ChimeraX Recipes

Select atoms inside map bounds

Here is a way to select atoms within a displayed map subregion using a command selectbox defined by the Python code below.

open 7k3v
open 22657 from emdb
volume #2 region 184,164,261,246,247,396

open selectbox.py
selectbox #1 inMap #2

Here is the select_box.py code that defines the selectbox command:

#
# Implement selectbox command that selects atoms within the bounds of shown map subregion.
#
#   open select_box.py
#   selectbox #1 in #2
#
def select_box(session, atoms, in_map):

    # First convert atom coordinates to map coordinates in case
    # one has been moved relative to the other.
    pos = in_map.position.inverse().transform_points(atoms.scene_coords)
    x,y,z = pos[:,0], pos[:,1], pos[:,2]

    # Find atoms with coordinates in map bounds
    (xmin,ymin,zmin), (xmax,ymax,zmax) = in_map.xyz_bounds()
    mask = (x >= xmin) & (x <= xmax) & (y >= ymin) & (y <= ymax) & (z >= zmin) & (z <= zmax)
    inside_atoms = atoms[mask]

    # Select inside atoms
    session.selection.clear()
    inside_atoms.selected = True
    inside_atoms.intra_bonds.selected = True

    # Log a message saying how many atoms selected.
    session.logger.status('Selected %d atoms in map %s bounds'
                          % (len(inside_atoms), in_map.name_with_id()),
                          log = True)
    return inside_atoms

def register_selectbox_command(logger):
    from chimerax.core.commands import CmdDesc, register
    from chimerax.atomic import AtomsArg
    from chimerax.map import MapArg
    desc = CmdDesc(
        required = [('atoms', AtomsArg)],
        keyword = [('in_map', MapArg)],
        required_arguments = ['in_map'],
        synopsis = 'Select atoms in shown map subregion'
    )
    register('selectbox', desc, select_box, logger=logger)

register_selectbox_command(session.logger)

Tom Goddard, May 21, 2021