Creating a eye-catching figure with Pymol
Step by step instructions
Live sex
pymol figure of OCP
Orange carotenoid protein from Arthrospira Maxima.  Labels added using Photoshop. 
 The Pymol software interactively displays molecular models and creates publication quality images.  A `ribbon drawing' is featured here. Space-filling, ball-and-stick representations, molecular surfaces, density map contours, and crystal packing diagrams, and movies are also supported.  Coordinate files must be in Protein Data Bank (*.pdb) format.  Maps should be in X-plor format (*.xplor).  It is recommended that you make a new directory to begin. 

Requirements:
Coordinates in a PDB file.  Maps in X-plor format (must have suffix *.xplor). Pymol runs on Linux or PC machines.

Manual for Pymol: HTML or PDF version

Pymol Website:
http://pymol.sourceforge.net/index.html

Further Examples of images from Pymol:
http://pldserver1.biochem.queensu.ca/~rlc/work/pymol/  scripts http://www.ccp4.ac.uk/newsletters/newsletter40/11_pymol.html

FAQs
http://www.rubor.de/bioinf/pymol_tips.html
http://pymol.sourceforge.net/faq.html

mailing list:
http://chips.csb.ki.se/pymol/threads.html

Reference for Pymol:
There are no peer reviewed publications on PyMOL yet. So,  please cite PyMOL as:

DeLano, W.L. The PyMOL Molecular Graphics System (2002) DeLano Scientific, 
San Carlos, CA, USA. http://www.pymol.org.

Other options for citation are given on the following web page.

http://pymol.sourceforge.net/faq.html#CITE
INSTRUCTIONS FOR Generating a Simple Ribbons Diagram of a Protein with Pymol
EXAMPLES

STEP ONE

How to write a pymol script.

Log into a Linux or PC machine.

Get coordinates for orange carotenoid protein, 1M98.pdb.

Download this pymol script, pymol1.pml.  It is a copy of the script shown below.  Read the comments associated with each command below to familiarize yourself with pymol language.

#BEGIN PYMOL SCRIPT
#   antialias =1 smooths jagged edges, 0 turns it off
set antialias = 1

#   stick_radius -adjust thickness of atomic bonds
set stick_radius = 0.3

#   mesh_radius -to adjust thickness of electron
#   density contours
set mesh_radius = 0.02

#   bg_color --set the background color
bg_color white

#   load pdb file and give it an object name
load 1M98.pdb, ocp

#   hide nonbonded atoms (i.e. waters)
hide nonbonded

#   show cartoon ribbons
show cartoon

#   Hide the default line representation of atomic bonds
hide lines

#   Use standard helix, strand, and loop representations
#   other possibilities: cartoon loop, cartoon rect,
#   cartoon oval, and cartoon tube
cartoon automatic

#   If you dont have secondary structure assignments
#   in the PDB header then uncomment the following
#   line to detect secondary structure.
#   Warning, very coarse approximation.
#   Or get header from http://www.mbfys.lu.se/Services/SecStr/
#util.ss ocp

#   Make fancy helices with ridge on the edges like
#   molscript does
#   1 is on.  0 is off.
set cartoon_fancy_helices=1

#   Make the strands flat=1 or pass through CA positions=0
#   Set to 0 when showing side chains from a strand
set cartoon_flat_sheets = 1.0

#   Draw the loops smooth=1 or pass through CA positions=0
#   Set to 0 when showing side chains from a loop
set cartoon_smooth_loops = 0

#   Set the color of the residues
#   to find the names of the colors available
#   click on the rainbow colored square in the
#   upper right corner of the graphics window
color red, (resid 2:18)
color red, (resid 176:317)
color marine, (resid 19:54)
color marine, (resid 122:175)
color yellow, (resid 55:124)
color orange, (resid 402:403)

#   Show spheres for chloride ions
show spheres, resid 402:403

#   Show sticks for bonds
show sticks, (resid 401 or resid 350 or resid 351)


### cut below here and paste into script ###

 Execute the pymol script by typing:
pymol pymol1.pml

STEP TWO 

Orient your model and adjust the fog effect for depth cue.  Use the mouse to rotate and translate the view.  There is a key understanding the mouse controls in the lower right corner of the graphics window.  

