Introduction

In the DSH Web file browser, the default text preview is often not intuitive enough for biomolecular or small-molecule files. The dsh-file-explorer-preview-molstar plugin overrides the default preview behavior and provides interactive 3D model rendering for formats such as .cif and .pdb.

About the Plugin

This is a DSH Web plugin maintained by wolfsonliu. It is built on the Mol* technology stack and provides visualization support for structural biology data in the file browser, replacing the original plain-text display.

Core Features

  • 3D Viewer: Built on molstar, using PluginContext and a minimal canvas, without the full Mol* UI.
  • Representation and Color: Supports representation presets such as Auto, Cartoon, Ball & Stick, and Molecular surface. Color options include default, by chain, and by entity.
  • Interaction Controls: Supports camera reset and spin toggling, and follows DSH dark/light background switching.
  • Status Bar: Shows the format badge and statistics for the number of atoms, residues, and chains.
  • Localization: The toolbar and status bar support switching between Chinese and English.
  • Large File Handling: Supports text files larger than 2 MiB (text-large type) and binary .bcif files, obtaining raw bytes through readRawFile.

Installation and Enabling

To install this plugin, make sure the dsh-file-explorer core plugin is installed and enabled (v0.1.0 or later).

dsh plugin --profile web add github:wolfsonliu/dsh-file-explorer-preview-molstar
dsh web

Typical Usage

  1. Select a .cif, .pdb, or other supported file in the file browser.
  2. The preview panel renders an interactive 3D model.
  3. Open the model using the “Open with…” option in the menu.
  4. Rotate the model using the “spin toggle” feature.

Notes

  • Browser Requirement: A WebGL-capable browser is required.
  • Permissions: Read-only preview; editing is not supported.
  • File Scope: Trajectories and maps (.dcd, .nc, .map) are not supported.
  • Dependency Version: Must be used with dsh-file-explorer v0.1.0 or later.

Summary

By integrating the Mol* engine, this plugin significantly enhances the visualization experience in DSH Web for handling structural biology data. Developers can view the source code or submit issues in the GitHub repository.

GitHub repository