Wiki/How to make a good wiki page - Revision history

Xenorio: add structure and more granular install instructions

2026-05-25T16:51:43Z

add structure and more granular install instructions

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:51, 25 May 2026
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			== Introduction ==
	Since documenting all of these novel substances with barely any information to go by can be a fairly challenging task, I will document my methods for creating wiki pages in here now.		Since documenting all of these novel substances with barely any information to go by can be a fairly challenging task, I will document my methods for creating wiki pages in here now.

	Since the data on these substances is often heavily limited, the most important thing to go by is its chemical structure. In theory, every vector graphics editor like for instance the open-source program Inkscape or the popular closed-source alternative Adobe Illustrator would work to create vector images of chemical structures. Since this can become very tiresome very quickly, I however recommend the open source application '''MolSketch''' to create the basic organic structure of these compounds.		Since the data on these substances is often heavily limited, the most important thing to go by is its chemical structure. In theory, every vector graphics editor like for instance the open-source program Inkscape or the popular closed-source alternative Adobe Illustrator would work to create vector images of chemical structures. Since this can become very tiresome very quickly, I however recommend the open source application '''MolSketch''' to create the basic organic structure of these compounds.

	~~If you are on Linux, the easiest way to install~~ MolSketch ~~is by using Flatpak.~~		== Installing MolSketch ==
	~~[[File:MolSketch flatpak screenshot.png\|thumb\|1098x1098px]]~~

			=== Linux ===
			The easiest way to install MolSketch on Linux is by using Flatpak.

			<code>flatpak install net.sourceforge.molsketch</code>

			You can also install it via:

	~~If you are using macOS or Windows, you will have to grab the binary from SourceFourge.~~		Arch (AUR): <code>yay -S molsketch</code>

	~~https~~:/~~/github.com/hvennekate/Molsketch~~		Fedora: <code>dnf install molsketch</code>

	https://sourceforge.net/projects/molsketch/files/~~latest~~/~~download~~		=== Windows ===
			Download the installer from [https://sourceforge.net/projects/molsketch/files/Windows/ SourceForge], run it, follow the given instructions

			=== MacOS ===
			There is no precompiled binary available for mac. You can try building it from [https://github.com/hvennekate/Molsketch source], which is way beyond the scope of this article.

			== Using MolSketch ==
	The UI might be a bit confusing at first, but don't worry, it's no steeper of a learning curve than Microsoft Paint.		The UI might be a bit confusing at first, but don't worry, it's no steeper of a learning curve than Microsoft Paint.

Skali at 15:59, 25 May 2026

2026-05-25T15:59:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:59, 25 May 2026
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	Please make sure that all SINGLE LETTER atoms like Carbon, Oxygen or Nitrogen measure 3,00mm in width and 3,80mm in height. For DOUBLE LETTER atoms like Chlorine, Bromine or Iron, please make sure they measure 3,800mm in both width and height.		Please make sure that all SINGLE LETTER atoms like Carbon, Oxygen or Nitrogen measure 3,00mm in width and 3,80mm in height. For DOUBLE LETTER atoms like Chlorine, Bromine or Iron, please make sure they measure 3,800mm in both width and height.

	There is one last step before our beautiful little ~~atom~~ friend is ready to be released onto the world. If you'd like, you can color in the atoms as to help distinguish them from the carbon structure.		There is one last step before our beautiful little molecule friend is ready to be released onto the world. If you'd like, you can color in the atoms as to help distinguish them from the carbon structure.

	The colors widely accepted by chemists go as such:		The colors widely accepted by chemists go as such:

Skali: Bad wording fixed

2026-05-25T15:56:39Z

Bad wording fixed

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:56, 25 May 2026
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	The UI might be a bit confusing at first, but don't worry, it's no steeper of a learning curve than Microsoft Paint.		The UI might be a bit confusing at first, but don't worry, it's no steeper of a learning curve than Microsoft Paint.

	Since a lot of research chemicals are based on already known drugs and pharmaceuticals, ~~and~~ you have successfully identified the core of the substance, you can save yourself a lot of time by searching for the ground molecule in the "Wikidata search" tab which is found in the toolbar to your left.		Since a lot of research chemicals are based on already known drugs and pharmaceuticals, assuming you have successfully identified the core of the substance, you can save yourself a lot of time by searching for the ground molecule in the "Wikidata search" tab which is found in the toolbar to your left.
	[[File:Screenshot showing the Wikidata function of MolSketch.png\|thumb\|393x393px]]		[[File:Screenshot showing the Wikidata function of MolSketch.png\|thumb\|393x393px]]
	In order to identify which class of drug you have, it's recommended to familiarize yourself with the most common substance classes. Beware that not every pharmacologically active substance needs to be a derivative of another compound, fully synthetic compounds like the JWH series of cannabinoids, fentanyl or Z-drugs like Zolpidem do not resemble their sister compounds in their chemical structure, but still bind to the same receptors.		In order to identify which class of drug you have, it's recommended to familiarize yourself with the most common substance classes. Beware that not every pharmacologically active substance needs to be a derivative of another compound, fully synthetic compounds like the JWH series of cannabinoids, fentanyl or Z-drugs like Zolpidem do not resemble their sister compounds in their chemical structure, but still bind to the same receptors.

Skali: Added colors, finished page for now

2026-05-25T15:55:54Z

Added colors, finished page for now

@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 In case you have come across a very strange compound, the full list of colors to be used can be found at Wikipedia.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPK_coloring
 The last step before exporting the SVG in Inkscape is resizing the document to only contain the molecule and no unnecessary blank spaces.

