Agent skill

Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml

by jaechang-hits in jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills

Read, write, and edit ChemDraw CDX/CDXML files with RDKit's rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG.

BSD-3-ClauseAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml

skills CLI
$ npx skills add jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills --skill rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml .claude/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml
GitHub stars
371
Token cost
~6.9k tokens
SKILL.md length
2,056 words
Files
4 (incl. scripts, references)
Skills in repo
169
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
BSD-3-Clause

At a glance

Read, write, and edit ChemDraw CDX/CDXML files with RDKit's rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG.

  • Works in 2 steps: Read-file tool on… → Write-file tool → save it to ./ in the…
  • Reaction schemes
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, Output contract, When to Use and Prerequisites, plus 7 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls python and pip

What it does

Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml is an agent skill from jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills. Read, write, and edit ChemDraw CDX/CDXML files with RDKit's rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG. Parse molecules and reactions from .cdxml/.cdx, write structures with good 2D depiction, and hand-build or modify the parts RDKit cannot write: reaction arrows, plus signs, schemes/steps, and text/labels. Use for reaction schemes, synthesis routes, mechanisms, retrosynthesis, or SI figures. Critical: RDKit writes structures only — round-tripping a reaction through a Mol…

Its SKILL.md is about 6.9k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 5 other files, including scripts and reference files (for example `references/cdxml-schema-reference.md`, `scripts/build_reaction_scheme.py` and `scripts/check_scheme.py`).

It sits in Research & Science, covering Drug discovery and cheminformatics. It works with RDKit. The repository describes itself as: 197 bioinformatics & life science skills for Claude Code and AI agents — BixBench 92.0% accuracy. RNA-seq, single-cell, drug discovery, proteomics, and more. Powers OmicsHorizon. The licence is BSD-3-Clause.

When your agent uses it

  • Reaction schemes
  • Synthesis routes

Example prompts

  • “/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

2 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Read-file tool on /SciAgent-Skills/skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml/scripts/ (the leading slash routes to the…
  2. Write-file tool → save it to ./ in the working directory.

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 82c862c. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 2 files in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • python
    • pip

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • lifescience.opensource.epam.com
    • rdkit.org
    • chemapps.stolaf.edu
    • github.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml loads about 6.9k tokens when it runs, and up to ~9k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 189 tokens; SKILL.md has 2,056 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~189
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~6.9k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~9k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills at commit 82c862c, republished under its BSD-3-Clause licence (© jaechang-hits). 2,056 words, ~6,914 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 3 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml
description
Read, write, and edit ChemDraw CDX/CDXML files with RDKit's rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG. Parse molecules and reactions from .cdxml/.cdx, write structures with good 2D depiction, and hand-build or modify the parts RDKit cannot write: reaction arrows, plus signs, schemes/steps, and text/labels. Use for reaction schemes, synthesis routes, mechanisms, retrosynthesis, or SI figures. Critical: RDKit writes structures only — round-tripping a reaction through a Mol silently drops arrows and text; this skill shows the XML layer that preserves them. For pure molecular analysis (descriptors, fingerprints, SMARTS) use rdkit-cheminformatics; for multi-format 3D conversion use openbabel.
license
BSD-3-Clause

RDKit ChemDraw / CDXML Toolkit

Overview

CDXML is an XML serialization of ChemDraw's object tree (CDX is its binary form). RDKit 2022.09+ exposes an optional Revvity ChemDraw parser at rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw that reads molecules and reactions and writes molecule structures. RDKit cannot write arrows, plus signs, schemes, or text — those are built or edited at the XML level. This skill covers the full read → depict → annotate → write → modify → render loop.

Output contract

A .cdxml is not viewable without ChemDraw, and you cannot run ChemDraw here — so the rendered PNG is the only evidence the file is correct. Therefore:

  • Deliver <name>.cdxml and <name>.png together, matching basenames — never the CDXML alone. build_scheme() and Module 9 write both; the helper raises if the PNG cannot be produced.
  • Validate before delivering with scripts/check_scheme.py (rebuilds each molecule from the drawing, sanitizes, checks mass balance across arrows, and critiques layout). Drive it to zero problems.
  • Report honestly: "opens correctly in ChemDraw" is never something you tested; stereochemistry is not drawn unless you added it. Offer a plain SMILES list of intermediates for schemes with more than three structures.

