the side view here on the right hand side:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vds0cwu0zizclg64vlxqc/z_translate_bug.mov?rlk...
- Initially I translate in x-y using Alt-drag - works fine.
- I try to translate in z using alt-ctrl-drag - nothing happens
- I keep trying translate in z, and eventually it "works" - but if you look closely you will see that the movement of the marker is not synced up with the direction/speed of the mouse cursor.
Is this a bug? I remember testing this when it was initially implemented and I thought it worked fine so I suspect so...?
Cheers Oli