Recommend 3D package for Chemical Diagrams

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1 total messages Started by Robert K.-Z. Tan Wed, 03 Aug 1994 14:10

#73

Author: Robert K.-Z. Tan
Date: Wed, 03 Aug 1994 14:10

37 lines
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I am posting the following for my boss who is looking for a package to
draw chemical schematics for a book that he is writing. Note that what he
is looking for is not a conventional chemical structure drawing program
like ChemDraw or a molecular graphics program like Chem3D. Please respond
by
e-mail and I will summarize. Thank you.
-----
Can someone recommend a good package for the PowerMac (native if possible)
combining some features of 3D modeling and CAD?  What I'm looking for
would be a sort of modern 3D version of what is taught in mechanical
drawing, coupled with manual manipulation capabilities and the ability to
rotate the whole complex of objects to a preferred view, which could then
be captured in a standard format for labeling, printing, etc.

Examples of the kinds of things that would be useful:
* build standard geometrical solids (cubes, rhombuses, cylinders, cones,
  polyhedra, etc.); could be done by specifying dimensions and angles or by
  sketching and then dragging parts until you got the desired shape
* place an object at a specified location (x,y,z coordinates) and in a
  specified orientation (Euler angles or some other suitable angles)
* grab an object, drag and rotate it to a desired location and orientation
* choose whether objects are opaque (hidden line removal) or transparent
  (no hidden lines); I don't really need the sophistication of specifying
  more elaborate optical properties for ray tracing and so on, although that
  would be a nice option
* group or ungroup objects for manual manipulation relative to other objects
* draw lines and add labels that move with the objects, or that stay fixed
  in the 2D viewing plane, according to the user's specification
* (optional) import 3D objects from other applications, such as molecular
  modeling and graphics
* (optional) draw smoothly curving lines, ribbons, or tubes of specific
  cross sectional shape; the paths of these 1D, 2D and 3D objects would
  respond to control points, using splines or whatever
* Output line drawing as PICT or Postscript file

-- 
Robert K.-Z. Tan                                      (205) 934-0580

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