When to Use

  • Convert SMILES/SDF/Mol into .cdxml files that open cleanly in ChemDraw
  • Extract molecules or reactions (reactants/agents/products) from .cdxml or .cdx
  • Build a reaction scheme: fragments + arrows + + separators + conditions text
  • Modify an existing ChemDraw file (relabel, annotate, reposition) without losing its arrows/text
  • Batch-generate ChemDraw figures for a reaction dataset or SAR table
  • Use rdkit-cheminformatics instead for descriptors/fingerprints/SMARTS with no ChemDraw I/O
  • For multi-format 3D conversion (MOL2, XYZ, PDB), use openbabel; this toolkit is 2D ChemDraw-specific

Prerequisites

  • Python packages: rdkit (2023.03+, built with ChemDraw support), epam.indigo (renders CDXML→PNG); xml.etree.ElementTree (stdlib) handles all XML editing.
  • Inputs: SMILES/Mol for writing; .cdxml (UTF-8 text) or .cdx (binary) for reading.
  • Check before installing. RDKit is usually already present — run python -c "import rdkit" first; inside pixi use pixi run python ....
  • Install epam.indigo into the interpreter that runs your code. A bare pip install can land in a different Python than the kernel (e.g. system /usr/local vs the pixi env that has rdkit), so import indigo still fails even though the install "succeeded" — and no single interpreter then has both rdkit and indigo. In a Jupyter/IPython kernel use %pip install epam.indigo; otherwise python -m pip install epam.indigo (the running interpreter), or add it to the project env (pixi add epam.indigo). For the same reason, do not run the build/render in a fresh subprocess (["python", …] may resolve yet another interpreter) — import the helper and run it in the current process.
bash
python -m pip install epam.indigo   # the running interpreter; or  %pip install epam.indigo  in Jupyter
python -c "from rdkit import Chem; print('ChemDraw write support:', Chem.HasChemDrawCDXSupport())"

Quick Start

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdDepictor

mol = Chem.MolFromSmiles("CC(=O)Oc1ccccc1C(=O)O")   # aspirin
rdDepictor.SetPreferCoordGen(True)
rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(mol)                      # coordinates are REQUIRED before writing
cdxml = rdChemDraw.MolToChemDrawBlock(mol, rdChemDraw.CDXFormat.CDXML)   # -> str
open("aspirin.cdxml", "w", encoding="utf-8").write(cdxml)

Core API

Module 1: Reading molecules

MolsFromChemDrawFile / MolsFromChemDrawBlock handle both .cdx and .cdxml, returning a tuple of Mol (one per fragment).

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw

mols = rdChemDraw.MolsFromChemDrawFile("drawing.cdxml", sanitize=True, removeHs=True)
for m in mols:
    print(Chem.MolToSmiles(m))

block = open("drawing.cdxml", encoding="utf-8").read()
mols = rdChemDraw.MolsFromChemDrawBlock(block, sanitize=True, removeHs=True)
mols_legacy = Chem.MolsFromCDXML(block)   # CDXML-only fallback, no ChemDraw SDK needed
Module 2: Reading reactions (arrows → reactant/product split)

ReactionsFromChemDrawBlock interprets <step>/<arrow> and returns ChemicalReactions with reactants, agents, and products split out. Note the reaction reader defaults sanitize=False.

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdChemReactions

block = open("reaction.cdxml", encoding="utf-8").read()
for rxn in rdChemDraw.ReactionsFromChemDrawBlock(block, sanitize=True):
    print("reactants:", [Chem.MolToSmiles(m) for m in rxn.GetReactants()])
    print("products :", [Chem.MolToSmiles(m) for m in rxn.GetProducts()])

rxns = rdChemReactions.ReactionsFromCDXMLBlock(block, sanitize=True)   # legacy equivalent
Module 3: Writing molecule structures

MolToChemDrawBlock writes one molecule to CDXML (str). CDX (binary) write is broken in rdChemDraw (UnicodeDecodeError); use the legacy writer for CDX bytes.

