The background of the Chimera graphics window can be set to a single solid color, a vertical gradient of multiple colors, or an image read from a file. These and related parameters can be controlled with the command background or in the Background section of the preferences.

Gradients may contain any number of colors, and can be shown as discrete bands or interpolated in the RBG or HLS color space; they can be created, previewed, and named using the Palette Editor. Background images can be cropped, stretched, centered, or tiled. Image formats include PNG, TIFF, and JPEG.

Thermosomes are hollow balls inside which proteins are folded. They are found in the cytosol of eukaryotes and in archaea. Eukaryotic thermosomes have 8 different protein subunits, while archaeal ones are composed of one, two or three different proteins. The one shown from Thermoplasma acidophilum has two distinct proteins colored blue and yellow, each present in 8 copies. The two proteins have 60% sequence identity and are very similar in structure. One monomer is shown as a ribbon. Actin and tubulin are folded by eukaryotic thermosomes.

Protein Data Bank model 1a6d.