RasMol is used mainly for displaying molecular structures. It cannot do

• structure prediction
• docking
• displaying more than one pdb file on the screen
• quantum mechanical calculations

If you need to do this, try a program like Insight, Sybyl, Look, Dock, or Autodock.

Rasmol is extremely weasy to use and runs on a variety of computers such as UNIX, Mac and Windows PCs.

Molecules may be drawn as lines, bonds, CPK, spheres, ribbons, surface, secondary structure, cartoons, etc. and colored by atom, residue, segment, or molecule. By using RasMols scripting language, you can automate the steps required to display a molecule.

Image Output Format

Rasmol can write output files in GIF, PostScript, PICT formats. The resolution is not as good as with other programs like Sybyl, Insight, VMD, Raster3D.

How do I run it?

Rasmol runs on the SGI computers, loop, turn, coil, and the X-Window Terminals connected to PMGM. There are also versions for Macs and PCs.

You can access Rasmol on the SGI machines by logging in, opening a command window, and typing

rasmol

On the X-Window terminals, you can start Rasmol by

• logging into PMGM,
• move your mouse over the blue part of the screen,
• then hold down the right mouse button and
• drag the mouse down to Modeling, then over to the arrow on the right, and a submenu will appear. You can then select Rasmol.

For more information on Rasmol, visit the

• Rasmol QuickStart
• Rasmol OnLine Help
• Rasmol Home Page.