Athanor by arbastro
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How to align and space structures evenly

Select at least two things (three to space them) and use Object › Align and space, or the Ctrl+Shift+Alt shortcuts: L, C and R align left edges, vertical centers and right edges; T, M and B align tops, horizontal centers and bottoms; H and V space evenly across and down.

On a Mac, Ctrl is Cmd.

Steps

  1. Select the structures or objects, for example with Ctrl+A. Align needs at least two; spacing needs at least three.

    Four structures side by side, their tops at different heights.Four structures side by side, their tops at different heights.

  2. Choose Object › Align and space in the Main menu and pick a command, or press its shortcut.

    The Align and space submenu with each command and its shortcut.The Align and space submenu with each command and its shortcut.

  3. Everything moves at once. Ctrl+Z puts it back.

    The same four structures after Align tops and Space evenly across: their tops in line and equal gaps between them.The same four structures after Align tops and Space evenly across: their tops in line and equal gaps between them.

The commands

Command Shortcut
Align left edges Ctrl+Shift+Alt+L
Align centers vertically Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C
Align right edges Ctrl+Shift+Alt+R
Align tops Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T
Align centers horizontally Ctrl+Shift+Alt+M
Align bottoms Ctrl+Shift+Alt+B
Space evenly across Ctrl+Shift+Alt+H
Space evenly down Ctrl+Shift+Alt+V

The same commands are in the bar of actions above a selection.

Selection and arrangingHow to select atoms, structures and objectsPress V. Click takes a whole structure, Marquee (M) takes only the atoms inside the box you drag, and Lasso (L) takes whatever you draw around. Select all is Ctrl+A, and Shift+click adds to the selection.Drawing basicsHow to zoom and move around the canvasZoom in is Ctrl+=, Zoom out Ctrl+-, Zoom to fit Shift+1, Zoom to selection Shift+2 and Zoom to 100% Ctrl+0. Hold Space and drag to move around. Big drawings get a Minimap in the corner.

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Last updated Nov 12, 2026