Command Line#

The moldenViz CLI offers a fast way to inspect Molden files and explore bundled examples. Run moldenViz -h for a full option list; the tables and recipes below summarise each capability.

Primary Options#

Flag / Argument	Description	Default
`FILE`	Positional argument; path to a Molden file to visualise.	`None` (required unless `--example` is used)
`-e`, `--example`	Load a bundled example molecule (`co`, `o2`, `co2`, `h2o`, `benzene`, `prismane`, `pyridine`, `furan`, `acrolein`).	None
`-m`, `--only-molecule`	Skip orbital surfaces and render only the nuclear framework.	`False`
`-V`, `--version`	Print the installed `moldenViz` version and exit without launching the viewer.	—
`-v`, `--verbose`	Increase logging to show informative progress messages while loading and rendering data.	`False`
`-d`, `--debug`	Emit detailed debug logs for troubleshooting parsing or rendering issues.	`False`
`-q`, `--quiet`	Suppress non-error log messages for minimal console output.	`False`
`-h`, `--help`	Display inline help and exit.	—

Basic Rendering#

Render molecular orbitals from a Molden file:

moldenViz path/to/file.molden

Show only the molecular structure (skip orbital surfaces):

moldenViz path/to/file.molden -m

Bundled Examples#

Use one of the shipped example molecules when you just want to explore the plotting experience:

moldenViz -e co

Tips#

Combine -e with -m to explore only the geometry of an example.
Use configuration overrides (see details) to change colors, bond lengths, or orbital contours before launching the CLI.
Check your installed version quickly without rendering a window:
```
moldenViz --version
```
Turn on additional logging when diagnosing issues (FILE can be any Molden path):
```
moldenViz -v FILE
```
Silence informational output if you only care about errors during batch runs:
```
moldenViz -q FILE
```

Common recipes#

Use the following patterns as building blocks:

# Only plot the molecule inside my.molden
moldenViz my.molden -m

# Plot only the molecule of one of the examples
moldenViz -e co -m

# Inspect the installed version
moldenViz --version

# Launch with verbose logging to follow parsing progress
moldenViz -v my.molden

For additional Python-based export options, see Exporting Volumetric Data (v1.1+) in the Python API guide.