BioExcel Webinar #88: Molywood-GUI: A graphical interface for effortless molecular movie design in VMD (2025-12-16)

Abstract

For a long time, designing and rendering molecular movies required expert knowledge, from advanced scripting and editing skills to detailed knowledge of the inner workings of renderers and visualizing software. A few years ago, we introduced Molywood, a text-based tool that streamlined movie design with a modular and flexible architecture. However, the tool still required users to internalize the tool’s syntax and required an iterative trial-and-error process to achieve desired results. To provide a smoother user experience, we collaborated with VMD developers to build a dedicated graphical interface that allows for in-session previews, replaces lengthy documentation with clean dropdown menus, and remains compatible with the text-based tool for e.g. high-quality rendering on external workstations. In the webinar, I will introduce the graphical interface, highlight common use cases and pitfalls, as well as show a minimal workflow for the creation of complex movies.

by Miłosz Wieczór

Just to confirm - the error, as correctly pointed out by one of the attendees, was caused by a typo: _ref0 should have been _rep0. Sorry for the confusion (and congratulations for catching this)!

I’ll be happy to answer any further questions and suggestions here or by email (milosz.wieczor@irbbarcelona.org). If you’re leaving one here, remember to @ tag me!

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