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Chemical Drawing Atlas

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rdEditor

A desktop molecule editor and reusable Python widget for editing RDKit structures.

WebsiteManualGitHub

Open source. 18 of 65 checklist features confirmed.

Main canvas

rdEditor main canvas, light mode
light mode
rdEditor main canvas, dark mode
dark mode

Settings > Theme: Qdt light and Qdt dark change canvas colors.

Default drawings

caffeine as drawn by rdEditor with default settings

Caffeine

paclitaxel as drawn by rdEditor with default settings

Paclitaxel

No 3D view

Cholesterol in 3D

Facts

GitHub stars
181 stars on 6 Nov 2026
First commit
13 Sept 2018
Repository activity
167 commits, 8 contributors, last push 3 May 2026
Latest version
0.5.1
Version we tested
0.5.1
Runs on
macOS, Windows, Linux
License
GNU Lesser General Public License version 3.
Price
Free
Relies on
RDKit. Custom editor uses RDKit molecular graphs and SVG rendering.
Draws with
RDKit MolDraw2DSVG generates SVG, displayed by Qt QSvgWidget.
Chemistry from
RDKit
Interface
PySide6 / Qt Widgets
Main language
C++
Other languages
Python: Editor and RDKit bindings
Renderer
Borrowed: RDKit MolDraw2D (SVG)
Third-party licenses
PySide6/Qt: LGPLv3/GPLv3 or commercial terms. RDKit/NumPy: BSD-3-Clause; PyQtDarkTheme: MIT with Apache-2.0 icons. Bundled Icons8 graphics carry separate attribution terms.
Download
0.4 MB
Installed
1.4 GB

In use

Screenshots from our test of this version.

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

Files and exchange

Embedding and extension

Open the full pageManual