Introduction

Welcome to Protibuild - an open-source protein simulator and builder that brings molecular biology to life through interactive 3D visualization.

What is Protibuild?

Protibuild is a desktop application designed for researchers, students, and enthusiasts to:

• Visualize proteins in realistic 3D environments
• Explore amino acid structures with accurate ball-and-stick models
• Interact with molecules by picking up and moving objects in 3D space
• Switch between project templates for different viewing modes

Key Features

Molecular Visualization

• Ball-and-stick model for accurate molecular representation
• CPK coloring - standard chemical colors for each element
  • Hydrogen (H): White
  • Carbon (C): Gray
  • Nitrogen (N): Blue
  • Oxygen (O): Red
  • Sulfur (S): Yellow

Supported Molecules

• All 20 standard amino acids with accurate atomic positions and bond connectivity
• Dev Cube - a simple rotating cube for development testing

Interactive Controls

• First-person camera navigation
• Pick up and move objects in 3D space
• Adjust object distance with scroll wheel

Technology

Protibuild is built with:

• Bevy 0.18 - A refreshingly simple data-driven game engine
• Rust - For performance and safety

Getting Started

1. Launch the application - You’ll start in the “Dev Cube” project
2. Open the File menu - Click “File” in the top-left corner
3. Select a project - Choose “Amino Acids” to see all 20 standard amino acids
4. Navigate with WASD - Press C to capture your cursor, then use movement keys
5. Interact with objects - Hover over molecules and click to grab them

Support the Project

If you find Protibuild useful, consider supporting its development:

Repository: https://github.com/alexandercoop562/protibuild