SenSitus is an interactive docking and visualization program for low-resolution density maps and atomic structures. We are developing SenSitus as a GUI-based alternative to certain Situs docking programs that can benefit from an interactive user interface. Situs is a program package developed to provide a robust and quantitative method for the localization of biomolecular subunits in low-resolution data. SenSitus can visualize the data files used by the Situs programs - the Situs file format for the low resolution EM maps and the PDB file format for the biomolecular structure.

SenSitus will use 3D graphics in order to visualize the data sets. Therefore you need a computer with a hardware accelerated 3D graphics card, e.g. a PC with a 3D card like the nVidia GeForce or the ATI Radeon. SGI workstations like the O2, Octane or Onyx Systems are also supported. If there is demand, we can add support for Sun (and other Unix) workstations in the future.

Linux	Windows	PDB file	Situs file

• Easy to use. The program provides a simple and intuitive graphical user interface.
• Stereo support (with shutter glasses like crystal eyes)
• Headtracking support (with the polhemus fastrak system)
• Force feedback support (with the SensAble Phantom)
• Very portable. Supports now several unix plattforms and runs on PCs with linux or windows as well.

Under construction! In the future here should be a link to the complete documentation of SenSitus. For now here is just a small guide for the first steps.

Quickstart

We are using SenSitus in a VR environment. A headtracking system, stereo shutter glasses and a dual side projection system allows the user to get a better impression of the 3D space.

Beside the visualization, SenSitus also provides force feedback support for fitting EM and x-tal data. Force feedback devices provide haptic feedback, so that the user can not only see a virtual scene, but also feel virtual objects. In SenSitus this technique is used to support the user in the process of fitting the high resolution PDB data into the low resolution EM maps. The program calculates a force according to the current position of the structure and tries to pull the user into a better location.

The EM density maps tend to be noisy and therefor it is sometimes difficult for the program to calculate the forces. It is possible that the program will try to pull the user towards a obviously wrong location. Therefore the program will just output a very soft force so that user can resist if he encouters that the program wants him to move to a undesired position.

SensAble Phantom 6DOF

We are using force feedback devices developed by SensAble Corp. SensAble is manufactoring the Phantom force feedback devices, which are constructed like a robot arm. The user can grab a so called "stylus" and move it through the 3D space. The phantom will report the current positions to the computer, which will simultaneously move an avatar in the virtual scene. If the avatar touches a surface, the further movement of the user must be prevented. Therefore the computer will send a command to the phantom device, which will output a force to the stylus. This force will stop the further movement of the hand of the user. This technique can provide a lot of different tactile impressions. The program can e.g. create soft or rough surfaces on the virtual objects.

Another possiblity is to create forces to guide the user, like SenSitus does. We are not using any surfaces of virtual objects to calculate the forces.

SenSitus supports the standard 3DOF Phantoms (like the "Desktop" or the "Premium" series) and also the new 6DOF devices. With the new 6DOF devices you can also feel the torque forces.

At the moment, you can only download binaries. If you cannot find your favorite computer/os here, please write me an email.

Computer/OS	Version	Date	File
SGI Irix6.5	0.701	08.05.2002	Download
Linux	0.701	08.05.2002	Download
Compaq Tru64	0.701	11.05.2002	Download
Windows	0.701	02.05.2002	Download

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Contact

SenSitus: Dipl.-Inform. Stefan Birmanns Zentralinstitut fuer Angewandte Mathematik Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, 52425 Juelich phone: +49 2461 61 2434 Email: s.birmanns@fz-juelich.de

Situs: Willy R. Wriggers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Department of Molecular Biology The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, Mail TPC6 (Office: 3377 N. Torrey Pines Court, Suite 120) La Jolla, California, 92037 Tel: (858) 784-8823 Fax: (858) 784-8688 Email: wriggers@scripps.edu

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Copyright for SenSitus

Copyright © 2002 Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Federal Republic of Germany. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
• Any publications that result from the use of this software shall reasonably refer to the Research Centre's development.
• All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software must display the following acknowledgement:
  • This product includes software developed by Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Federal Republic of Germany.
• Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH is not obligated to provide the user with any support, consulting, training or assistance of any kind with regard to the use, operation and performance of this software or to provide the user with any updates, revisions or new versions.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBH "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBH BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACCESS, USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

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