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A WebGPU molecular visualizer with GPU path-traced global illumination.

11 starsTypeScript

Speck PBR – A WebGPU molecular visualizer

by wwwtyro·Apr 3, 2026·4 points·0 comments
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AI Analysis

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WebGPU path tracing for molecular viz when PyMOL and VMD require desktop installs.

Strengths
  • •GPU path-traced global illumination in browser captures ambient occlusion and color bleeding.
  • •Video export with keyframe camera control synchronized to molecular dynamics trajectories.
  • •Depth-aware outlines reveal structure obscured by traditional rendering methods.
Weaknesses
  • •Only imports XYZ format currently, limiting compatibility with common PDB and CIF files.
  • •WebGPU browser support still limited compared to WebGL alternatives.
Category
Design
Target Audience

Scientists, researchers, and educators working with molecular structures

Similar To

PyMOL · VMD · ChimeraX

Post Description

This is the spiritual successor to my Speck project, which was getting a bit long in the tooth. Big improvements are path tracing, video generation, and trajectory support. Right now only imports XYZ, but happy to add more formats as requested. Thanks for looking!

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