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdDepictor, rdmolfiles

mol = Chem.MolFromSmiles("c1ccccc1O")
rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(mol)                                          # coords first, always
cdxml = rdChemDraw.MolToChemDrawBlock(mol, rdChemDraw.CDXFormat.CDXML)   # str (preferred)
cdx_bytes = Chem.MolToCDXMLBlock(mol, rdmolfiles.CDXMLFormat.CDX)        # bytes (legacy writer)
Module 4: Good molecular depiction

Layout quality is set before writing. CoordGen gives more natural coordinates; template alignment keeps a shared scaffold oriented consistently across a series. Note: CoordGen still tangles cages and bridged bicyclics — check those in the render.

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdDepictor

rdDepictor.SetPreferCoordGen(True)
mol = Chem.MolFromSmiles("O=C(Nc1ccc(cc1)S(=O)(=O)N)C")
rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(mol)
rdDepictor.StraightenDepiction(mol)
rdDepictor.NormalizeDepiction(mol)      # uniform median bond length
python
# Align a series to a shared scaffold so the core is drawn identically each time
template = Chem.MolFromSmiles("c1ccc(cc1)S(=O)(=O)N")
rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(template)
for m in [Chem.MolFromSmiles(s) for s in ["Cc1ccc(cc1)S(=O)(=O)N", "Clc1ccc(cc1)S(=O)(=O)N"]]:
    rdDepictor.GenerateDepictionMatching2DStructure(m, template)
Module 5: Drawing arrows

A reaction arrow is an <arrow> with Head3D/Tail3D ("x y z", y increases downward). ArrowheadHead/ArrowheadType style the head. Equilibrium/resonance/retrosynthetic arrows use a <graphic> Line with ArrowType.

python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

def make_arrow(arrow_id, tail_xy, head_xy):
    (tx, ty), (hx, hy) = tail_xy, head_xy
    return ET.Element("arrow", {
        "id": str(arrow_id), "FillType": "None", "ArrowheadType": "Solid",
        "ArrowheadHead": "Full", "HeadSize": "2250",
        "BoundingBox": f"{min(tx,hx)} {min(ty,hy)-4} {max(tx,hx)} {max(ty,hy)+4}",
        "Head3D": f"{hx} {hy} 0", "Tail3D": f"{tx} {ty} 0"})

print(ET.tostring(make_arrow(40, (160, 100), (210, 100)), encoding="unicode"))
equil = ET.Element("graphic", {"id": "41", "GraphicType": "Line",
                               "ArrowType": "Equilibrium", "BoundingBox": "160 100 210 100"})
Module 6: Reaction schemes and steps

A <scheme> groups <step> objects that reference page objects by id: ReactionStepReactants, ReactionStepProducts, ReactionStepArrows, ReactionStepPlusses, and objects above/below the arrow.

python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

def make_plus(gid, x, y):
    return ET.Element("graphic", {"id": str(gid), "GraphicType": "Symbol",
                                  "SymbolType": "Plus", "BoundingBox": f"{x} {y-7} {x+15} {y+8}"})

scheme = ET.Element("scheme", {"id": "60"})
ET.SubElement(scheme, "step", {"id": "61", "ReactionStepReactants": "10 20",
    "ReactionStepProducts": "50", "ReactionStepArrows": "40",
    "ReactionStepPlusses": "30", "ReactionStepObjectsAboveArrow": "70"})
print(ET.tostring(scheme, encoding="unicode"))
Module 7: Adding text and labels

Free text is a <t> at p="x y" holding one or more <s> styled-string children. <s> references a font id (<fonttable>) and color index (<colortable>); face is a bitmask (1=bold, 2=italic, 32=subscript, 64=superscript). Split a <t> into multiple <s> runs for subscripts (Br₂, CO₂H). Indigo renders subscript (32) but not superscript (64) — it drops the run's leading text — so keep charges inline (H+, OH-). °C (temperatures) and Δ (heat) render with the Arial font; avoid other non-Latin-1 characters (hν, en-dashes).

