Rasmol
RasMol is an open-source molecular visualization software used to view and manipulate 3D models of molecules and proteins. It can read various file formats and has features like coloring, zooming, rotations, and measurement tools.
molecular-visualization
protein-structure
3d-modeling
RasMol: Molecular Visualization Software
Open-source molecular visualization software for viewing and manipulating 3D models of molecules and proteins, with support for various file formats and features like coloring, zooming, rotations, and measurement tools.
What is Rasmol?
RasMol is a popular free and open-source molecular visualization software used to visualize and analyze 3D molecular structures such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and small molecules. Originally developed in the early 1990s for computational molecular graphics teaching and research, RasMol has evolved into one of the most widely used tools for generating high-quality 3D images of molecular structures and surfaces.
Some key features and capabilities of RasMol include:
- Supports various molecular data file formats including PDB, Mol2, XYZ, and more
- Offers a user-friendly graphical interface for interactively rotating, scaling, zooming, and translating graphics
- Provides a wide range of coloring methods to visualize properties like atom types, temperature factors, charge, and hydrophobicity
- Measures distances, angles, and torsion angles between atoms
- Generates high resolution bitmaps and publication quality images
- Extensible through scripting to automate tasks and customize functionality
- Available for all major computing platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
With its ease of use, open availability and wealth of features for detailed molecular modeling, RasMol continues to play an invaluable role in computational chemistry research, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, science education and communication.
Rasmol Features
Features
- Visualization of 3D molecular structures
- Support for various molecular file formats like PDB, XYZ, etc
- Coloring and labeling of atoms
- Measurement tools
- Animation and movie making capabilities
- Scripting interface for automation
Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
Pros
Free and open source
Available for multiple platforms
Intuitive user interface
Large user community and support
Cons
Development has stalled, last update in 2008
Limited built-in rendering capabilities
Steep learning curve for scripting and advanced usage
The Best Rasmol Alternatives
Top Science & Education and Molecular Modeling and other similar apps like Rasmol
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