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Command: wait

Usage:
waitwait-frames ]

The wait command updates the display for a specified number of wait-frames before allowing execution of the next command in a script. It can also be used to generate duplicate image frames in movies (like movie duplicate). See also: stop, making movies

Ordered Command Execution

Following certain multi-frame commands, wait without a number will automatically wait the needed number of frames for the command to finish: move, turn, rock, roll, zoom, 2dlabels, view, and fly. Other commands require the number to be given explicitly. In the following example, wait prevents move from starting until roll has finished:

roll y 3 120
wait
move x 0.2 75

It is also acceptable to give the frame argument where it could have been omitted (in the example, wait 120 instead of just wait).

Unlike Chimera, when executing a command file, ChimeraX does not add an implicit wait 1 at the end of each line that could change the display. Thus, after a series of commands is saved from the Command History or otherwise written to a text file to create a ChimeraX command script, it may be necessary to add wait or wait N commands between them (or appended to lines with a semicolon separator) to see the effects of individual commands as they are executed and/or enforce their ordered execution.

Duplicate Image Frames in Movies

Stretches of duplicate image frames correspond to periods of time where objects remain static. If motion occurs in the last few frames of a movie, due to the encoding process it may appear to end on a blur. This effect can be avoided by including a few wait frames (wait 5 or similar) at the end of scripted movie content.


UCSF Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics / October 2022