[Chimera-users] help

[Elaine Meng]

Hi Chinmaya,
Before you start scripting, the first thing to consider is whether Chimera can do what you want.  Have you tried doing what you want to show in the movie, but while using Chimera interactively?  From your description, I am concerned that Chimera may not read your input format.  The input types are generally 3D data files, not images.  The one exception is that an image stack can be used as a "volume data" input format.  Here is information on what formats Chimera can read:
<http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/filetypes.html>

If you think Chimera can do what you want, here is information on making movies,
<http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/movies.html>

...including commands for rotation and translation, etc.
<http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/movies.html#moviecommands>

...and example scripts
<http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/movies.html#examples>

...however, these examples are Chimera command scripts, not python scripts. I think python scripts would be more difficult to make than Chimera command scripts, and you would only start working with python if (A) Chimera can do what you want or nearly so, but (B) there are no Chimera commands for those things.  After you figure out what you want to do by using Chimera interactively, then figure out the commands for those actions, then put them into a script.  The last step would be to add movie recording commands to that script.

I don't know python, so I can't say any more about using that approach.

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

On Jun 10, 2011, at 6:26 PM, chinmaya joshi wrote:

> Hello, 
> I want to write a script in python to open a set of images in chimera set a viewpoint(rotate, translate,etc). and make a movie out of them all through command line for my project.
>  
> Can someone please let me know how it can be done.
>  
> I am new to python.
>  
> Can anyone tell me any good links for these?
>  
> The documentation on chimera ucsf is a bit confusing. 
> Thanks.
> Chinmaya