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Lhendraw
Desktop editor for drawing chemical structures, reaction schemes, and figures with ChemDraw CDX/CDXML file exchange.
Open source. 29 of 65 checklist features confirmed.
Main canvas
Would not run on our Mac
Would not run on our Mac
Default drawings
We could not finish testing this tool: Source build failed on macOS arm64. Shipped generator aborts because macOS rejects %n in writable format strings. Making its format table const let generation finish, but both Apple Clang and GCC reject text.h:107 (ordered comparison of a pointer with integer zero). The supplied Xcode project also fails because SDK macosx10.6 is unavailable. No executable or final app installation was produced; see build-report.md and build logs.
Would not run on our Mac
Caffeine
Would not run on our Mac
Paclitaxel
Would not run on our Mac
Cholesterol in 3D
- Application never launched; defaults and molecule rendering were not observed.
- No molecule imports, exports, screenshots, or feature checks were possible.
- Repository tag 6.1.2 declares 0.6.1 in source; runtime version remains unverified.
Facts
- GitHub stars
- 2 stars on 6 Nov 2026
- First commit
- 2 May 2013
- Repository activity
- 581 commits, 5 contributors, last push 30 Mar 2025
- Latest version
- v0.4.5
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- License
- GNU Affero General Public License version 3.
- Price
- Free
- Relies on
- No third-party engine found. Custom atom/bond model and chemical analysis; build links only UI and system libraries.
- Draws with
- Custom software rasterizer using SDL surfaces or Win32/GDI; custom SVG, PostScript and PNG writers.
- Chemistry from
- In-house C++ atom/bond model and molecular-analysis routines.
- Interface
- Custom desktop UI using SDL 1.2/2.0, with a native Win32 backend.
- Main language
- C++
- Other languages
- None
- Renderer
- Original: Lhendraw custom software and vector renderer
- Third-party licenses
- Includes GPL-2.0-or-later xclip code and GPLv2 Liberation Mono fonts with embedding exceptions.
- Download
- 0.5 MB
- Website packages and source identify v0.6.1; the supplied latest GitHub tag is v0.4.5.
- The macOS download is explicitly experimental.
- README reports graphical glitches after repeated scaling and rotation of circular arrows.
Features
- Tested by running it
- Seen in the app
- The manual says yes
- Partly, with the reason shown
- Not supported
- Not established, which is not the same as no
Select a mark for its proof. A filled mark opens our screenshot, or the manual if the check left nothing to picture. A ring opens the manual.
Drawing structures
- Yes, according to the manual: Single, double and triple bond tools. Opens the cited page.Single, double and triple bondsSingle, double and triple bond tools.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Solid wedges, hashed wedges and wavy bonds. Opens the cited page.Wedge, hash and wavy bondsSolid wedges, hashed wedges and wavy bonds.github.com
- Partly: Quadruple and dashed bonds; drawable dative support unverified. Opens the cited page.Dative, hydrogen and quadruple bondsQuadruple and dashed bonds; drawable dative support unverified.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Repeated clicks cycle centered, left and right positions. Opens the cited page.Choose double-bond sideRepeated clicks cycle centered, left and right positions.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Three- through nine-membered rings, with aromatic option. Opens the cited page.Ring toolsThree- through nine-membered rings, with aromatic option.github.com
- Not establishedChair and Haworth rings
- Partly: Extends chains one bond per gesture; no variable-length drag. Opens the cited page.Chain toolExtends chains one bond per gesture; no variable-length drag.github.com
- Not establishedTemplate library
- Not establishedSave your own templates
- Partly: Formula analysis recognizes limited abbreviations, including Et, Ac and TMS. Opens the cited page.Group abbreviationsFormula analysis recognizes limited abbreviations, including Et, Ac and TMS.github.com
- Partly: Charges and arbitrary labels; only D/T isotope entries verified. Opens the cited page.Charges, isotopes and atom labelsCharges and arbitrary labels; only D/T isotope entries verified.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Radical and lone-pair placement tools. Opens the cited page.Radicals and lone pairsRadical and lone-pair placement tools.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Hover over atoms and type element letters. Opens the cited page.Keyboard drawingHover over atoms and type element letters.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Lasso selection, rotation, scaling and negative-scale mirroring. Opens the cited page.Lasso select and transformsLasso selection, rotation, scaling and negative-scale mirroring.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Canvas drawings rotate around the X and Y axes. Opens the cited page.Tilt drawings in perspectiveCanvas drawings rotate around the X and Y axes.github.com