python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

def make_text(tid, x, y, runs, font_id=21, size=10):
    """runs: list of (text, face). face 0=normal, 1=bold, 32=subscript, 64=superscript."""
    t = ET.Element("t", {"id": str(tid), "p": f"{x} {y}"})
    for text, face in runs:
        ET.SubElement(t, "s", {"font": str(font_id), "size": str(size),
                               "color": "0", "face": str(face)}).text = text
    return t

print(ET.tostring(make_text(70, 175, 92, [("reflux, 2 h", 0)]), encoding="unicode"))
print(ET.tostring(make_text(80, 158, 135, [("Br", 0), ("2", 32), (" (excess)", 0)]),
                  encoding="unicode"))   # Br<sub>2</sub> (excess)
Module 8: Editing an existing CDXML file

ElementTree round-trips arrows, text, and graphics it does not understand, so you can edit a real ChemDraw file without losing objects — unlike an RDKit Mol round-trip.

python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

tree = ET.parse("reaction.cdxml")          # DOCTYPE is dropped on re-save (harmless)
root = tree.getroot()
for s in root.iter("s"):                   # relabel "Cl" -> "Br"
    if s.text == "Cl":
        s.text = "Br"
cap = ET.SubElement(root.find("page"), "t", {"p": "100 300"})
ET.SubElement(cap, "s", {"font": "21", "size": "12", "color": "0"}).text = "Scheme 1"
tree.write("reaction_edited.cdxml", encoding="unicode", xml_declaration=True)
Module 9: Rendering CDXML to PNG

Render the PNG next to the CDXML (same basename), look at it, then deliver both. Indigo (epam.indigo) loads a CDXML — a scheme with arrows as a reaction, a lone structure as a molecule — and rasterizes arrows, text, and layout faithfully. (RDKit's own Draw.ReactionToImage re-lays-out molecules and drops the ChemDraw arrows/text, so use Indigo to render a file as authored.)

python
from pathlib import Path
from indigo import Indigo
from indigo.renderer import IndigoRenderer

def render_cdxml(cdxml_path, png_path=None, width=1600):
    png_path = png_path or str(Path(cdxml_path).with_suffix(".png"))
    ind = Indigo(); rnd = IndigoRenderer(ind)
    ind.setOption("render-output-format", "png")
    ind.setOption("render-background-color", "1,1,1")
    ind.setOption("render-image-width", width)
    cdxml = open(cdxml_path, encoding="utf-8").read()
    try:
        obj = ind.loadReaction(cdxml)   # scheme with arrows
    except Exception:
        obj = ind.loadMolecule(cdxml)   # single structure
    rnd.renderToFile(obj, png_path)
    return png_path

print("Wrote", render_cdxml("scheme.cdxml"))

Key Concepts

CDXML coordinate system

y increases downward (origin top-left). Atoms: p="x y"; arrows: Head3D/Tail3D="x y z"; graphics/text: BoundingBox="x1 y1 x2 y2". Default bond length ≈ 30.

python
def shift_fragment(frag, dx, dy):      # move a fragment onto the canvas
    for n in frag.iter("n"):
        x, y = map(float, n.get("p").split())
        n.set("p", f"{x+dx} {y+dy}")
    return frag
Object-id reference model

Every object has a unique integer id; reactions and groups reference members by id, not by nesting. When merging fragments from separate RDKit outputs (each starts ids at 1), renumber all ids to stay globally unique, then wire <step> to the new ids.

RDKit vs XML capability boundary
TaskRDKit rdChemDrawDirect XML
Read molecules / reactions✅—
Write molecule structure✅ (CDXML)—
Write arrows / plus / scheme / text❌✅
Preserve objects while editing❌ (drops on Mol round-trip)✅

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: SMILES → single-molecule CDXML
python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdDepictor

def smiles_to_cdxml(smiles, path):
    mol = Chem.MolFromSmiles(smiles)
    if mol is None:
        raise ValueError(f"Invalid SMILES: {smiles}")
    rdDepictor.SetPreferCoordGen(True)
    rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(mol)
    rdDepictor.StraightenDepiction(mol)
    open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8").write(rdChemDraw.MolToChemDrawBlock(mol))
    return path

print("Wrote", smiles_to_cdxml("CC(=O)Oc1ccccc1C(=O)O", "aspirin.cdxml"))
Workflow 2: Hand-assemble a reaction from Modules 5-7

