Molecule Positioning Tools
The figure below illustrates the molecule positioning toolbar, which is accessed with the View=>Positioning Tools menu item.

The Positioning Toolbar
For all of the tools, the view’s X, Y, and Z directions are the horizontal, vertical, and depth of the window, and the molecule X, Y, and Z directions are those indicated by the Cartesian axes. The various controls are described individually below (moving across the toolbar from left to right):
- The Quick popup contains items that center the molecule in one or more view directions or align axes on the molecule the view’s. For example, the Center and Center X items center the molecule within the window and with respect to the window’s X-axis (i.e., horizontally), while the Mol X -> View Z item aligns the molecule’s X-axis with the View window’s Z-axis. Other items work analogously.
- The second popup menu indicates whether the molecule will be rotated or translated to perform the repositioning when the Apply button is pushed. The next two fields also control the operation.
- The Around field specifies the axis about which the molecule will be rotated (active when the previous popup is set to Rotate). When Translate is selected in the initial field, then the label changes to Along.
- The By field specifies the amount of rotation or translation.
- The final slider provides another way to specify the amount of movement. As you adjust the slider, the molecule moves immediately in the direction and manner specified by the first two fields (and the By field is ignored).