How to post molecular structures nicely?

[jackmell]

Can we write nice molecular structures in here? I've never tried. For example, caffeine. What is the best way to post the structure of caffeine? Do I have to make a jpeg and just post the file?

Thanks,
Jack

 

[chemisttree]

This thread might help.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=651855

 

[jackmell]

This thread might help.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=651855

But that ain't good enough. How do I do it in LaTex? Suppose I wish to prepare a report dealing with sort of lots of relatively complex compounds and all in LaTex? Surely there is a way to make a nice presentation in LaTex right? I'll look into it too. Suppose I should check more in the Chemistry forum to see how it's done in here. I don't mind starting from scratch for this since I've never written a chemistry paper in LaTex before.

 

[chemisttree]

OIC!
Then this.

 

[jackmell]

Hi,

May I then ask if it is possible to implement the chemfig package in PF? It would be a classy addition that the other forums do not have. This is a nice package I've used to create first-class structures and it's very simple to use. For example, this is the command for caffeine:

\chemname{\chemfig[][scale=0.5]{[:30]O=C*6(-N(-CH_3)-C*5(-N=C-N(-CH_3)-)=C-C(=O)=N(-CH_3)-)}}{Caffeine.}

and it generates what I think is a journal-quality image of the molecule.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Hi,

May I then ask if it is possible to implement the chemfig package in PF?

Thanks for the suggestion. We do not use LaTeX here however. We use MathJax. MathJax does have a basic chemistry extension, but since it does create overhead, we won't add it unless there is significant support.

 

[mfb]

Thanks for the suggestion. We do not use LaTeX here however. We use MathJax. MathJax does have a basic chemistry extension, but since it does create overhead, we won't add it unless there is significant support.

Does it create overhead just by installation, or only if it gets included in the page?
If it can be included separately, it could be possible to make special [chem]-tags (or whatever), such that those chem-tags include the chemistry extension.
I have code for such a usage-dependent inclusion available, I just don't know if that can help.

 

[chemisttree]

Thanks for the suggestion. We do not use LaTeX here however. We use MathJax. MathJax does have a basic chemistry extension, but since it does create overhead, we won't add it unless there is significant support.

What would you say is "significant"?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Does it create overhead just by installation, or only if it gets included in the page?

Just by inclusion. I can try making two setting files and trigger each depending on what forum is being used.

What would you say is "significant"?

More than just a few members using it.

 

[jackmell]

More than just a few members using it.

What kind of organic or biochemistry are we doing in PF if it doesn't include ringed structures? Oh I guess you can do a lot without rings but they're so prevalent in these sciences. Just seems like it would be highly desirable by anyone interested in discussing organic chemistry and biochemistry, and important too is that it would make PF look cool and classy, that is unless it's a pain managing it.

Edit: Is it just rings we can't draw or can we not also write molecular structures of any kind? I checked a little bit and didn't see any of that either. Surely a nice utility for drawing molecular structures of any kind would be nice.

 

[chemisttree]

More than just a few members using it.

I feel a poll coming on! After school begins, of course.

 

[jackmell]

I would have a problem with it if it takes appreciably longer to render the screens. I think we should have a nice balance of classiness and efficiency of operation in the forum. I've been using chemfig a little while in TeXnicCenter and do notice it takes longer to render the PDF file with chem structures. They do look really nice though.