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Molkit

Grid Settings

The Grid Settings dialog controls the optional grid overlay on the canvas: dot, square, or hex pattern, spacing, color, opacity, and whether drags snap to the grid by default. Open it from View > Grid Settings, or press Ctrl+Shift+'.

Showing the grid

View > Show Grid (Ctrl+') toggles the grid on and off without opening the dialog. The shortcut is bound to the physical quote key, so it works the same on non-US keyboard layouts. When you zoom out far enough that grid cells would land closer than 4 px on screen, the grid hides itself to avoid moire patterns.

Appearance

  • Type: Dots, Square, or Hex (pointy-top).
  • Spacing: cell size in pixels, 2 to 500. The field is disabled while Match bond length is checked.
  • Match bond length: locks spacing to the document’s bond length so atoms dragged onto the grid land at bonding distance. The label shows the current value and updates live if you change the structure preset while the dialog is open.
  • Color: a swatch that reads “auto” until you pick a color. Auto follows the current theme; the Use theme button returns to it.
  • Opacity: 0 to 100%, default 30%.

Every change previews live on the canvas behind the dialog. OK saves the result; Cancel, Escape, or closing the dialog reverts to the settings you opened with.

Snapping

Check Snap to grid by default to make drags snap to grid intersections whenever the grid is on. Either way, holding G during a drag inverts the current behavior for just that drag: it turns snapping on when the default is off, and releases it when the default is on. Release G and the drag goes back to the default.

Advanced: major lines

Expand the Advanced section for graph-paper style emphasis lines:

  • Major lines every N cells draws every Nth grid line darker. Set 0 to disable; the maximum is 50.
  • Major boost adds extra opacity to the major lines on top of the base Opacity setting, so base 30% plus a 20% boost renders major lines at 50%.

Major lines do not apply to hex grids; both controls are disabled when Hex is selected.

See also