[Chimera-users] Multiscale models and surface coloring

[David Sept]

I need to create a series of images of large protein complexes, and  
since it is tedious to do this through the menus, I am trying to  
script this for Chimera.  I want to create low-res, EM looking  
surfaces and color the individual protein chains different colors.  So  
far, I can read in multiple structures and create the surfaces, but I  
can't figure out how to change the coloring.  Here's what I have:

---- test.py -------
from chimera import openModels
m = openModels.open('model-1.pdb')[0]

import MultiScale

d = MultiScale.show_multiscale_model_dialog()
d.make_multimers([m])

chimera.viewer.viewAll()
---- test.py -------

The above python script work and makes very nice blobs.  I can color  
the entire structure (say red) by adding something like:

d.select_all_chains_cb()
d.change_color_cb((1, 0, 0, 1))

but I can't figure out how to select individual chains and color them  
(not sure how to use select_chains).  This also gets more complicated  
when I load in two structures at the same time and they have common  
chain letters.  Since I found a way to get this (almost) working in  
python, I've been sticking with it, but if this can easily be done  
directly using a chimera command file, I'm happy to do that.  Any help  
is appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

----------------------------------------------------
David Sept, Ph.D.  Associate Professor
Biomedical Engineering and Center for Computational Biology
Washington University,  Campus Box 1097, St. Louis, MO  63130
Phone: (314) 935-8837          Fax:  (314) 935-7448
dsept at biomed.wustl.edu      http://habanero.ibme.wustl.edu