Problem with Ac superatom

Hello,

In Marvinsketch 5.12.4, if I use the typing feature to create super atoms and type "Ac" (case sensitive), then Marvinsketch draws it, but it does not understand "Ac" to be a super atom (I cannot expand the super atom group).  However, if I type "AC" (case sensitive), then Marvinsketch understands the super atom OK (I am able to expand the super atom group).

I am confused because marvin/chemaxon/marvin/templates/default.templates considers "Ac" (case sensitive) as the acetate super atom, and default file does not even list "AC" (case sensitive).

Is this the correct behavior? What should I do to be able to draw "Ac" (case sensitive) as a super atom in Marvinsketch.

Thanks for any help.

Best,

Andrew

Hi Andrew, This is the case when there are an Element and a Group defined under the same name. Ac can either represent the acetyl group or the Actinium element. If you use both upper and lower case letters while typing in (eg.: "Ac") we will prefer the Element over the group. If you type "ac" or "AC" we will prefer the group over the Element. So yes, this is the correct behavior.  Regards, Tamas Fazekas-Vigh

Thank you for quick response and helpful explanation!

Best,

Andrew

I urge you to abolish this feature. There is no way on God's green earth that students will remember whether to type Ac or ac, and there is no way they will notice that a brown Ac on the canvas means that they evoked actinium, not acetyl. 

Given that in organic chemistry, there is almost no call to draw compounds containing praseodymium or actinium, I really don't think you need to create confusion by having a shortcut to these atoms. One can always just bring up the periodic table menu.

I urge you to abolish this feature. There is no way on God's green earth that students will remember whether to type Ac or ac, and there is no way they will notice that a brown Ac on the canvas means that they invoked actinium, not acetyl. 

Given that in organic chemistry, there is almost no call to draw compounds containing praseodymium or actinium, I really don't think you need to create confusion by having a shortcut to these atoms. One can always just bring up the periodic table menu.

Hi Bob,

we are planning improvements on abbreviations, and its input via the clipboard, currently in an examination system there is a parameter which can help to disallow the Actinium atom to be placed, among with other atoms, that could cause confusion.

Currently we do not have the schedule on this, but it will be announced and clearly visible after we finished the improvements.

Thank you for your patience in the mean time.

Best regards,
Istvan 

I just noticed a weird behavior in Marvin 2014.8.25.0, maybe present in earlier versions as well. If I type Ac, I bring up an actinium atom. If I type ac, I bring up an acetyl shortcut group. However, if I go to the Insert menu and choose the Ac shortcut group there, then afterwards, whether I type Ac or ac, I always get the acetyl group.  And if I go to the periodic table and choose Ac atom, then afterwards, whether I type Ac or ac, I always get the actinium atom.

Please revert this confusing behavior back to the original behavior. Typing Ac and Pr should always bring up the acetyl and propyl groups; if a user wants an actinium or praseodymium atom, she can go to the periodic table menu.

You are right, it is confusing, I make a task about it in our issue tracking system, however I do not know how hard to solve this, so I cannot promise any deadline.

Best regards,

Efi