Coarse grained representations:
Classical representations such as ball and stick, space-filling or licorice can be used to render coarse grained (CG) models, but may produce confusing results when it is necessary to distinguish CG representations from all-atom ones, for instance when mixing both resolutions in a hybrid simulation.
The HyperBalls model can be used as an alternative to specifically represent CG models that are distinct from atomistic ones, with smooth links that provide more consistency (see figure above).
The use of HyperBalls is also well adapted to display lipid bilayers and to depict their crowded environment as well as the compacity of the membrane.
The HyperBalls representation is furthermore well suited for the visualization of spring networks: the thickness of the bonds can be modified as a function of the distance between atoms, hence depicting the spring behaviour and handling the visual creation of bonds dynamically.
Videos about coarse grain models are available in the Videos section.
