The use of color graphics in crystallography improves user productivity. Pictures convey information more quickly than do words. With the rapid advancement of high resolution color devices, there is a great opportunity to simplify the task of understanding crystallography. An example is the way SDP for Windows uses interactive graphics in the structure solution step as well as facilitating the orientation for publication drawings. During structure solution the Fourier peak locations show as peak numbers on a color graphics screen.
Lines connect numbers if the peaks lie within bonding distances defined by atomic radii rules.
To improve viewing perspective, the user can be freely rotate the model in real time using simple mouse movements. Crystallographic packages of this type improve our productivity in structure determination, thereby shifting us away from maintenance work, and instead, focusing our efforts on obtaining results and advancing science. Andromeda Strain Revisited. Computing to the Millennium. The Crystallographic Workbench.