[comp.sys.sgi] Displaying electron density

Michael_E._Murphy@MTSG.UBC.CA (08/16/90)

     I am intrested in molecular graphics software that is good at
displaying electron density contours.  We have been using FRODO on
our 3000 series and I would like a 4D version.  Is there anything
better available?  Has anyone experimented with something more
realistic than wire cages?
 
Michael Murphy               usermbcm@mtsg.ubc.ca or @ubcmtsg.bitnet 

doelz@urz.unibas.ch (08/16/90)

In article <2383953@mtsg.ubc.ca>, Michael_E._Murphy@MTSG.UBC.CA writes:
> 
>      I am intrested in molecular graphics software that is good at
> displaying electron density contours.  We have been using FRODO on
> our 3000 series and I would like a 4D version.  Is there anything
> better available?  Has anyone experimented with something more
> realistic than wire cages?
>  

We have been writing a prototype of program which does 
on-line contouring of density maps on a SGI 4D/120 resulting in shaded 
surfaces. Manipulation like scaling, rotation, translation 
and recontouring are done with dials. Split pair stereo 
is provided (and, StereoView will be running soon in our lab). 
The surfaces can be lighted, transparent, etc. A conversion utility
for reformatting binary CCP4 VAX data is provided. 

The performance is great, the code is spagetti. Therefore, 
we are about redesigning it and will write it in C++. 

The problem of the program is that we do not reinvent the wheel, 
thus, need to have a package with a sufficiently open interface. 
There are some choices, and we did not conclude on a final package 
yet. 

- Reinhard

lnds@obed.uucp (Mark Israel) (08/17/90)

In article <2383953@mtsg.ubc.ca>, Michael_E._Murphy@MTSG.UBC.CA writes:
 
>	I am intrested in molecular graphics software that is good at
> displaying electron density contours.  We have been using FRODO on
> our 3000 series and I would like a 4D version.  Is there anything
> better available?

What we're currently using:

1) TOM/FRODO

   Contact:  Christian Cambillau

   Address:
      Laboratoire de Cristallographie
      Faculte' de Me'decine Nord
      Boulevard Pierre Dramard
      13326 Marseille cedex 15
      France

   Phone:
      33-91.65.79.47

   Fax:
      33-91.65.75.95

   Licence fee:
      2000 French francs

   TOM/FRODO is shipped with source code.  (The source code is a
   mess, though).  There is a "fixed up" version of this program
   with mods by Gary Griffin of SGI and by me.	For details, send a
   message to "frodo-request@sgi.com".

Coming "real soon now":

2) TURBO-FRODO

   Contact:  Christian Cambillau

   Address, phone:  as above

   Licence fee:
      U.S. $1000 to $2000 (depending on machine model) for
      academic users.  10 times as much for commercial users.

   Source code is not available.  The beta-test version we have
   has many regressions from our fixed version of TOM/FRODO
   (e.g. there's no way to translate the model on the screen).
   These MAY be fixed in the next release.

3) CHAIN

    Contact:  John Spurlino

    Address:
       Baylor College of Medicine
       Texas Medical Centre
       One Baylor Plaza
       Houston, Texas 77030
       U.S.A.

    Phone:
       (713) 798-6563

    E-mail:
       jcs@DINO.QCI.BIOCH.BCM.TMC.EDU

    Licence fee:
       not yet known.  We got a free licence for one year.

    CHAIN is the best map-fitting program we've yet seen.  The
    general policy will be not to release source.  Currently
    there's nothing to skeletonize maps.

4) O
   (Yes, that's right, it's called "O".)

   Contact:  Alwyn Jones

   Address:
      Dept. of Molecular Biology
      Biomedical Center, Uppsala University
      Box 590
      S-751 24 Uppsala
      Sweden

   Phone:
      018-174566

   E-mail:
      ALWYN@BMC.UU.SE

   Licence fee:
      Probably around $250.  For academic users only.  The contract
      threatens a lawsuit if a commercial user gets ahold of it.

   We haven't even seen the test version of this yet, but we
   expect it in the next few weeks.  Source will not be released.

			       Mark Israel
Bitnet:   USERISRA@UALTAMTS
Usenet:   Mark_Israel@uqv-mts.alberta
Internet: USERISRA@MTS.UCS.UALBERTA.CA