ChimeraX docs icon

Tool: Toolbar

The Toolbar across the top of the ChimeraX window contains icons for performing actions with a single click. Clicking an icon shows the executed command in the Log. See also: Actions menu, Basic Actions

Like other tools, the Toolbar can be started from the Tools menu (more...). It is organized into several tabbed sections:

Each tab is further organized into sections with names. Icon sections that would extend beyond the current window width can be disclosed by clicking the double arrowhead at the right end of the Toolbar. The tabs are all part of the same tool and cannot be dragged apart, unlike tabs for separate tools that were previously dragged on top of each other (see panel manipulation).

The Toolbar context menu includes:

The Home tab of the Toolbar is customizable and may include the following icons in addition to those from other tabs:

icon description command equivalent
open file  open browse
toggle main window between 3D graphics and recent files (Rapid Access) (none; same as clicking bottom right icons  )
save file  save browse
save snapshot of main window  save ~/Desktop/imageN.png supersample 3

(N = 1,2, ...; to change the save location, see snapshot)

make spin movie movie record; turn y 2 180; wait;
movie encode ~/Desktop/movie
N.mp4

(N = 1,2, ...; to change the save location, see snapshot)

open the Selection Inspector tool show "Selection Inspector"
close models close
exit exit
undo undo
redo redo

Toolbar Settings (Preferences)

Choosing Settings... from the Toolbar context menu opens a dialog for customizing the Home tab. In this dialog:

Changes are applied immediately; however, clicking Save is required to save the current settings as preferences. Reset returns the Home tab to its “factory” defaults, whereas Restore applies any previously saved settings.


UCSF Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics / July 2023