The PipesAndPlanks tool shows protein helices as “pipes” (cylinders) and strands as “planks” (rectangular boxes), with connectors for the intervening coil. Adjustable settings include pipe radius, plank width, colors, and whether to include arrowheads to show chain N→C directionality (see image how-to).

Heterotrimeric G protein (Protein Data Bank entry 1gg2) with the alpha subunit shown in green, the beta subunit in light blue, and the gamma subunit in brown. The Intersurf tool was used to show the interface between the alpha and beta subunits. The interface surface is colored to show the distance between atoms across the interface (red for closer together, blue for farther apart). (More samples...)