Private SMILES fetching

[Tristan Croll]

The following bug report has been submitted:
Platform:        macOS-15.6.1-arm64-arm-64bit
ChimeraX Version: 1.10.1 (2025-07-24 20:15:27 UTC)
Description
Like most private drug companies, Altos doesn't really want us using external servers to do things like generate molecules from SMILES, for fear of IP leakage. To make life easier in that regard, I just started in on a tiny little ChimeraX wrapper plugin for `openbabel-wheel` for in-house use (attached), just adding the command "obabel smiles {smiles string}" to make the molecule locally. Works ok in *nix (the Windows OpenBabel binary appears to have some issue causing coordinates to come out mangled)... but I was wondering: would there be a non-hacky way for this plugin to just completely override the `open ... from smiles` command, to make things more seamless?

OpenGL version: 4.1 Metal - 89.4
OpenGL renderer: Apple M1 Pro
OpenGL vendor: Apple

Python: 3.11.4
Locale: en_US.UTF-8
Qt version: PyQt6 6.8.1, Qt 6.8.2
Qt runtime version: 6.8.2
Qt platform: cocoa
Hardware:

    Hardware Overview:

      Model Name: MacBook Pro
      Model Identifier: MacBookPro18,1
      Model Number: Z14Y000GFB/A
      Chip: Apple M1 Pro
      Total Number of Cores: 10 (8 performance and 2 efficiency)
      Memory: 32 GB
      System Firmware Version: 13822.1.2
      OS Loader Version: 11881.140.96

Software:

    System Software Overview:

      System Version: macOS 15.6.1 (24G90)
      Kernel Version: Darwin 24.6.0
      Time since boot: 32 days, 4 hours, 21 minutes

Graphics/Displays:

    Apple M1 Pro:

      Chipset Model: Apple M1 Pro
      Type: GPU
      Bus: Built-In
      Total Number of Cores: 16
      Vendor: Apple (0x106b)
      Metal Support: Metal 3
      Displays:
        HP Z27k G3:
          Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (2160p/4K UHD 1 - Ultra High Definition)
          UI Looks like: 1920 x 1080 @ 60.00Hz
          Main Display: Yes
          Mirror: Off
          Online: Yes
          Rotation: Supported
        Color LCD:
          Display Type: Built-in Liquid Retina XDR Display
          Resolution: 3456 x 2234 Retina
          Mirror: Off
          Online: Yes
          Automatically Adjust Brightness: Yes
          Connection Type: Internal


