Controls for the Unit Cell Display

Clear Unit Cell Removes all atoms and sections from the unit cell. Displays the empty unit cell.
Show/Hide Sides Shows or hides the solid sides of the unit cell.
Show/Hide Sections Shows or hides the sections of the atoms that lie within the unit cell.
Show/Hide Atoms Shows or hides the full atoms whose centers lie in the unit cell.
View Sections The sections of atoms that lie within the unit cell are spread out for display and examination.
Form Atoms The sections of atoms that lie within the unit cell are pieced together to form whole atoms.


To run through the animation in sequence

  1. Select Show Sections to display the portions of the atoms in the unit cell.
  2. Select View Sections to spread the atom sections across the display for viewing.
  3. Select Form Atoms to assemble the atom sections into full atoms, thus showing how many full atoms are contained in the unit cell.

This virtual reality display requires Java3D. If the display is not visible, consult the Java3D FAQ. Dragging an object with the left mouse button rotates the object. Dragging with the center mouse buttons expands the display, and dragging with the right mouse button moves the display.