CrystalViewer

CrystalViewer is a handy app for Mac users that makes viewing and sharing molecular or crystal structures super easy. If you're working with CrystalMaker, which is a powerful app for creating and animating these graphics, you might run into a snag when trying to share your projects. Not everyone has CrystalMaker installed since it's a paid software, right? That's where CrystalViewer comes in!

What is CrystalViewer?

This cool tool is free to download and lets you open files created by CrystalMaker, specifically those .cmdf and .cmmf file types. Just keep in mind that it’s meant for personal use only. Perfect for students or anyone studying crystals!

User-Friendly Features

The main screen of CrystalViewer is mostly dedicated to showing off the content from your CrystalMaker files. Up top, there's a toolbar that makes it easy to access all the app's features quickly. You can even toggle a sidebar that shows notes about your current entry and the colors linked to each element in your structure.

Visualizing Structures

You've got options! With CrystalViewer, you can view your project in different styles like ball & stick, space filling, polyhedral, wireframe, stick, or thermal ellipsoids. It even lets you auto-rotate or scale the structures. Plus, you can zoom in or out as needed.

Interactive Analysis Tools

If you want to dive deeper into your molecules, go ahead! You can manually rotate structures, select specific molecules to get detailed info on them—like bond distances or angles—and even toggle molecule labels on and off.

A Great Addition for Scholars

The best part? Since CrystalViewer is free of charge, it's a fantastic tool for anyone studying crystal or molecular structures. Whether you're a student or just someone interested in this field, you'll find it super useful!