The goal of this project is to provide interactive 3D visualizations of crystal
structures and morphologies in order to help educate future
materials scientists and engineers worldwide. We also host freely downloadable 3D print files of crystallographic models.
This website is maintained by Portland State’s Nano-Crystallography Group and utilized for classroom
demonstrations in courses such as introductory materials science and engineering, introductory nanoscience and nanotechnology, and modern physics. All of our crystallographic data are open access, freely available to anybody.
Milestones:
August 2023: Site implemented Google Analytics
November 2020: Site Migrated to WordPress CMS to support PHP server. Reverted to standard search interface of COD and removing support of other databases due to limited resources and COVID-19 disruptions.
June 2016: Page on 3D printing of crystallographic models created and a selection of such files uploaded.
December 2015: Jmol visualizations largely replaced by (somewhat slower but more secure) JSmol visualizations.
January 2014: First two crystallographic 3D print files (of a common sugar (sucrose) molecule and crystal model) uploaded.
November 2013: Search and upload functions now parse chemical_formula_moiety fields.
February 2013: 500 small molecule organic CIFs from the free Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre Teaching Database were added to the local educational “offshoot” of the COD. (Acknowledgements of this source are in each individual CIF.) Manual cleaning of data sets.
November 2012: New site interface using Django CMS, an open source Python based content management framework. The old site has been depreciated, but will be available for backward compatibility in the future.
June 2012: Development of new Jmol display menu interface.
May 2012: Updated PyCifRW to version 3.3 and CIF dictionary to IUCr version 2.1.6. (CIF validation tools).
