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Interfaces

Throughout all interfaces and formats, lengths are in angstrom, angles in degrees and decimal numbers are represented with dots. Every parameter that can be defined in an interface can be defined also in a file and vice-versa.

To rotate, move, scale the selected object, dragg the mouse, pressing the left, middle, right mouse button. Export the selected object choosing File->Export. The statusbar shows the selected object (left) and layer (right).

To select an object, choose Object->Select and press over the object. Or choose the object class on the menu above, with the middle button, before pressing on the object. Or press twice Layer, Window or Gamgi on the menu above. When the object has no visual representation, press the mouse over the graphic area, to pop up a menu.

To select a layer, choose Layer->Select and press the mouse over the graphic area, to pop up a menu. Or choose the layer class on the menu above, with the middle button, before pressing the mouse over the graphic area, to pop up a menu.

Solid objects usually require lights with diffuse and specular components to be properly represented in 3D space, otherwise they look flat. Wired objects do not have a 3D representation, so diffuse and specular lights are not reflected, becoming poorly visible when using lights, unless a significant ambient component is used. Often it is worth to draw solid and wired objects in different layers, with and without lights.

When a task dialog is open, to learn how it works, just select Help->Current and another dialog will pop up, explaining the meaning of all the parameters in the task dialog.

Detailed explanations of Gamgi interfaces, are available at http://www.gamgi.org/interfaces/reference.html, doc/interfaces/reference.html or Help->Topic->Interfaces.

Formats

Files can be imported in .xyz and .xml native format, selected automatically by the file extension. Files can be exported in .ps, .ppm, .jp[e]g, .png, .tif[f], .x3d and native .xml formats, selected automatically by the file extension. Formats .jp[e]g, .png and .tif[f] require pnmtojpeg, pnmtopng, pnmtotiff, widely available and usually installed by default in most systems.

Files can be exported using File->Export. Only the currently selected object is actually exported!

Files can be imported using File->Import or adding filenames to the command line, when starting Gamgi: 


gamgi file_1.xml ... file_n.xml
where file_n.xml is a fullname such as: 

../dat/molecule/flavors/garlic.xml
~/gamgi/dat/molecule/flavors/garlic.xml
http://www.gamgi.org/dat/molecule/flavors/garlic.xml
ftp://ftp.gamgi.org/gamgi/dat/molecule/flavors/garlic.xml

Object and config data can be mixed, so file_1.xml might be a preferences file, loaded before the other object files. To automate the procedure, just add a line as this to .bashrc: 


alias gamgi='gamgi ~/gamgi/my_defaults.xml'

Detailed explanations of valid formats, are available at http://www.gamgi.org/formats/formats.html, doc/formats/formats.html or Help->Topic->Formats.

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