Installed Packages:
    alabaster: 1.0.0
    appdirs: 1.4.4
    appnope: 0.1.4
    asttokens: 3.0.0
    babel: 2.17.0
    beautifulsoup4: 4.13.3
    blockdiag: 3.0.0
    blosc2: 3.6.1
    build: 1.2.2.post1
    certifi: 2023.11.17
    cftime: 1.6.4.post1
    charset-normalizer: 3.4.2
    ChimeraX-AddCharge: 1.5.19
    ChimeraX-AddH: 2.2.7
    ChimeraX-AlignmentAlgorithms: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-AlignmentHdrs: 3.6.1
    ChimeraX-AlignmentMatrices: 2.1
    ChimeraX-Alignments: 2.20.2
    ChimeraX-AlphaFold: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-AltlocExplorer: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-AmberInfo: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Aniso: 1.1.4
    ChimeraX-Arrays: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Atomic: 1.60.7
    ChimeraX-AtomicLibrary: 14.1.19
    ChimeraX-AtomSearch: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-AxesPlanes: 2.4
    ChimeraX-BasicActions: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-BILD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BlastProtein: 3.0.0
    ChimeraX-Boltz: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BondRot: 2.0.4
    ChimeraX-BugReporter: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-BuildStructure: 2.13.1
    ChimeraX-Bumps: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BundleBuilder: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-ButtonPanel: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CageBuilder: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CellPack: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Centroids: 1.4
    ChimeraX-ChangeChains: 1.1
    ChimeraX-CheckWaters: 1.5
    ChimeraX-ChemGroup: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-Clashes: 2.3
    ChimeraX-Clipper: 0.25.2
    ChimeraX-ColorActions: 1.0.5
    ChimeraX-ColorGlobe: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ColorKey: 1.5.8
    ChimeraX-CommandLine: 1.3
    ChimeraX-ConnectStructure: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-Contacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Core: 1.10.1
    ChimeraX-CoreFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-coulombic: 1.4.5
    ChimeraX-Crosslinks: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Crystal: 1.0
    ChimeraX-CrystalContacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-DataFormats: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-Dicom: 1.2.7
    ChimeraX-DistMonitor: 1.4.2
    ChimeraX-DockPrep: 1.1.4
    ChimeraX-Dssp: 2.0
    ChimeraX-EMDB-SFF: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ESMFold: 1.0
    ChimeraX-FileHistory: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-FunctionKey: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Geometry: 1.3
    ChimeraX-gltf: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Graphics: 1.4.1
    ChimeraX-Hbonds: 2.5.1
    ChimeraX-Help: 1.3
    ChimeraX-HKCage: 1.3
    ChimeraX-IHM: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ImageFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-IMOD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-IO: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-ISOLDE: 1.10.1
    ChimeraX-ItemsInspection: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-IUPAC: 1.0
    ChimeraX-KVFinder: 1.6.2
    ChimeraX-Label: 1.1.14
    ChimeraX-ListInfo: 1.2.2
    ChimeraX-Log: 1.2
    ChimeraX-LookingGlass: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Maestro: 1.9.1
    ChimeraX-Map: 1.3
    ChimeraX-MapData: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapEraser: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFilter: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFit: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapSeries: 2.1.1
    ChimeraX-Markers: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mask: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MatchMaker: 2.2.2
    ChimeraX-MCopy: 1.0
    ChimeraX-MDcrds: 2.10.1
    ChimeraX-MedicalToolbar: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Meeting: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MLP: 1.1.1
    ChimeraX-mmCIF: 2.16
    ChimeraX-MMTF: 2.2
    ChimeraX-ModelArchive: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Modeller: 1.5.19
    ChimeraX-ModelPanel: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-ModelSeries: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mol2: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-Mole: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Morph: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MouseModes: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Movie: 1.0
    ChimeraX-MutationScores: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Neuron: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Nifti: 1.2
    ChimeraX-NMRSTAR: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-NRRD: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Nucleotides: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-OpenBabel: 0.1
    ChimeraX-OpenCommand: 1.14.1
    ChimeraX-OrthoPick: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDB: 2.7.10
    ChimeraX-PDBBio: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDBLibrary: 1.0.4
    ChimeraX-PDBMatrices: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PickBlobs: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Positions: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PresetMgr: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-ProfileGrids: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-PubChem: 2.2
    ChimeraX-ReadPbonds: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Registration: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-RemoteControl: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RenderByAttr: 1.6.3
    ChimeraX-RenumberResidues: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ResidueFit: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-RestServer: 1.3.1
    ChimeraX-RNALayout: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibMgr: 4.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDunbrack: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDynameomics: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsRichardson: 2.0
    ChimeraX-SaveCommand: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-SchemeMgr: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SDF: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-Segger: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Segment: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Segmentations: 3.5.7
    ChimeraX-SelInspector: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SeqView: 2.17.1
    ChimeraX-Shape: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Shell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Shortcuts: 1.2.1
    ChimeraX-ShowSequences: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-SideView: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-SimilarStructures: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Smiles: 2.1.2
    ChimeraX-SmoothLines: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SpaceNavigator: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StdCommands: 1.19.1
    ChimeraX-STL: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Storm: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StructMeasure: 1.2.1
    ChimeraX-Struts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Surface: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapAA: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapRes: 2.5.2
    ChimeraX-TapeMeasure: 1.0
    ChimeraX-TaskManager: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Test: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Toolbar: 1.2.3
    ChimeraX-ToolshedUtils: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-Topography: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ToQuest: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Tug: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-UI: 1.45.2
    ChimeraX-Umap: 1.0
    ChimeraX-uniprot: 2.3.1
    ChimeraX-UnitCell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-ViewDockX: 1.4.4
    ChimeraX-VIPERdb: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Vive: 1.1
    ChimeraX-VolumeMenu: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-vrml: 1.0
    ChimeraX-VTK: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WavefrontOBJ: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WebCam: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-WebServices: 1.1.5
    ChimeraX-Zone: 1.0.1
    colorama: 0.4.6
    comm: 0.2.2
    contourpy: 1.3.2
    coverage: 7.10.0
    cxservices: 1.2.3
    cycler: 0.12.1
    Cython: 3.0.12
    debugpy: 1.8.15
    decorator: 5.2.1
    docutils: 0.21.2
    executing: 2.2.0
    filelock: 3.18.0
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    funcparserlib: 2.0.0a0
    glfw: 2.9.0
    grako: 3.16.5
    h5py: 3.14.0
    html2text: 2024.2.26
    idna: 3.10
    ihm: 2.2
    imagecodecs: 2024.6.1
    imagesize: 1.4.1
    iniconfig: 2.1.0
    ipykernel: 6.29.5
    ipython: 8.26.0
    ipywidgets: 8.1.7
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    Jinja2: 3.1.6
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    OpenMM: 8.2.0
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File attachment: chimerax_openbabel-0.1-py3-none-any.whl

chimerax_openbabel-0.1-py3-none-any.whl​

[Tristan Croll]

Added by email2trac

[Eric Pettersen]

Hi Tristan,

There isn't really any provision in ChimeraX to completely override an opener or fetcher -- just the ability to provide alternatives. I don't know what your end user scenario looks like, but one alternative that occurs to me is to register a "file opener" for SMILES "files" (e.g. open C1CCCCC1.smiles). The opener's provider declaration would have to specify check_path=false so that the file-opening machinery doesn't look for a non-existent file on the file system. Then you could take the input name and generate the requested structure and return it.

--Eric

[Tom Goddard]

This is a hacky way, but maybe benign enough for your purpose. Change the current smiles fetcher to not be the default and define yours as the default. Here's one way

session.open_command.database_info('smiles')SMILES.is_default = False

Or you could be a bit more aggressive and use

session.open_command.database_info('smiles')SMILES = MyFetcherProviderInfoInstance

Maybe Eric would know what happens if you define 2 smiles fetchers that both claim they are the "default" smiles fetcher.