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Quick Start

Create Your First Bundle​

# Create a new bundle project
echi init my-tool
cd my-tool

This generates a complete ChimeraX bundle project with the following structure:

my-tool/
├── pyproject.toml      # Bundle metadata and build config
├── src/
│   ├── __init__.py     # Bundle initialization
│   └── cmd.py          # Command implementation
├── scripts/
│   └── smoke.cxc       # Test script
└── README.md

Build and Run​

# Build, install, and launch ChimeraX in one command
echi run

This single command:

  1. Builds the bundle wheel using ChimeraX's bundle builder
  2. Installs it into ChimeraX
  3. Launches ChimeraX with the bundle loaded

Iterate on Your Code​

Use watch mode to automatically rebuild when you save changes:

echi watch --run

Set Up IDE Support​

Create a virtual environment that enables type checking and autocompletion for chimerax imports:

echi venv

This works with type checkers like ty, ruff, and pyright.

Run Tests​

# Install pytest first
echi packages install pytest

# Run your tests
echi test

Next Steps​