Reactions and mechanisms
- Yes, according to the manual: Forward, retrosynthetic and equilibrium arrows. Opens the cited page.Reaction arrowsForward, retrosynthetic and equilibrium arrows.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable Bezier curves with full or half arrowheads. Opens the cited page.Curved mechanism arrowsEditable Bezier curves with full or half arrowheads.github.com
- Not establishedMachine-readable reactions
- Not establishedAtom mapping
- Yes, according to the manual: Chemical-symbol palette includes charges, electrons, lone pairs and radical ions. Opens the cited page.Orbitals and symbolsChemical-symbol palette includes charges, electrons, lone pairs and radical ions.github.com
Figures and layout
- Partly: Subscripts and superscripts; font rendering uses a fixed size. Opens the cited page.Rich text captionsSubscripts and superscripts; font rendering uses a fixed size.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Editable curves, geometric shapes and brackets. Opens the cited page.Shapes, brackets and curvesEditable curves, geometric shapes and brackets.github.com
- Not establishedAlign and distribute
- Not establishedGroup and ungroup
- Yes, according to the manual: Command tidies selected structures. Opens the cited page.2D structure cleanupCommand tidies selected structures.github.com
- Not establishedJournal drawing styles
- Not establishedReusable custom styles
- Yes, according to the manual: Color chooser updates selected atoms, bonds and objects. Opens the cited page.Color controlColor chooser updates selected atoms, bonds and objects.github.com
- No: Renderer supports object recoloring and selection handles, without background highlighting. Opens the cited page.Color highlightingRenderer supports object recoloring and selection handles, without background highlighting.github.com
- Not establishedPage layout and multipage
- Not establishedImported pictures
- Yes, according to the manual: Dedicated TLC plate, lane and spot tools. Opens the cited page.TLC plates and tablesDedicated TLC plate, lane and spot tools.github.com
Chemistry intelligence
- Yes, according to the manual: Command locates carbons with bond-order sums of five or more. Opens the cited page.Structure checkingCommand locates carbons with bond-order sums of five or more.github.com
- Not establishedR/S and E/Z labels
- Yes, according to the manual: Selected structures display formula, molecular weight and exact mass. Opens the cited page.Formula and massSelected structures display formula, molecular weight and exact mass.github.com
- Not establishedProperty estimates
- Not establishedName to structure
- Not establishedStructure to name
- Not establishedNMR prediction
- Yes, according to the manual: Periodic-table palette includes chemical wildcards. Opens the cited page.R-groups and query structuresPeriodic-table palette includes chemical wildcards.github.com
- Not establishedPolymers and repeat units
- Not establishedPeptides and nucleic acids
- Not establishedImage to structure
- Not establishedOnline structure lookup
- Not established3D model view
- Not establishedCrystal structures
Files and exchange
- Yes, according to the manual: CDXML reading and writing. Opens the cited page.CDXML import and exportCDXML reading and writing.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Binary CDX reading and writing. Opens the cited page.CDX import and exportBinary CDX reading and writing.github.com
- Not establishedMOL and SDF
- Not establishedSMILES
- Not establishedInChI
- Not establishedRXN files
- Yes, according to the manual: Vector SVG export. Opens the cited page.SVG exportVector SVG export.github.com
- Not establishedPDF export
- Partly: PNG export uses optional 2x enlargement; 300 dpi unverified. Opens the cited page.High-resolution PNGPNG export uses optional 2x enlargement; 300 dpi unverified.github.com
- Yes, according to the manual: Windows implements editable ChemDraw Interchange Format copy and paste. Opens the cited page.Paste to and from ChemDrawWindows implements editable ChemDraw Interchange Format copy and paste.github.com
- Not establishedEditable in Word or PowerPoint
- Not establishedWindows Office OLE
APIs and automation
- Not establishedPython API
- Not establishedJavaScript or TypeScript API
- Yes, according to the manual: Headless conversion and rendering documented with command-line examples. Opens the cited page.Command-line toolHeadless conversion and rendering documented with command-line examples.github.com
- Not establishedAI agent control
- Not establishedBuilt-in AI assistant
Embedding and extension
- Not establishedPlugins
- Not established: Desktop executables documented; no offered embedding component confirmed.Embed in your own appDesktop executables documented; no offered embedding component confirmed.github.com