Make sym command work on maps

[Tom Goddard]

The sym command with specified symmetry group only works on atomic models. Would be nice if it worked also on maps.

Begin forwarded message:

From: SHIQING LIAO via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@…>
Subject: [chimerax-users] align 400 copies of the same density map into a circle
Date: May 12, 2022 at 6:56:46 PM PDT
To: ChimeraX Users Help <chimerax-users@…>
Reply-To: SHIQING LIAO <shiqing03@…>

Hi there,

I am a new user and would really appreciate any input on the task I want to do using Chimerax.

Currently I have a mrc map, and it is a part of a cylindrical tube-shaped structure (like the area I drew in the picture). The map looks like a curved plane from the side of the cylinder, if it helps. If I piece 400 identical copies of map with some rotation and transition, I would ideally get a cynlider shaped strutcure, without top and bottom (like the picture below).

The reason why I want to piece the mrc together is that I don't have the full look of the tube, but I know the rough radius (that's how 400 was derived), and I want to make a model for the full tube, using the model of the composing protein. I managed to manually fit the models of individual protein into one map. For the other mrc copies, I tried to do the same again but it took a lot of time and not very accurate, so I'm looking for any coding solutions that might help.

I'm currently thinking if it is possible for me to place a marker at the center of one mrc map. Then make 400 copies of the map with the marker. Then write a code to tell each 1/400 mrc map to rotate 0.9 degrees around the marked center and move to a coordinate. Then I can repeat the same for the protein models I mapped to one mrc map. But I have no idea how to achieve it, and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for helping me!!!

Best,
Shiqing