search site  |  contact us  HOME PRODUCTS DOWNLOADS SALES SUPPORT NEWS CrystalMaker 6.1.1 Powers Ahead Drag-and-Drop Display of Database Files 21 February 2003 CrystalMaker 6.1.1 has just been released, providing new features and yet more refinement of our acclaimed crystal and molecular structures visualization software for Mac OS X. With the increasing use of online structural archives, efficient data visualization is more important than ever. Now CrystalMaker 6.1 provides a "killer feature", in the ability to display structures direct from database text files (CIF, PDB, ICSD, etc.) simply by dragging-and-dropping a file, or group of files, onto the CrystalMaker icon. CrystalMaker 6.1's new automatic data format recognition means that you no longer have to tell the program exactly how you want to import the file. (Of course, you can override the automatic format recognition, using the File > Import commands. These provide file syntax checking, with a "do you want to continue?" option in the case of possible file problems.) The new program can handle non-Macintosh text files (e.g., downloaded from Windows or Unix file servers) and, as a bonus, the files can be displayed with specially-designed icons - according to the file extensions (".cif", ".pdb", etc.) which mark the file formats. Continuing our support for database file formats, CrystalMaker 6.1 will now handle multi-structure CIF data files, with each structure being displayed in its own Graphics window, together with greatly-improved notebook annotation: extensive sample/experiment details plus neatly-formatted journal data. Structures can now be rotated on screen, using a mouse wheel. For most mice, the wheel operates about an horizontal ("X") axis, but by pressing the option or shift keys on your keyboard, it is possible to rotate a structure about "Y" and "Z" axes, respectively. Dynamical menus provide increased flexibility, without cluttering up the interface. New commands are provided for closing windows without being prompted to save (useful when giving presentations), and for applying individual, or global window settings. Other changes include all-new document icons, providing a more consistent (and aesthetic) design; an improved "undo" buffering system; better display of large polyhedral faces, and a number of subtle "under the hood" changes designed to make the program more efficient and robust. A free update is available for download by registered CrystalMaker customers. © 2008 CrystalMaker Software Limited. All rights reserved worldwide.