[chimerax-users] Consultation about developing plug-ins in ChimeraX

[Tom Goddard]

Hi Xiang,

  Yes ChimeraX is open source and free for non-commercial use.  The source code is on GitHub

	https://github.com/RBVI/ChimeraX/tree/develop

Most of ChimeraX is in Python and that is included in all the distributions under the Python site-packages/chimerax directory as described in the programming manual here

	https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/devel/getcode.html <https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/docs/devel/getcode.html>

The source code is extensive, there are 150 Python modules specific to ChimeraX.  The programming manual describes public APIs.  There is no file by file overview of the thousand code files.  Many useful APIs have not been documented.  The only documentation of the VR functions and classes is in the code (doc strings) since that code is highly experimental.  That VR code is in site-packages/chimerax/vive/vr.py on the distribution or on Github here

	https://github.com/RBVI/ChimeraX/blob/develop/src/bundles/vive/src/vr.py

  I develop ChimeraX VR and would be happy to help you with specific questions about the code and the feasibility of you adding new features.  You can email such questions directly to me or to the ChimeraX mailing list if you think others might benefit from the discussion.

  For an idea about what ChimeraX VR does you can take a look at this coronavirus video I made in VR.

	https://youtu.be/dKNbRRRFhqY <https://youtu.be/dKNbRRRFhqY>

An interesting aspect I am working on is multi-person VR sessions.  The following video shows a bit of how we are trying to use multi-person VR looking at drug discovery

	https://youtu.be/S4lDzUEUFL0 <https://youtu.be/S4lDzUEUFL0>

  Tom




> On May 28, 2021, at 9:15 AM, Chen, Xiang <xiangc at mun.ca> wrote:
> 
> Dear Sir or Madam,
> I am a graduate student in the Department of Computer Science at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
> I am currently engaged in developing and researching VR applications to visualize biological microstructures.
> I learned that Chimerax is a relatively mature piece of software, containing many excellent functions and features. So I'd like to know:
> 1. Is ChimeraX completely open-source and free? I will only use it for research and non-profit purposes.
> 2. If ChimeraX is open source, is there a description or summary of the structure/principles of the source code? (In order to learn what features are implemented by each code file.)
> 3. May I develop new plug-ins/bundles/modules based on ChimeraX's VR mode to implement one or more new features/functions? Could you please briefly describe the feasibility of developing it?
> 
> Best regards,
> Xiang Chen
> 
> ---
> 
> Xiang Chen,  M.Sc. # 201992538  
> 
> Department of Computer Science
> Memorial University of Newfoundland
> St. John's, NL, Canada
> 
> T (709) 219-2960 / E xiangc at mun.ca <mailto:xiangc at mun.ca>_______________________________________________
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