Automatic session saving

Many aspects of application state are automatically save to a preferences file when changed. This file is created on demand in the same directory as the Molchanica executable, and is called molchanica_prefs.mca. This includes, for example, UI settings, and which molecules were opened. This file is in a binary format, and is typically a few tens or hundreds of kilobytes in size.

For an example of how this works, let's say you open the application for the first time. You change teh View/Select level to Residue, and open a protein and small molecule. If you close the application and re-open it, these molecules will automatically re-open, and the View/Select level will be as you last set it. Here is a sample of state saved:

• Open molecules
• A list of recently-opened files (molecules, electron density, MD trajectories, force field parameters)
• Camera scenes
• View and filter settings
• MD parameters. (Integrator, number of steps, dt, temperature, pressure, etc)
• Graphics and input settings

Compatibility with future Molchanica versions

The .mca file which stores state may be incompatible with future versions of the application. If this occurs, the application will launch with its default settings, and no opened molecules.