next up previous contents index
Next: Render Form Up: Description of each VMD Previous: Color Form   Contents   Index


Material Form

Figure 4.12: The Material Form
\resizebox{3in}{!}{\includegraphics{pictures/ug_material}}

This form is used to create and modify material definitions. The material definitions created here will show up in the pulldown menu in the Graphics Form, allowing you to apply a material to a given representation.

The upper left corner of the Materials Form contains a browser listing all the currently defined materials. Below this browser is a set of five sliders which indicate the current materials settings for the material highlighted in the browser. Highlighting a different material in the browser by clicking with the mouse will update the settings of the sliders. Conversely, moving the sliders will change the definition of the the currently highlighted material in the browser. However, settings for the first two materials, named "Opaque" and "Transparent", cannot be changed.

To create a new material, press the "Create New" button in the upper right corner of the Form. A new material with a default name will be created and displayed in the browser window. This name can be changed at any time to something more descriptive by typing in the input box to the right of the material browser and pressing <enter>. You can now edit the properties of this material using the sliders at the bottom of the form. All materials in the materials browser, including those you create, will appear in the Material pulldown menu in the Graphics form.

To experiment with the material settings, first create a new material so that you can edit its values. Next, load any molecule, change its drawing method to VDW representation, and using the Material pulldown menu in the Graphics form, change the representation's material to the material you just created. Now, go back to the Materials form, highlight the new material in the browser, and change some of the values in the sliders. The effect of changing shininess should be especially dramatic.


next up previous contents index
Next: Render Form Up: Description of each VMD Previous: Color Form   Contents   Index
vmd@ks.uiuc.edu