[chimera-dev] Source code availability

[Tom Ferrin]

James,
Ninty percent of Chimera is written in Python and that code is
distributed in source-code form with our standard distribution.
The remaining code is written in C++ primarily for efficiency
considerations, especially for some of the low-level OpenGL graphics
functionality.  Tom Goddard is correct that we do not routinely
distribute the C++ source, but we have no problem providing it to you
on request.  Please note, however, that we do not have the resources
necessary to provide help to you in setting up the development
environment necessary to successfully compile and link the C++ source
and the multitude of other 3rd party packages that Chimera uses.
Creating a full build-from-source copy of Chimera is a lot of work
and depends on getting a bunch of things in the build environment just
right.  This, and the fact that the build-from-source procedures are
not well documented, are the primary reasons we do not automatically
include the C++ source in our standard distribution.  But if you'd
like a copy of the C++ source, we are happy to provide it.

--tef



---
Thomas Ferrin, PhD
Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biopharmaceutical Sciences
Director, Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics
University of California
600 16th Street, Rm N472
San Francisco, CA 94143-2240
Phone: 415-476-2299
Fax: 415-502-1755
Email: tef at cgl.ucsf.edu




------- Forwarded Message

Date:    Thu, 16 Jun 2005 10:55:54 -0700
From:    Thomas Goddard <goddard at cgl.ucsf.edu>
To:      jjv5 at nih.gov
cc:      chimera-dev at cgl.ucsf.edu
Subject: Re: [chimera-dev] Source code availability

Hi Jim,

  The Chimera C++ source code is available on request for outside
developers.

  Most of the source code is Python which comes with all Chimera
distributions.  The Chimera C++ header files are also available.
The link for those is in the Chimera Programmer's Manual (not on
the download page).

	http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/ProgrammersGuide/index.html

  The Chimera C++ source code is currently provided by request.  The
C++ source is not freely available for reasons I do not understand.
You would need to discuss that with the head of our lab Tom Ferrin
(tef at cgl.ucsf.edu).

  There is one piece of code used by Chimera for computing molecular
surfaces (MSMS from Michel Sanner) for which the source code is not
available.

  Chimera depends on 25 third party packages (TclTk Togl Tix Pmw
PyOpenGL zlib Python Numeric jpeg tiff freetype Imaging netcdf
Scientific MMTK HappyDoc tr openssl ftgl omni msms otf autostereo
swish-e FFmpeg), so it is quite alot of work to compile it yourself.
So the main use to you of the Chimera source code is probably for
figuring out how Chimera works -- not for building it yourself.

	Tom
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