Available for Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms, RasMol is a free, interactive molecular-graphics viewer. The program reads in the 3-D coordinates for a molecule using the pdb file format. It displays the molecule in various representations and allows one to rotate the molecule interactively. RasMol-ucb allows simultaneous viewing of multiple molecules.
The version of RasMol that we are using (RasMol-ucb) is the enhanced version developed by Marco Molinaro from the UC Regents/ModularCHEM Consortium. Be aware that this program is still in beta testing; thus, you may encounter bugs. It is based on the original RasMol that was developed by Roger Sayle at Glaxo, UK. (Reference: Roger A. Sayle and E. J. Milner-White, "RasMol: Biomolecular graphics for all", Trends in Biochemical Science (TIBS), September 1995, Vol. 20, No. 9, p.374.)
*NOTE TO MAC USERS: To download RasMol correctly from the internet, you need to have either "Stuffit" or "Binhex" on your Macintosh. These are free software programs and are available on the ACN (Academic Computing Network) Macintosh network or from Aladdin Systems. If you have any questions about this, please see R. Frey.
Action |
PC |
MAC |
Rotation |
Left-mouse |
Mouse button (Click & Hold) |
Translation |
Right-mouse |
<OpenApple> and |
Zoom |
<alt><SHIFT> and |
<SHIFT> and |
Z-Rotation |
|
<option><SHIFT> and |
The command line may also be used to perform more advanced commands. To find the commands, look in the RasMol manual under Help (PC) or ð /Basic Instructions. Other helps, such as reference manuals and tutorials, are available on the Internet:
Revised July 29, 1999