Introduction
Table of Contents
- CHAPTER 2. Quickstart - a practical UnityMol tutorial
- CHAPTER 3. Selection language based on MDAnalysis
- CHAPTER 4. Screen Recording in UnityMolX: Screenshots and Videos
- CHAPTER 5. Keyboard usage
- CHAPTER 6. Python Console in UnityMolX
- CHAPTER 7. Python Scripting Cookbook
- CHAPTER 8. Docking mode
- CHAPTER 9. Virtual Reality
- CHAPTER 10. Multiplayer
1. Introduction to UnityMol
UnityMol is a powerful molecular visualization software package built on the Unity3D game engine. It provides researchers, educators, and students with an interactive and immersive platform (in particular by supporting virtual reality) for exploring molecular structures and dynamics across multiple scales.
1.1. Overview
UnityMol combines the flexibility and rendering capabilities of a modern game engine with specialized tools for molecular visualization. This unique approach offers several advantages over traditional molecular viewers, including:
- High-quality, real-time rendering of complex molecular systems
- Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Support for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) visualization
- Powerful scripting capabilities for automation and custom analysis
1.2. Download
UnityMol Executables for most platforms can be downloaded here.
1.3. Key Features
UnityMol supports visualization of various molecular data formats and provides a comprehensive set of representation styles to highlight different aspects of molecular structures. The software enables users to:
- Load and display standard molecular file formats (PDB, GRO, XTC, etc.)
- Apply various representation styles (HyperBalls, cartoon, surface, etc.)
- Create high-quality images and videos for publications
- Develop custom visualization methods
- Experience molecular structures in immersive VR environments
- Make advanced selection using MDAnalysis selection language
- Enable a multiplayer mode to share the same scene across different users (VR and non-VR ones)
1.4. Target Audience
UnityMol is designed for:
- Structural biologists and biochemists
- Computational chemists
- Molecular biophysicists
- Educators teaching molecular structure concepts
- Students learning about molecular biology and biochemistry
- Researchers developing new visualization techniques
Whether you're analyzing protein-ligand interactions, teaching molecular biology concepts, or developing new ways to visualize molecular dynamics simulations, UnityMol provides the tools and flexibility to meet your needs.
1.5. About This Documentation
This documentation provides comprehensive information on installing, configuring, and using UnityMol. It includes:
- Installation instructions for different operating systems
- Tutorials for common visualization tasks
- Detailed reference for all commands and features
- Examples of advanced usage scenarios
- Guidelines for developers wishing to extend UnityMol
We recommend starting with the Quick Start guide to get familiar with the basic interface before exploring the more advanced features.
2. UnityMol VR & non-VR contexts
UnityMol is compatible with Virtual Reality environments and has been tested on Windows with HTC Vive & Vive Pro, Quest 2 & Quest 3. It has been developped using VIU toolkit with SteamVR as a backend.