Customizing Display Colors

The Colors Preferences allow you to customize the coloring of View window backgrounds, atoms (elements), bonds, surfaces, and vibration vector displays. The dialog is illustrated below.

pref_color.tif
Customizing GaussView Color Options

All of the color preferences dialogs use similar controls. They all contain a Scheme popup that specifies how many colors comprise the display gradients. However, with the exception of surfaces, this item is limited to a single color.

In general, if the Use RGB Selector checkbox is selected (which is the default), then you can use the sliders below it to specify the RGB values for the desired color. If it is unchecked, then the system color selection utility will be invoked.

The buttons in the Colors Preferences dialog control the coloring of the following items:


Modifying Default Element Colors
Here we are modifying the color of Neon atoms.


Specifying Bond Coloring
In this example, we are changing the color of bonds in wireframe display mode from grey to black.


Specifying Vector Colors in Vibrational Modes Displays

Specifying Colors for Surfaces

The dialog below is used to specify coloring for surfaces. For surfaces types having positive and negative lobes (phases), two colors are specified (as in the figure, which specifies colors for MO surfaces).

pref_surfcolor.tif
Surface Coloring Preferences

The fields at the top of this example dialog allow you to select the surface type and display style. The example surface in the upper area of the dialog approximates how surfaces will look with the current settings.

The most important fields are located in the center of the dialog. The Scheme popup allows you to select the type of coloring that is applied to the object. The 1-Color Shaded, 2-Color Shaded, 3-Color Shaded, and 4-Color Shaded items select gradient-filled coloring, consisting of shades of the indicated color (1-Color Shaded) or blends between the specified colors (2 or more colors). Keep in mind that less is more with gradients when good taste prevails. The 1-Color Flat scheme colors the object using the specified color in a solid mode, without creating any illusion of three-dimensional shape.

Clicking on any of the color chips in this area allows you to modify that color. Note that two-lobed surfaces will have two sets of color chip(s), placed on the left and right sides of the dialog: