3D Polyhedra
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Dialog Box - called from: Input2 Menu

This dialog specifies some special ways of displaying polyhedra in the 3D Drawing mode and 3D file ouput (VRML and POV-Ray) which are not available in 2D Drawing modes. You can independently control the display of faces ("fills"), edges ("rims" or ligand-ligand "bonds") and central-ligand bonds.

Of course other properties of polyedra which apply to the Standard mode as well, such as display of ligands as spheres, are specified in the Polyhedra dialog in the Input1 menu.

Faces. The Opacity (1.0-transmission) for the translucent modes may be specified, but system software and file viewers may not support a complete range. Translucency may increase computation time. VRML files do not support Back faces opaque. Viewers for 3D files may not support translucency.

The polyhedron faces may all be translucent, in which case objects behind show through, or you may check the Back faces opaque box, in which case the interior may be seen, but nothing behind the polyhedron. Complete translucency may be confusing if there are many polyhedra, i.e. polyhedra behind polyhedra.

Edges. The choice of edge color uses either the rim (or edge) and fill (or face) color from the Polyhedron Data dialog, Input1 menu.

Central-ligand bonds. The color of these bonds, as well as the central atom is the fill color of the central atom (Revise Atom dialog, Input1 menu).

The line option for edges and bonds may not be supported in all output modes - using cylinders may be safer.

Material for edges and bonds. The material properties are specified in the 3D Materials dialog. Prior to V6.3, the default material for screen display was the line material, but POV-Ray output used bond material.

Planar polyhedra are shown as plates with a finite thickness, with or without the central atom.

Previous versions. Prior to V6.3, not all combinations of faces, edges and bonds were available. Specifically, the options were: 1) Completely opaque; Skeletal, no bonds; Skeletal, with bonds; 4) Translucent, no bonds or 5) Translucent, with bonds. The skeletal modes show the ligand-ligand bonds or polyhedral edges, with the central atom as a sphere. If an old file with one of these options is read in, the options in this dialog will be set to preserve the old display appearance.