Add shortcuts to Model panel, log and Volume viewer to toolbar?

Hi, I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how. Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer? The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient. It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands. Cheers Oli

Hi Oli, The most similar thing that we have currently is custom presets (defined via command script) that show up in the Presets menu, see: <https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/preferences.html#startup> And as you saw, Eric created a ticket for an Aliases menu, #9627, although it may take a while for it to be addressed. Currently you can remind yourself of the existing aliases with command "alias list" <https://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/alias.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 Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi, I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli

Hi Oli, Are you talking about both two character keyboard shortcuts and Toolbar icons, or just Toolbar icons? Currently adding either of those requires writing some Python code. But it would be nice if you could define new toolbar buttons that run a specified command using just a command. Maybe a command like toolbar button VV "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" would make an icon where the button shows VV and runs the command to show the Volume Viewer panel or raising it to the top of the windows if needed. There is an obscure ChimeraX command to create a panel of buttons where each button runs a ChimeraX command of your choosing. https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html For example, these commands make a panel with 3 buttons to show Volume Viewer, Models or Log panels. buttonpanel Shortcuts rows 1 columns 3 buttonpanel Shortcuts add VV command "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" buttonpanel Shortcuts add MP command "tool show Models" buttonpanel Shortcuts add LG command "tool show Log" Here's what it looks like (upper right corner of image)  You could put the commands to create the shortcuts in a shortcuts.cxc and automatically open that at startup with the "Execute these commands at startup" preference setting. I think directly adding toolbar buttons with a command would be a better approach. Tom
On Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi,
I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/

Ok, so playing with that (it’s great!) I have another question: Generally speaking, I want all tool panels to start undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate, so I have the “start tools undocked” preference set. This one, however, is one I want to leave docked (it is small and I can put it right next to the other toolbar icons, as in your screenshot). Is there any way to lock the position of a tool, to allow it to remain docked session to session, while other tools start undocked? Cheers Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 2:33 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard@sonic.net> wrote:
Hi Oli,
Are you talking about both two character keyboard shortcuts and Toolbar icons, or just Toolbar icons? Currently adding either of those requires writing some Python code. But it would be nice if you could define new toolbar buttons that run a specified command using just a command. Maybe a command like
toolbar button VV "tool show 'Volume Viewer'"
would make an icon where the button shows VV and runs the command to show the Volume Viewer panel or raising it to the top of the windows if needed.
There is an obscure ChimeraX command to create a panel of buttons where each button runs a ChimeraX command of your choosing.
https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html
For example, these commands make a panel with 3 buttons to show Volume Viewer, Models or Log panels.
buttonpanel Shortcuts rows 1 columns 3 buttonpanel Shortcuts add VV command "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" buttonpanel Shortcuts add MP command "tool show Models" buttonpanel Shortcuts add LG command "tool show Log"
Here's what it looks like (upper right corner of image)
<buttonpanel.png> You could put the commands to create the shortcuts in a shortcuts.cxc and automatically open that at startup with the "Execute these commands at startup" preference setting.
I think directly adding toolbar buttons with a command would be a better approach.
Tom
On Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi,
I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/

Hi Oli, Except for auto-started docked tools, the "start tools undocked" preference wins -- and the button panel is not auto-startable, so there is no way to do this with that preference on. What you can do, which is somewhat more of a pain, is turn off that preference, and on a tool-by-tool basis use the tool's context menu to make it undockable. At the same time, dock the button panel where you want it to go and use "Save Tool Position" in its context menu. Then whenever you start the button panel it will start in that docked position. --Eric Eric Pettersen UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
On Aug 23, 2023, at 12:05 PM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Ok, so playing with that (it’s great!) I have another question:
Generally speaking, I want all tool panels to start undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate, so I have the “start tools undocked” preference set. This one, however, is one I want to leave docked (it is small and I can put it right next to the other toolbar icons, as in your screenshot).
Is there any way to lock the position of a tool, to allow it to remain docked session to session, while other tools start undocked?
Cheers Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 2:33 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard@sonic.net> wrote:
Hi Oli,
Are you talking about both two character keyboard shortcuts and Toolbar icons, or just Toolbar icons? Currently adding either of those requires writing some Python code. But it would be nice if you could define new toolbar buttons that run a specified command using just a command. Maybe a command like
toolbar button VV "tool show 'Volume Viewer'"
would make an icon where the button shows VV and runs the command to show the Volume Viewer panel or raising it to the top of the windows if needed.
There is an obscure ChimeraX command to create a panel of buttons where each button runs a ChimeraX command of your choosing.
https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html <https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html>
For example, these commands make a panel with 3 buttons to show Volume Viewer, Models or Log panels.
buttonpanel Shortcuts rows 1 columns 3 buttonpanel Shortcuts add VV command "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" buttonpanel Shortcuts add MP command "tool show Models" buttonpanel Shortcuts add LG command "tool show Log"
Here's what it looks like (upper right corner of image)
<buttonpanel.png> You could put the commands to create the shortcuts in a shortcuts.cxc and automatically open that at startup with the "Execute these commands at startup" preference setting.
I think directly adding toolbar buttons with a command would be a better approach.
Tom
On Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi,
I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
_______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/

