Molecule Modeling - Need to snap cylinders to center of spheres

# 1 18-07-2014 , 03:02 PM

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Join Date: Jul 2014

Posts: 1

Molecule Modeling - Need to snap cylinders to center of spheres

I am very new to Maya, and am still figuring my way around the interface. (This is actually my first post here). I am doing some simple molecule modeling using the traditional sticks and balls molecules. Like this image -
user added image

What I want to do is to somehow link the cylinders to the spheres, so they penetrate right to the center of the molecule. I am not sure if I should create a sphere, then cylinder, rotate cylinder and *somehow* snap one face of the cylinder to the center of the sphere, and then CTRL+D (and then G) to duplicate around the center of the sphere on one axis - and then maybe duplicate and move the sphere so each cylinder has spheres on each side. The moving the spheres in 3D space to achieve the depth?

Basically a little lost and looking for any guidance or thoughts from those more experienced in the community.

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# 2 18-07-2014 , 07:00 PM

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Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Michigan, USA

Posts: 2,998

I found this maybe it will help you out ....

https://www.molecularmovies.com/toolkit/

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 3 18-07-2014 , 07:49 PM

EduSciVis-er
Join Date: Dec 2005

Location: Toronto

Posts: 3,374

mMaya is a great toolkit for importing large molecules like proteins, but I suspect it won't easily allow the granular control ShamanicHarmonics (?) is looking for as a new user. mMaya commandeers the nParticle system to create ball and stick models and I imagine it would be very tricky to create your own molecules.

I think maybe some basic parenting, constraining, and transforming tutorials are what's needed. Changing pivot points, duplicating with transforms, that sort of thing. It depends on the size, complexity, and purpose of the molecule.