= ChimeraX Developer Meeting =

Attendance: Zach, Eric, Tom, Greg

April 27, 2026

= Agenda =

* DLL load failed: An Application Control policy has blocked this file #20228.
* Graphics impostors for atoms and bonds.
* Release candidates start May 4.
* Inside ribbon color?
* Toolshed reduce query result size.
* [https://github.com/olibclarke/chimerax-resnotes Residue notes in mmCIF], Oliver Clarke
* Chimera not working with macOS 26, graphics pane positioned over command-line.
* Work in progress reports
* Make Chimera end-of-life bug report and registration changes.

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= Discussion =

* DLL load failed: An Application Control policy has blocked this file #20228.
 - Have 10 reports of this error all on Windows 11, build 26200, 9 reports in the last 2 weeks.
 - Seems to be caused by some Windows 11 update.
 - A half-dozen different dlls were reported to fail to load, mmcif, ribbon, surface, smith waterman, ....
 - Search online suggest Windows Smart App Control or Windows Defender Application Control.
 - vizvault Windows 11 build 26200 does not have this problem, nor does Greg's home machine.
 - Only one report had a use email address and they did not respond.
 - Hope is we get an email address of someone who can check various settings to find what is causing the DLL loads to be blocked.

* Release candidates start May 4
 - Everyone is still ok with starting release candidates in 1 week.

* Graphics impostors for atoms and bonds
 - Zach tried imposter rendering of atoms (and maybe bonds).
 - Can be faster and give smoother appearance but uses more complex code.
 - Tom says he does not think the performance improvements justify the extra complexity and unknown future maintenance.  Also upset that this was worked on without prior discussion.
 - Eric asked about supporting current triangle-based rendering of spheres and imposter fragment rendering.
 - Zach said he is fine if impostor code does not go in, but that Scooter and Tom Ferrin suggested this optimization.

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= Action Items =