The Bond Buttons

These buttons set JChemPaint into modes for drawing various types of bonds.


Puts JChemPaint in the single bond mode, which is the standard mode for building up chemical structures. If selected you can click on a point on the document and you'll create a single bond at this point. If you alreday have atoms in your drawing, there are several ways to draw bonds in this mode:

Multiple clicking on an existing bond will cycle its bond order between the values 1, 2, 3 and 4.


Puts JChemPaint in the double bond mode. It behaves like the single bond mode, just that bonds created are double bonds. Clicking on an existing bond will set its order to double.


Puts JChemPaint in the double bond mode. It behaves like the single bond mode, just that bonds created are double bonds. Clicking on an existing bond will set its order to double.


Puts JChemPaint in the chain draw mode. When you drag the mouse in this mode, a chain of single bonds is drawn. Its length depends on the distance you cover. The number of atoms is counted next to the mouse pointer. If you start on an atom, this atom will be the first atom of the chain. When the last atom in the chain is on an atom when letting the button go, this atom becomes the last atom of the chain.


This mode enables you to either draw filled wedge bonds the same way as single bonds or change an existing bond into a filled wedge - the standard symbol to indicate that the atom at the thick end is above the 2D plane. Furthermore, multiple clicking on an existing bond will change it to a filled wedge and if it already has this shape it will toggle between the two possible orientations.


This mode enables you to either draw dashed wedge bonds the same way as single bonds or change an existing bond into a dashed wedge - the standard symbol indicating that the atom at the thin end is below the 2D plane. While selected, a click on an existing bond will change it to a dashed wedge and if it already has this shape it will toggle between the two possible orientations.


This mode enables you to either draw zigzag wedge bonds the same way as single bonds or change an existing bond into a zigzag wedge - this is sometimes used to indicating that the atom at the thick end is above or below the 2D plane. Note the latest IUPAC recommendation discourages using this, but recommends using the wiggly bond instead. While selected, a click on an existing bond will change it to a zigzag wedge and if it already has this shape it will toggle between the two possible orientations.


This mode enables you to either draw wiggly bonds the same way as single bonds or change an existing bond into a wiggly bond - this can indicate either up or down or undefined E/Z configuration. Note the latest IUPAC recommendation encourages using this for all undefined cases. While selected, a click on an existing bond will change it to a wiggly wedge.


In this mode you can define molecules to become members of a reaction. See the Reaction Tutorial for details.