From chemistry-request(+ at +)server.ccl.net Wed Feb 6 22:59:28 2002 Received: from mercury.sunesis.com ([64.240.200.4]) by server.ccl.net (8.11.6/8.11.0) with ESMTP id g173xSc17492 for ; Wed, 6 Feb 2002 22:59:28 -0500 content-class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Subject: Announce: PyMOL v0.78 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.0.4712.0 Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 19:59:09 -0800 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Announce: VMD 1.7.2 (Windows-only GUI update) is available Thread-Index: AcGveU2KwescmfQ6RMe8GEXtKc0evwAABbng From: "DeLano, Warren" To: Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by server.ccl.net id g173xSc17493 PyMOL version 0.78 is now released for download from http://pymol.sf.net . RPM packages are available for quick installation under Linux RedHat 7.x, and Windows and IRIX binaries are provided along with source code. PyMOL is the most powerful free molecular graphics system currently available as unrestricted open-source software. PyMOL works great as a stand-alone viewer but is also well suited for infrastructure given its robust Python API and its ability to run as an anonymous module. Unlike other popular free graphics programs, (such as VMD, RasMOL, SwissPDBViewer, Chime, and the Accelrys Viewer), you can use PyMOL for any purpose, and you are permitted to modify and redistribute derivates of PyMOL without cost or without being required to release derivative source code (though it is encouraged). Thus, PyMOL is ideally suited for corporate applications where license restrictions are of paramount concern. Software companies, start-ups, biotech, and big-pharma can all benefit from using PyMOL for 3D molecular visualization on low-cost hardware. Of particular note, version 0.78 contains an early release of PyMOL's remarkable "sculpting" capability. With "auto-sculpting" enabled in Editing Mode, you can simply CTRL-Click-and-Drag atoms to where you want them to be, and then PyMOL will do its best to make sure that bonds, angles, planarity, chirality, and van der Waals radii are maintained. It is not particularly realistic, but it sure looks cool -- as if your molecules were made of "gummy worms" candy! With its built-in molecular building and manipulation features, PyMOL can now serve as a reasonable front-end to your favorite mechanics and minimization engine (i.e. BatchMin). Alternatively, you can just use PyMOL to view trajectories, docking runs, or to make exceptional figures and animations. In the long run, PyMOL aims to match the molecular graphics quality of Molscript/Raster3D, the molecular editing capabilities of MacroModel, the animations and performance of VMD, the electrostatic surfaces of Grasp, the macromolecular crystallography of O, the interactivity of Sculpt, and the programmability of M.O.E. (but using Python instead of SVL), all in one FREE & UNRESTRICTED OPEN-SOURCE package. If you haven't yet seen PyMOL in action recently, you will be surprised how far it has progressed toward this goal... Cheers, Warren L. DeLano, Ph.D. PyMOL Creator DeLano Scientific PS. If you try PyMOL and like it, then please consider helping out! While the PyMOL open-source community is growing rapidly, more involvement is needed in order to help the project achieve longevity.