Dials and Windows

Dials and Windows is a collection of programs from Wesleyan University for studying the structure and dynamics of DNA and proteins. It is especially useful for graphically displaying the results of molecular dynamics simulations but it is also one of the most useful programs for characterizing static DNA structure.

Dials and Windows is run by copying several files to a directory containing either a single or multiple copies of your structures in PDB (or gromos) format. A command file is edited and the program is run by sourcing the command file.

To Get Started the suggested method is to run the appropriate example below with the default files and then edit the curves.com to run your PDB file(s).

There is a lot more to this package than is documented here. A hard copy of the User Manual describing the complete suite of programs is in the core area. A Postscript version of the User Manual is here.

Specific examples with command and other files are below.

Example: Single Structure DNA Analysis

Example: Comparison of Structures - DNA

Example: Dynamics Analysis - DNA

Note: If you publish graphics from the Dials and Windows package please cite the following:

Ravishanker, G. Swaminathan, S., Beveridge, D.L., Lavery, R. and Sklenar, H. J. Biomol. Str. Dyn., 6, 669 (1989)

If you publish analysis of DNA using Dials and Windows please cite the following;

Lavery, R. and Sklenar, H. J. Biomol Str. Dyn., 6, 63 (1988)

If you publish analysis of protein using Dials and Windows please cite the following:

Sklenar, H. Etchebest, C. and Lavery, R. Proteins: structure, Function Genet. 6, 46-60 (1989)