STAND ALONE graphics; now more than ever

Abstract

The role seen for computer graphics in studying proteins and in aiding their structure determination through interpretation of electron density maps resulting from x-ray (and now neutron) diffraction has changed little since the design of the first molecular graphics system by Leventhal?. The obvious definition of a STAND ALONE SYSTEM has likewise remained unchanged; computers, however, have not. The last 10 years have seen a dramatic change in both the cost and the performance of small machines. We believe these changes strongly favor the development of stand alone systems now and in the future. Examination of the problem at hand shows a spectrum of computer tasks with a range of acceptable response times. The tasks require different degrees of machine performance with certain, but not all, tasks requiring high performance equipment. This is perhaps the major dillemma encountered in designing these systems.