Free Xtal_GX distribution page
This is an archive copy of the IUCr web site dating from 2008. For current content please visit https://www.iucr.org.
[IUCr Home Page] [CIF Home Page] [UWA Crystallography Center]

Note: Before you attempt to download any Xtal_GX files pointed to in this document, be aware that a European mirror site exists. File transfer times could be dramatically shorter if that location is closer to home. However, I suspect only version 1 is available there.

Xtal_GX version 3 is now available. (14/8/97)

This version uses the latest (2.5.5) release of the cif toolbox. It also has an improved graphical interface for molecular display (PIG) and supports X11 colormap sharing using the X_Color_Context library (Copyright 1994,1995 John L. Cwikla)

What is Xtal_GX ?

Xtal_GX consists of a subset of the Xtal3.5 crystallographic computing package. It is released freely to the crystallographic community in the form of binary executables for numerous platforms running Xwindows (or DOS). Rights to the source code have been retained by the Xtal coordinators.
Calculations performed by Xtal_GX are:

Xtal_GX was designed primarily to read and write crystal structure information in the form of CIFs (Crystallographic Information Files). It can be used to validate CIFs against the IUCr CIF dictionary, prior to submission to IUCr journals such as Acta Crystallographica.

In addition to parsing CIFs, Xtal_GX also extracts symmetry and structural information for display manipulation and plotting purposes. Molecules can be viewed and oriented for subsequent thermal ellipsoid (ORTEP) plotting in postscript format. Additional routines assess the structure for unrecognised symmetry elements in the structure and these symmetry elements can also be graphically represented.

Xtal_GX is controlled by commands in a control file. Extensive description of the available commands are described in the 30 page postscript doccumentation (only for version 2), available in two formats:

Xtal_GX Package

The Xtal_GX Package consists of the main executable (machine specific) accompanied by a driver script, several essential auxilliary files containing CIF definitions etc and lastly a series of test CIFs and control files.

The additional README contains more extensive installation instructions than are documented here.

It will be necessary for you to choose one of the following executables to suit your computing environment :

version 3

version 2

The following auxilliary files are essential. Their have been changes to cifdic, symmap and cifmap between versions 2 and 3.

The following files are essential, but platform specific.

The following test files are recommended.

You would also be severely disadvantaged if you did not get the postscript format documentation outlined above. Should you not have access to a postscript printer, then you should really check out the GhostScript home page. GhostScript could be useful for all your postscript printing and viewing needs. Failing that contact xtal@crystal.uwa.edu.au and a copy of the Xtal_GX documentation can be sent to you by airmail.

DOS Xtal_GX Package

Currently one MS DOS package is available iether as the basic executable indicated above, or as a self extracting archive, with dos readme and installation instructions .

To Install this DOS version copy the files from Xtal_GX to a DOS directory, say "GX" and then run the self extracting executable "gxexe.exe" to unpack the necessary executables and auxiliary files.

Last update: Aug 14 1997.