PDB2SVG

I wanted a program that could read Protein Data-Bank format files and draw the resulting molecule in a vector format. I can get plenty of raster graphics, or worse, raster images encased in PDF or Postscript, but no true vector format. Frustrated, I decided to write something.

The magic is that PDB is a painfully stupid. I was able to write the whole thing in a mess of shell script and AWK. It's so damn dumb.

PDB2SVG Script

To use, just feed it the PDB file on the command line or through standard input. It will also take the option -c which will make it colour the atoms by chains instead of by compound.