Marvin Sketch Tutorials


What is MarvinSketch?

MarvinSketch is a software in which we can draw desired chemical structures, which is required for Chemistry content writers. Controls are also similar to that of Adobe Illustrator.
MarvinSketch Main window:

It will look like this

Types of bonds which can be used:


How to draw a structure in MarvinSketch ?

For suppose we have to draw the following hypothetical structure:


Steps:
  • First place a Naphthalene from Compound box.
  • Now bring another Naphathalene to the first one until you get the below situation. Now place it.
  • Select C from the Element box. Inorder to make CH3- Bond, select desired carbon on parent chain and with the left button clicked drag the pointer from desired carbon position until the bond appears.
  • Do the similar process for other elements.
  • When it comes to N-(OH)2 , first make NH2 and select Selection Tool and select the whole structure, by dragging pointer across it.
  • Now right-click on the structure and go to Add option > select Explicit Hydrogens. With this hydrogens on all carbons and atoms will be visible.
  • Now select the Hydrogens on the Nitrogen and go to element box and select O. H automatically gets converted to OH.
  • Again select the whole structure and go to Remove option > select Explicit Hydrogens. With this hydrogens on all carbons and atoms will not be visible.


In this way, we can draw any structure using MarvinSketch.

How to use it in Adobe Illustrator?
  • First zoom it to the required size.
  • Just select the whole structure and copy it by using Ctrl+C and paste in Adobe Illustrator (You will get the same size of that you have enlarged).
  • You can export the image to desired format by going to File menu > select Export image option. In that you can set the size manually or zoom it and go to export. 
  • One can draw long chain by select long chain option in Bonds , start with a point and drag the cursor until desired chain is obtained, and branches can be added using 1st option (Single CH3-CH3) in Bonds.
  • One can rotate, reflect, transform .....etc., by selecting the whole structure and right-click on it , select the desired options.

*Remember it is more like Adobe Illustrator, just with some chemical features.

The more you practice the more you excel. 

Summary:
  • First open MarvinSketch.
  • Make your chemical molecule figure using the Element box, Compound box and the Bonds.
  • Zoom it to required size (because when you will export the image it's size will be same to that of size of image visible on the screen after zooming it).
  • If want to copy it to Adobe Illustrator just drag the pointer across the molecule, copy it and paste it in Adobe Illustrator.
  • If you want seperate PNG file, go to File menu > Select Export option and select PNG format.


Credits: Upendra Sai Teja
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