Rapid Access

Rapid Access icon: when shown when hidden

The Rapid Access interface allows quick access to frequently used items, including data and tools. It is shown automatically at Chimera startup instead of the standard graphics window, but it can be hidden/shown at any time by clicking the lightning-bolt icon near the bottom right of the window, or hidden automatically by opening 3D data, whether via the File menu, the command open, the system command line at Chimera startup, or Rapid Access itself. Closing a session (with the File menu or the command close session) will also show the interface.

• On the right are recently used data sources (click to open), and at bottom right, buttons to Browse for local files and to Fetch data from the Web. Recent data sources are listed in a user's preferences file.
  
  
• On the left (by default) is a toolbar for icons of frequently used tools, where clicking an icon starts the corresponding tool. Clicking Add Tool Icon brings up the Tools preferences for specifying which tools' icons should be shown and whether to place the toolbar in Rapid Access only, or along one side of the Chimera window regardless of whether Rapid Access is shown. It is necessary to Save any preference changes to apply them to future uses of Chimera.
  
  
• Also on the left are buttons to raise any currently active Chimera dialogs. An active dialog is one that has been shown and then neither hidden nor quit from, although it may have become obscured by other windows.
  
  
• At middle top is an area for access to scenes, which can be saved using the Animation tool or the scene command. Clicking a scene thumbnail restores that scene in Chimera, and clicking Save scene brings up Animation to allow saving the current scene.
  
  
• At middle bottom is an area for named selections, where clicking the name of a previously saved selection restores it. The Name current selection button allows saving the current selection. Selections can also be saved and restored using the Select menu, and their names can be used for command-line atom specification.

Clicking most items in Rapid Access will hide the interface, revealing the Chimera graphics window. To open recent data without dismissing Rapid Access, press the Shift key while clicking the data-source button.

Help text within the interface itself can be shown/hidden by clicking the Show Help (Hide Help) button near its bottom left corner.