Selecting a 3D Viewer Plug-in
For information on the 3D viewers that are supported by WebMolecules and where to get them, see Free Viewers.
Installing a 3D Viewer Plug-in
For installation assistance with the 3D viewers, see our page: FAQ – Plug-in Support.
Using the 3D Viewers
For detailed help on “How to Use” a particular plug-in, select it from the following list.
Please select your plug-in
A small pop-up window will appear with help for all major tasks. You can keep this Help window open while browsing the WebMolecules Library.
Changing the Size of the Molecular Display
Across the top of the Molecular Display window, there are 3 buttons: [Small], [Medium], and [Large]. Click on these to change the size of the Display window.
In addition, WebMolecules uses a cookie to remember your Display size selection from visit to visit. If you want to avoid having to set the size of the Display repeatedly, enable Cookies in your browser configuration.
Switching between 3D Viewers
The viewer plug-ins (VRML and Chime) supported by WebMolecules have different features. You can switch between them while using WebMolecules. First be sure to download and install both the Chime plug-in and a VRML plug-in of your choice. When you are browsing the WebMolecules library, you will see two radio buttons labeled VRML and Chime next to the Molecules drop-down list. Simply click the radio button of the new viewer you wish to use and then select a structure from the Molecules drop-down list.
Alternatively, you may already have a structure in the Molecular Display window that you want to see using a different Viewer. First, click the radio button of the new viewer you wish to use and then click the (GO) button next to it. The structure will reappear in the Molecular Display window using the new viewer.
As a time-saver, WebMolecules uses a cookie to remember your Viewer selection from visit to visit. If you want to avoid having to make a Viewer selection on each visit, enable Cookies in your browser configuration.