kszenes

kszenes / moltui

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MolTUI: A Terminal Molecular Viewer Based on Unicode

47
3
100% credibility
Found Apr 20, 2026 at 47 stars -- GitGems finds repos before they trend. Get early access to the next one.
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AI Analysis
Python
AI Summary

MolTUI is a terminal application for viewing and analyzing 3D molecular structures and orbitals using Unicode characters.

How It Works

1
🧪 Discover MolTUI

You hear about a simple tool that lets you view 3D molecules and their electron clouds right in your everyday terminal screen.

2
💻 Set it up quickly

You add the tool to your computer with one easy command, and it's ready to go.

3
📁 Open your molecule file

You pick a file with your molecular structure or orbital data and start the viewer.

4
✨ See the magic unfold

Your molecule pops up in stunning 3D, built from special characters, looking just like a real model you can spin around.

5
🔄 Explore freely

Use simple keys to rotate, zoom, and pan, feeling like you're holding the molecule in your hands.

6
📊 Dive into details

Pop open side views to check bond distances, angles, switch orbitals, or tweak the lighting and style.

🖼️ Capture and done

Save a crisp image of your view, wrap up your inspection, and get back to your work with fresh insights.

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Star Growth

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AI-Generated Review

What is moltui?

MolTUI is a Python-based terminal viewer for molecular structures and orbitals, rendering 3D geometries and isosurfaces using Unicode Braille characters. It handles XYZ, Z-matrix, Molden, Gaussian Cube, and ORCA GBW files, letting you inspect bond lengths, angles, dihedrals, and cycle through molecular orbitals directly in your shell. Run `pip install moltui` then `moltui ` for instant visualization, perfect for quick checks over SSH without firing up a GUI.

Why is it gaining traction?

It stands out by packing interactive 3D navigation (h/j/k/l rotates, zoom with +/-), toggleable panels for geometry metrics and MO lists, and PNG exports into a lightweight TUI built on Textual. Style switches between CPK, licorice, and VDW, plus lighting tweaks and orbital isovalue sliders, make remote orbital peeking feel snappy and native—no X11 forwarding hassles. The Unicode trick delivers surprisingly crisp renders in modern terminals like Kitty.

Who should use this?

Computational chemists debugging Gaussian/ORCA jobs on HPC clusters, quantum chemists eyeballing orbitals during SSH sessions, or molecular modelers needing fast geometry validation without desktop apps like VMD. Ideal for anyone scripting quantum workflows where terminal real estate is king.

Verdict

Grab it for terminal-bound molecular work—features punch above its 47 stars and alpha status. The 1.0% credibility score flags low adoption and testing, so test on non-critical files, but it's a clever niche tool worth starring as it matures.

(198 words)

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