[Chimera-users] display angle label

[Elaine Meng]

Hi Gesa,
There is no analogous way to simply display the angle values as labels.  If you wanted 3D labels (those that move around with the structure), you would first need to make the measurement and then manually label some atom or bond with that value.  For a torsion, you would probably label the bond in the middle.  The only way I can think of to manually label a bond is to Ctrl-click it in the main window to select it, then use the Selection Inspector dialog and enter a label for that bond.  You can show the Selection Inspector by clicking the magnifying glass in the lower right corner of the Chimera window or choosing "Actions... Inspect" from the menu.

To manually label an atom, you could select it, then use Selection Inspector or menu (Actions... Label... other...) to add an arbitrary label.  Yet another way is to use the command setattr, e.g.

setattr a label "45" :16.a at cb

If this is for a publication or presentation image, you could use 2D labels.  These don't move when you move the structure.  You would have to first position everything how it should be in the final figure, and then add 2D labels (this tool is under Tools... Utilities in the menu).  In that case you can include symbols such as the degree symbol, easily make each label whatever size and color you want, and drag it around anywhere within the Chimera window.
<http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/ContributedSoftware/2dlabels/2dlabels.html>

I hope this helps,
Elaine
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Elaine C. Meng, Ph.D. 
UCSF Computer Graphics Lab (Chimera team) and Babbitt Lab
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
University of California, San Francisco

On Dec 2, 2010, at 6:36 AM, Gesa Volkers wrote:

> Dear all,
> I measured an angle (or better torsion) between four atoms. How can I 
> display the angle with a label? I only found how to diplay measured 
> distances with a label, but not angles/torsions.
> Thanks in advance,
> Gesa