Some examples,

To translate (move) the molecule hold down the middle mouse button and drag the mouse.  

To rotate about the Z axis,  place the cursor near one of the corners of the image then hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse.

To rotate about the X/Y axis,  place the cursor near the center of the image then hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse.

Once you have a view that you like, adjust the fog by changing the front and rear clipping planes.  See figures 3 and 4.

Rear clipping plane- hold down the shift key and the right mouse button and drag the mouse to the right.  You should see the fog grow stronger.

Front clipping plane- hold down the shift key and the right mouse button and drag the mouse toward you.  You should see the clipping plane come into view.  Adjust the front and rear clipping plane to focus on the area of the molecule you wish to display.

Press the "get view" button on the pymol graphics window.  You will see a matrix written to the screen.  Hilight this matrix with the mouse and press CNTRL + C to copy.  Paste this matrix at the bottom of the script to save the view and orientation that you chose.  Use your favorite editor to make a pymol script file.  I use "vi" on linux, or "wordpad" on the PC.  The next time you execute this script, you will automatically return to this view.

Example of matrix from "get view"

### cut below here and paste into script ###
set_view (\
     0.897383630,   -0.389759243,    0.206861854,\
    -0.192380354,    0.076313257,    0.978345513,\
    -0.397105575,   -0.917748511,   -0.006498617,\
     0.000000000,    0.000000000, -225.770706177,\
    27.267017365,    0.569222450,   16.834548950,\
   202.837875366,  241.047363281,    0.000000000 )
### cut above here and paste into script ###


Displaying a Molecular Surface

show surface, ocp


Displaying a Transparent Molecular Surface

show surface, ocp
set transparency=0.5


Making a Stereo Figure

You have to make two images, right and left.  Then merge the two images together in photoshop.

For right image:
turn y, -3
ray
png pymo_right.png

For left image:
turn y, +6
ray
png pymol_left.png

 Or for perfectionists try:
ray angle=-3
png image1.png
ray angle=3
png image2.png
This is superior to using the "turn" command because it also rotates the light source. That way shadows will look right.

Making Labels
You can select the residue and atom where the label will be placed.
But, these labels are pretty crude. I recommend that you use photoshop for labeling figures for publication.

Make label for carotenoid:
label ( resi 350 and name; c16), "carotenoid 1 "
label ( resi 351 and name; c16), "carotenoid 2"
label ( resi 401 and name; c1), "sucrose "
set label_color  =1


Color by Secondary Structure or  Atom Type
You can select the residue and atom where the label will be placed.
color red, ss h
color marine, ss s
color yellow, ss l+''
# to color ligands by atom color use  util.cbag
# Other functions are cbag, cbac, cbas, cbap, cbak, cbaw and cbab
# (grey (carbon), cyan, salmon, purple, pink, white (hydrogen) and slate)
util.cbag ocp and (resid 350:351 or resid 401)


 Figure 1. Pymol window obtained in step one.graphics window pymol 1
 
 

Figure 2. Key to Pymol mouse controls.
pymol mouse controls key
 
 

Figure 3. Control of front and rear clipping planes.
Control of front and rear clipping planes.
 

Figure 4. Pymol window obtained in step two.  View chosen to  illustrate two-fold symmetry of dimer.
step four
 

Figure 5. After ray tracing (step 3) the edges are smoothed and shadows are cast.  Beauty!
figure 5
 

Pymol's molecular surface display.
molecular surface
 

Molecular surface rendered 50% transparent.
molecular surface transparent


Stereo image pymol stereo 

colored by secondary structure
colored by secondary structure

 

[Overview] · [Facilities] · [People] · [Services] · [Lectures] · [BioLinks] · [Stats] · [Search]