[HAZCHEM]

Hey im having some trouble creating a string of DNA i can get the helix part on the out side easy, its just doing the connections in between. I could do them but hand but there should be a tool that will aid me in it, i tried using radial array but no luck alos heilix as you can not change any seting on it.


Any help would be great.

[bullet_evader]

well i hope i understand your question right but i just explain how to make DNA!!

first make 2 cylinders with a couple of segments. then set the rotation mode to: action center, selection.

then use the twist tool ( modify-->twist ) and then click and drag the mouse untill the DNA looks good!!

i hope this is what you needed to know!! otherwise, sorry for posting this useless ( small ) tutorial!!!

[Mark]

I know what you mean - you're talking about the weak bonds between the two helices.

For DNA, the helices form a complete turn in 35.7 Angstroms. Therefore, if you make your helix strands 1 meter in height and call this one unit, simply twist them as bullet_evader suggested through 360 degrees.

Now, in this single DNA 'unit' there will appear ten base pairs, so you need to create the lower piece at the correct orientation at the base of your DNA strands. Then clone it nine times with an offset of 100mm in the Y axis and a roatational heading of 36 degrees. Finally delete the topmost of these bases.

This should then give you a single 'unit' of DNA that you can then simply clone, move and weld to make strands of an arbitrary length.

[HAZCHEM]

Thanks fells for the help i will have to go and try that. Thakns

[jcnoveron]

Get a piece of DNA in the PDB (protein Data Base) format from www.pdb.org or from anywhere in the internet, then use a free format converter (3Win4) to go from .PDB to .LW or to .OBJ. I preferr .OBJ , the upload it in LW and there it is a real 3D image of DNA from scientific data.
If you have trouble finding the DNA in .pdb, I could send it to you.

[HAZCHEM]

This is what i have come up with so far, its got some problems which i hope to fix up. I have some problems like where the weak bonds intecestc the helix, i want it to look like the bond is coming from the helix as in slightley beveld if ya know what i mean.