Matthew Towler

Since its original release, the popular crystal structure visualization programMercuryhas undergone continuous further development. Comparisons between crystal structures are facilitated by the ability to display multiple structures simultaneously and to overlay them. Improvements have been made to many aspects of the visual display, including the addition of depth cueing, and highly customizable lighting and background effects. Textual and numeric data associated with structures can be shown in tables or spreadsheets, the latter opening up new ways of interacting with the visual display. Atomic displacement ellipsoids, calculated powder diffraction patterns and predicted morphologies can now be shown. Some limited molecular-editing capabilities have been added. The object-oriented nature of the C++ libraries underlyingMercurymakes it easy to re-use the code in other applications, and this has facilitated three-dimensional visualization in several other programs produced by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre.

TheenCIFerprogram permits the location, reporting and correction of syntax and format violations in single- or multi-block crystallographic information files (CIFs). The program also permits the editing of existing individual or looped data items and the addition of new data in these categories, and provides data-entry wizards for the addition of two types of standard information for small-molecule structural studies, namely publication data and chemical and physical property information. Facilities for the graphical visualization and manipulation of structure(s) in a CIF are also provided.