[Chimera-users] Setting Default Colors

[Elaine Meng]

Hi Josh,
When I "close session" or "close all" models and open a new atomic model, it always starts over with the first color (tan). I don't know why you would get a different behavior... are you using a very old version of Chimera?

In the New Molecules preferences that you mentioned, you can set default model color.  I.e. set the "use new color for each model" to false, then right below it, change the "otherwise, use color" setting.   Click the square color well to open the color chooser, where you can designate tan or some other color. This will make all (atomic) models that same color, however, so you wouldn't be able to tell them apart. 

<https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/preferences.html#New%20Molecules>

There isn't an option to set multiple default colors for the different model numbers, if that's what you meant.

Besides the preferences, you can always change the color after opening, e.g. if the model is #0, command

modelcolor tan #0

<https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/midas/modelcolor.html>

Color names:
<https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimera/docs/UsersGuide/colortables.html#allcolors>

I hope this helps,
Elaine
-----
Elaine C. Meng, Ph.D.                       
UCSF Chimera(X) team
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
University of California, San Francisco

> On Sep 16, 2021, at 9:21 AM, joshloecker--- via Chimera-users <chimera-users at cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> I have recently started using Chimera and I am having a problem setting a default color when starting a session (if this is possible). When I open a model, it opens in a tan color, which I like because it is easy to pick out other molecules, such as SO4, etc. However, when closing the session and opening the same model, it opens in a variety of other colors, such as bright red, pink, purple, orange, etc. that are distracting to what I am trying to do.
> 
> I have found the section in Preferences > New Molecules to not use a new color for each model, but then if I load multiple models I cannot distinguish between them. I was wondering if it was possible to set a default color to open models in, or if I have to quit Chimera each time I open a single model in order to get the easy-to-see tan color? 
> -- 
> Thank you,
> Josh Loecker