[Chimera-users] on chimera unit cell function

[Elaine Meng]

Hi Smith,
It is my understanding that you will get the same number of copies whether or not you choose the “pack” option, and that there are multiple equally correct ways in which the copies will be positioned according to the symmetry information.  The “pack” option simply chooses, out of these many equally correct alternatives, a configuration that places the centers of all the copies inside one unit cell outline box instead of spreading them out among neighboring boxes.
I hope this helps,
Elaine
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Elaine C. Meng, Ph.D.                       
UCSF Computer Graphics Lab (Chimera team) and Babbitt Lab
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
University of California, San Francisco
 
> On Jan 28, 2017, at 1:47 AM, Smith Liu <smith_liu123 at 163.com> wrote:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> In Chimera, we do Tools →Higher-Order Structure→Unit Cell, then what will be the diffenrence if we clicked "Pack molecules in unit cell" in comparison with if we did not click "Pack molecules in unit cell"? Does it mean that what we observed (or what Chimera displayed) if we click "Pack molecules in unit cell" , was really part of what it displayed if we did not click "Pack molecules in unit cell" but we increased the "Number of Cells" significantly?
> 
> I am looking forward to getting a reply from you.
> 
> Smith