RCSB PDB Help
3D Viewers > Mol*
Mol* Cheat Sheet
Download and save Cheat Sheet.
Navigate the 3D Canvas
- Rotate - Press the left mouse button and move, or use the Shift button + left mouse button and drag.
- Translate - Press the right mouse button and move, or use the Control button + the left mouse button and move. On a touchscreen device, use a two-finger drag.
- Zoom - Use the mouse wheel. On a touchpad, use a two-finger drag. On a touchscreen device, pinch two fingers.
- Center and zoom - Use the right mouse button to click onto the part of the structure you wish to see.
- Change clipping planes - Use the Shift button + the mouse wheel. On a touchpad, use the Shift button + a two-finger drag.
Select
First open Selection Mode and change the Picking Level (if needed):
- Click on objects in the 3D canvas, OR
- Click on residues in the Sequence Panel, OR
- Use the Set Operations Menu in the Selection Mode toolbar
See or Hide
- Create a component of the region you wish to see/hide ¡ú
- Go to the Components Panel and press the ¡°eye¡± icon next to the component you created
Color
- N-terminus to C-terminus (rainbow) - Components ¡ú Polymer ¡ú Set Coloring ¡ú Residue Property ¡ú Sequence Id
- Heteroatom - Components ¡ú Polymer ¡ú Set Coloring ¡ú Atom Property ¡ú Element Symbol
- Secondary structure - Components ¡ú Polymer ¡ú Set Coloring ¡ú Residue Property ¡ú Secondary Structure
- Hydrophobicity - Components ¡ú Polymer ¡ú Set Coloring ¡ú Residue Property ¡ú Hydrophobicity
- Domain - Select domain ¡ú Selections Menu ¡ú Apply Theme to Selection ¡ú Color ¡ú Apply Theme
Compare Structures
First upload two or more structures at the stand-alone version of RCSB Mol* at rcsb.org/3D-view and superpose structures
- By chains - Select 2 or more polymer chains/residues ¡ú Superposition ¡ú By Chains ¡ú Superpose
- By atoms - Select 1 or more atoms ¡ú Superposition ¡ú By Atoms¡ú Superpose
Measurements
- Distance - Select 2 or more atoms/residues ¡ú Measurements ¡ú Add ¡ú Distance (for first 2 selections)
- Angle - Select 3 or more atoms/residues ¡ú Measurements ¡ú Add ¡ú Angle (for first 3 selections)
- Dihedral - Select 4 or more atoms ¡ú Measurements ¡ú Add ¡ú Dihedral (for first 4 selections)
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Last updated: 6/23/2022