Color Zone colors surface patches to match nearby selected atoms or markers. See also: Split Volume by Color Zone, msc
Color Zone acts on Surface_Model surfaces (see list; includes those from Volume Viewer, Multiscale Models, and Intersurf) and any caps on such surfaces, but not on standard molecular surfaces or VRML surfaces. Color Zone information is included in saved sessions.
There are several ways to start Color Zone, a tool in the Volume Data category (including from the Volume Viewer Tools menu). The Surface of interest should be chosen from the list of available surface models. Surfaces from Volume Viewer will be named according to the volume data set. Surfaces from Multiscale Models will be named for the PDB file from which the surfaces were generated.
Clicking Color colors vertices in the chosen surface that are within the specified distance (Coloring radius) of any of the currently selected atoms. When multiple selected atoms are within the cutoff distance, a vertex will be colored to match the closest one. Vertices not within the cutoff of any selected atom are assigned the default surface color (single-color mode). Each surface triangle is colored by linearly interpolating its vertex colors. Colors are defined by red, green, blue and opacity/transparency components.
By default, a zone is based only on distances to any selected atoms (and Volume Path Tracer markers); the bondzone command indicates that points along any selected bonds (and Volume Path Tracer links) should also be used. Vertices closer to a generated bond point than to an atom in the selection will then be assigned the bond color.
The Coloring radius can be adjusted by moving the slider or by typing in a new value. If the set of selected atoms is changed, or if a selected atom is recolored or repositioned relative to the surface, Color must be clicked again to update the surface coloring. Clicking Color will not update the surface colors when no atoms are selected.
Clicking Uncolor returns the surface to its default color (single-color mode).
Close dismisses the dialog, and Help opens this manual page in a browser window.
Only one radius used. There is no way to use different radii for different atoms.
Does not work with molecular surfaces. The Color Zone tool does not work with molecular surfaces (those generated with the Surface section of the Actions menu or the command surface).