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RASTER3D
This note is to announce the release of Version 2.3 of the Raster3D
molecular graphics package. This is a beta release, but the full
version will not differ substantially from the one now available.
New features in Version 2.3 include
- internal light sources ("glow" lights)
- alpha blend channel in output image
- automatic generation of stereo pairs
- new patch for Molscript V1.4 to fix some long-standing bugs
in the Raster3D output mode
- file indirection in input files
- various new anti-aliasing options, rendering options, and
more flexibility in the "rods" utility
The README file for the current version is appended below.
Ethan A Merritt
merritt at u.washington.edu
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RASTER3D
PROGRAM:
Raster3D is a set of tools for generating high quality raster
images of proteins or other molecules. The core program renders
spheres, triangles, and cylinders with specular highlighting,
Phong shading, and shadowing using an efficient Z-buffer algorithm.
Ancillary programs process atomic coordinates from Brookhaven PDB
files into rendering descriptions for pictures composed of ribbons,
space-filling atoms, bonds, ball+stick, etc. Raster3D can also be
used to render pictures composed in Per Kraulis' MOLSCRIPT program
in glorious 3D with highlights, shadowing, etc. (NB: you will need
MOLSCRIPT V1.4 to get the full benefit of this). Output is to
pixel image files with 24 bits of color information per pixel.
AVAILABILITY:
Raster3D is freely available but unsupported.
The current version is 3.2b (20 April 1997)
REFERENCES:
Bacon, David J. and Anderson, Wayne F. (1988).
Journal of Molecular Graphics 6, 219-220.
Merritt, Ethan A. and Murphy, Michael E.P. (1994).
Acta Cryst. D50, 869-873.
Merritt, Ethan A. and Bacon, David J. (in press).
Methods in Enzymology Vol 277 Part B.
AUTHORS:
originally written by David J. Bacon and Wayne F. Anderson;
extensions, revisions, modifications, ancillary programs by
Mark Israel, Stephen Samuel, Michael Murphy, Albert Berghuis,
and Ethan A Merritt
SOURCE:
web - http://www.bmsc.washington.edu/raster3d/raster3d.html
ftp - anonymous ftp site currently down (sorry)
contact: Ethan A Merritt
Dept of Biological Structure Box 357742
University of Washington
Seattle WA 98195
Email: merritt at u.washington.edu