Hmmm - I can autostart it by adding the lines that Tom provided to the startup commands, but I guess that is different to the autostart procedure that Model panel and Log use.. ok I will try this, that should work! Thanks! Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 4:40 PM, Eric Pettersen <pett@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi Oli, Except for auto-started docked tools, the "start tools undocked" preference wins -- and the button panel is not auto-startable, so there is no way to do this with that preference on. What you can do, which is somewhat more of a pain, is turn off that preference, and on a tool-by-tool basis use the tool's context menu to make it undockable. At the same time, dock the button panel where you want it to go and use "Save Tool Position" in its context menu. Then whenever you start the button panel it will start in that docked position.
--Eric
Eric Pettersen UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
On Aug 23, 2023, at 12:05 PM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote:
Ok, so playing with that (it’s great!) I have another question:
Generally speaking, I want all tool panels to start undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate, so I have the “start tools undocked” preference set. This one, however, is one I want to leave docked (it is small and I can put it right next to the other toolbar icons, as in your screenshot).
Is there any way to lock the position of a tool, to allow it to remain docked session to session, while other tools start undocked?
Cheers Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 2:33 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard@sonic.net <mailto:goddard@sonic.net>> wrote:
Hi Oli,
Are you talking about both two character keyboard shortcuts and Toolbar icons, or just Toolbar icons? Currently adding either of those requires writing some Python code. But it would be nice if you could define new toolbar buttons that run a specified command using just a command. Maybe a command like
toolbar button VV "tool show 'Volume Viewer'"
would make an icon where the button shows VV and runs the command to show the Volume Viewer panel or raising it to the top of the windows if needed.
There is an obscure ChimeraX command to create a panel of buttons where each button runs a ChimeraX command of your choosing.
https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html
For example, these commands make a panel with 3 buttons to show Volume Viewer, Models or Log panels.
buttonpanel Shortcuts rows 1 columns 3 buttonpanel Shortcuts add VV command "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" buttonpanel Shortcuts add MP command "tool show Models" buttonpanel Shortcuts add LG command "tool show Log"
Here's what it looks like (upper right corner of image)
<buttonpanel.png> You could put the commands to create the shortcuts in a shortcuts.cxc and automatically open that at startup with the "Execute these commands at startup" preference setting.
I think directly adding toolbar buttons with a command would be a better approach.
Tom
On Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote:
Hi,
I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu> Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
_______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu> Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/

Yes, "auto-startable" in this context basically means "listed in the Tools menu, and launchable with 'ui tool show ToolName'". --Eric
On Aug 23, 2023, at 1:47 PM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hmmm - I can autostart it by adding the lines that Tom provided to the startup commands, but I guess that is different to the autostart procedure that Model panel and Log use.. ok I will try this, that should work! Thanks!
Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 4:40 PM, Eric Pettersen <pett@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi Oli, Except for auto-started docked tools, the "start tools undocked" preference wins -- and the button panel is not auto-startable, so there is no way to do this with that preference on. What you can do, which is somewhat more of a pain, is turn off that preference, and on a tool-by-tool basis use the tool's context menu to make it undockable. At the same time, dock the button panel where you want it to go and use "Save Tool Position" in its context menu. Then whenever you start the button panel it will start in that docked position.
--Eric
Eric Pettersen UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
On Aug 23, 2023, at 12:05 PM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote:
Ok, so playing with that (it’s great!) I have another question:
Generally speaking, I want all tool panels to start undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate, so I have the “start tools undocked” preference set. This one, however, is one I want to leave docked (it is small and I can put it right next to the other toolbar icons, as in your screenshot).
Is there any way to lock the position of a tool, to allow it to remain docked session to session, while other tools start undocked?
Cheers Oli
On Aug 23, 2023, at 2:33 PM, Tom Goddard <goddard@sonic.net <mailto:goddard@sonic.net>> wrote:
Hi Oli,
Are you talking about both two character keyboard shortcuts and Toolbar icons, or just Toolbar icons? Currently adding either of those requires writing some Python code. But it would be nice if you could define new toolbar buttons that run a specified command using just a command. Maybe a command like
toolbar button VV "tool show 'Volume Viewer'"
would make an icon where the button shows VV and runs the command to show the Volume Viewer panel or raising it to the top of the windows if needed.
There is an obscure ChimeraX command to create a panel of buttons where each button runs a ChimeraX command of your choosing.
https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html <https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/user/commands/buttonpanel.html>
For example, these commands make a panel with 3 buttons to show Volume Viewer, Models or Log panels.
buttonpanel Shortcuts rows 1 columns 3 buttonpanel Shortcuts add VV command "tool show 'Volume Viewer'" buttonpanel Shortcuts add MP command "tool show Models" buttonpanel Shortcuts add LG command "tool show Log"
Here's what it looks like (upper right corner of image)
<buttonpanel.png> You could put the commands to create the shortcuts in a shortcuts.cxc and automatically open that at startup with the "Execute these commands at startup" preference setting.
I think directly adding toolbar buttons with a command would be a better approach.
Tom
On Aug 23, 2023, at 6:49 AM, Oliver Clarke via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu>> wrote:
Hi,
I love the ability to customize the home tab of the toolbar, but there are some other things that I would like to add there and I don’t see how.
Is there any way to add shortcuts/icons for the model panel, the log and the volume viewer?
The use case is that I prefer to keep all panels undocked, in order to maximize screen real estate when working on a laptop - having shortcuts to bring these up would be convenient.
It would also be great to have a shortcut for either a specific alias, or a dropdown menu of aliases, for custom lighting/visualization modes defined in the startup commands.
Cheers Oli _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu> Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/ <https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/>
_______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu <mailto:chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu> Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/ <https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/>
_______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
participants (4)
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Elaine Meng
-
Eric Pettersen
-
Oliver Clarke
-
Tom Goddard