Avogadro

Avogadro is a lightweight Windows application built specifically for helping users analyze and edit molecular structures in a clean and intuitive working environment.

The program gives you the possibility to draw elements (e.g. hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen) and select the bond order.

What’s more, you can make the utility hide or reveal wireframes, axes, forces, hydrogen bonds, surfaces, and other elements.

Avogadro enables you to undo or redo your actions, perform basic editing operations (cut, copy, paste, delete), switch to a full screen mode for a better focus on your work, and change the background color.

Other notable characteristics worth mentioning are represented by the possibility to insert nucleic acids, align molecules, measure distances between objects, move atoms, as well as enable the auto rotation and optimization functions.

You can also delete atoms, select individual atoms or a group of them, pick the projection mode, and extend the tool’s functionality by installing additional plugins.

Last but not least, you can import data from files (e.g. XYZ, MDL, or MOL file format, or a user-defined URL) and export the information to PNG, JPG, BMP, PDF, SVG, or other file format.

During our testing we have noticed that Avogadro carries out a task quickly, provides very good image quality, and no errors showed up throughout the entire process. It eats up CPU and memory, so the overall performance of the computer may be affected.

As a conclusion, Avogadro proves to be a handy software utility that comprises a decent feature pack for helping you study and edit molecular structures.