Skali at 15:52, 25 May 2026

2026-05-25T15:52:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:52, 25 May 2026
Line 47:		Line 47:
	The colors widely accepted by chemists go as such:		The colors widely accepted by chemists go as such:

	Nitrogen		<span style="color:red">Oxygen</span>

			<span style="color:blue">Nitrogen</span>

			<span style="color:green">Chlorine and Fluorine</span>

			<span style="color:darkred">Bromine</span>

			<span style="color:orange">Phosphorus</span>

			<span style="color:yellow">Sulfur</span>

			<span style="color:darkviolet">Iodine</span>

			In case you have come across a very strange compound, the full list of colors to be used can be found at Wikipedia.
			https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPK_coloring

			The last step before exporting the SVG in Inkscape is resizing the document to only contain the molecule and no unnecessary blank spaces.

Skali: First pull, quick save to avoid progress loss

2026-05-25T15:45:48Z

First pull, quick save to avoid progress loss

New page

Since documenting all of these novel substances with barely any information to go by can be a fairly challenging task, I will document my methods for creating wiki pages in here now.

Since the data on these substances is often heavily limited, the most important thing to go by is its chemical structure. In theory, every vector graphics editor like for instance the open-source program Inkscape or the popular closed-source alternative Adobe Illustrator would work to create vector images of chemical structures. Since this can become very tiresome very quickly, I however recommend the open source application '''MolSketch''' to create the basic organic structure of these compounds.

If you are on Linux, the easiest way to install MolSketch is by using Flatpak.
[[File:MolSketch flatpak screenshot.png|thumb|1098x1098px]]

If you are using macOS or Windows, you will have to grab the binary from SourceFourge.

https://github.com/hvennekate/Molsketch

https://sourceforge.net/projects/molsketch/files/latest/download

The UI might be a bit confusing at first, but don't worry, it's no steeper of a learning curve than Microsoft Paint.

Since a lot of research chemicals are based on already known drugs and pharmaceuticals, and you have successfully identified the core of the substance, you can save yourself a lot of time by searching for the ground molecule in the "Wikidata search" tab which is found in the toolbar to your left.
[[File:Screenshot showing the Wikidata function of MolSketch.png|thumb|393x393px]]
In order to identify which class of drug you have, it's recommended to familiarize yourself with the most common substance classes. Beware that not every pharmacologically active substance needs to be a derivative of another compound, fully synthetic compounds like the JWH series of cannabinoids, fentanyl or Z-drugs like Zolpidem do not resemble their sister compounds in their chemical structure, but still bind to the same receptors.

Wikipedia can be a good starting point if you need a quick reference on how a molecule looks, but as always, cross-check your information with other sources to verify that what you have on hand is actually what the source is claiming to be. Do not link to research chemical vendors as they are legally in a very ill defined grey area and could cause the Wiki some trouble.

[[File:Methane as symbolized in MolSketch.png|left|thumb|109x109px]]
If the compound doesn't resemble any other molecular structure, it's best to start off with a simple carbon atom. In order to place your first atom, use the toolbar on the top.

Let's get familiar with the most basic tools. The "Bar with a C at the top" is your atom and bond tool. Once you click it, a window will pop up asking you for the type of bond you want to add, and which atom you want to add to your structure. If you want to add a cyclic compound such as a phenyl group, you needn't draw them by hand. Simply click the triangle next to the atom and bond tool. In its drop down menu you can see all the different cyclic compounds available.
[[File:Molsketch explanation.webp|center|thumb|1040x1040px]]
[[File:MolSketch suggesting where to place the next atom.png|left|thumb|148x148px]]
Start drawing your molecule. Since MolSketch WILL let you freeform your molecules, I heavily recommended using its suggested placements. Once you click your first carbon atom and drag away from you, MolSketch will show you a bunch of possible neighboring atoms.

MolSketch will take care of the hydrogens and charges automatically, so you needn't worry about that for now. If you screwed up and would like to revert a change, you can either use the Ctrl + Z shortcut to revert to a state before your latest edit, or you can de-select the "atom and bonds" tool and simply click the offending atom, drag it around, or delete it using the Delete key.

Once your beautiful new molecule is all done and you saved the project to your hard disk using either the save button in the toolbar or Ctrl + S, it is time to turn it into a vector image that the MediaWiki software can understand.
[[File:File picker dialogue offering you to save as SVG.png|left|thumb]]
Using Ctrl + E you can export the file to an image. In the save file dialogue, you can choose between many different formats. Please always use "Scalable Vector Graphics" or "SVG" for short. This may look different depending on your operating system. The example here is shown under Linux running KDE Plasma.
[[File:Corrupted SVG produced by MolSketch.png|thumb]]
Great! Now you have created a SVG image of the molecule. However, some versions of MolSketch might produce ''slightly corrupted'' SVG images, which is why slight editing in another software suite, such as the free and open source Inkscape might be necessary.

As you can see, even thought the molecule itself was rendered correctly in MolSketch, the letters representing the individual non-carbon atoms are a bit off. This can easily be fixed however by resizing the letters and moving them into the center, similar to what the preview had produced.
[[File:InkScape dimensions for single letter atoms.png|thumb|For single letter atoms only[[File:InkScape settings for multi letter atoms.png|thumb|For atoms that have two letters (like chlorine)]]]]
Please make sure that all SINGLE LETTER atoms like Carbon, Oxygen or Nitrogen measure 3,00mm in width and 3,80mm in height. For DOUBLE LETTER atoms like Chlorine, Bromine or Iron, please make sure they measure 3,800mm in both width and height.

There is one last step before our beautiful little atom friend is ready to be released onto the world. If you'd like, you can color in the atoms as to help distinguish them from the carbon structure.

The colors widely accepted by chemists go as such:

Nitrogen