Combine _fragment_of (write a mol, extract <fragment>, renumber ids, shift x) with an arrow, a plus, conditions text, and a <step>. Render with Module 9. For multi-step schemes prefer Workflow 4.

python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdDepictor, rdChemReactions
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

def _fragment_of(smiles, base_id, dx):
    m = Chem.MolFromSmiles(smiles); rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(m)
    frag = ET.fromstring(rdChemDraw.MolToChemDrawBlock(m)).find("page/fragment")
    remap = {}
    for i, el in enumerate([frag, *frag.iter("n"), *frag.iter("b")]):
        remap[el.get("id")] = str(base_id + i); el.set("id", remap[el.get("id")])
    for b in frag.iter("b"):
        b.set("B", remap[b.get("B")]); b.set("E", remap[b.get("E")])
    for n in frag.iter("n"):
        x, y = map(float, n.get("p").split()); n.set("p", f"{x+dx} {y}")
    return frag

root = ET.Element("CDXML", {"BondLength": "30"}); page = ET.SubElement(root, "page")
page.append(_fragment_of("CCO", 100, 0))
ET.SubElement(page, "graphic", {"id": "30", "GraphicType": "Symbol",
                                "SymbolType": "Plus", "BoundingBox": "60 -7 75 8"})
page.append(_fragment_of("CC(=O)O", 200, 120))
ET.SubElement(page, "arrow", {"id": "40", "FillType": "None", "ArrowheadHead": "Full",
    "ArrowheadType": "Solid", "HeadSize": "2250", "Head3D": "320 3 0", "Tail3D": "260 3 0"})
cond = ET.SubElement(page, "t", {"id": "70", "p": "270 -12"})
ET.SubElement(cond, "s", {"font": "21", "size": "9", "color": "0"}).text = "H+, reflux"
page.append(_fragment_of("CCOC(C)=O", 300, 420))
scheme = ET.SubElement(page, "scheme", {"id": "60"})
ET.SubElement(scheme, "step", {"id": "61", "ReactionStepReactants": "100 200",
    "ReactionStepProducts": "300", "ReactionStepArrows": "40", "ReactionStepPlusses": "30"})
ET.SubElement(ET.SubElement(root, "fonttable"), "font",
              {"id": "21", "charset": "x-mac-roman", "name": "Helvetica"})

cdxml = ET.tostring(root, encoding="unicode")
open("esterification.cdxml", "w", encoding="utf-8").write(cdxml)
print("reactions re-parsed:", len(rdChemReactions.ReactionsFromCDXMLBlock(cdxml, sanitize=True)))
Workflow 3: Edit an existing file, preserving arrows and text
python
import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET

tree = ET.parse("input_reaction.cdxml"); root = tree.getroot()
title = ET.SubElement(root.find("page"), "t", {"p": "50 -30"})
ET.SubElement(title, "s", {"font": "21", "size": "14", "color": "0", "face": "1"}).text = "Route A"
for arrow in root.iter("arrow"):
    arrow.set("HeadSize", "3000")
tree.write("output_reaction.cdxml", encoding="unicode", xml_declaration=True)
Workflow 4: Multi-step scheme with the bundled helper (recommended)

scripts/build_reaction_scheme.py turns (smiles, name, conditions) steps into a laid-out scheme and its PNG in one call, handling grid layout, globally unique ids, single arrows, and conditions text placed clear of structures — the defects that recur when schemes are hand-built. Cells auto-size to the largest structure, so big molecules never overlap. Model convergent/multi-component steps by folding co-reactants into conditions (e.g. ["+ (MeO2C)2C=CHOMe", "Base, MeCN"]), keeping one main-chain structure per cell.

Copy the scripts into your working directory with your file tools — not from Python. Inside the execution sandbox the /SciAgent-Skills/... path is reachable only through your read-file tool; it is not on the sandbox filesystem, so a Python open() or import of that path fails with FileNotFoundError/ModuleNotFoundError. For each of build_reaction_scheme.py and check_scheme.py (each is self-contained — rdkit + epam.indigo only — copy just what you need):

  1. Read-file tool on /SciAgent-Skills/skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml/scripts/<name> (the leading slash routes to the skills backend) → returns the script text.
  2. Write-file tool → save it to ./<name> in the working directory.

Then import the local copies. (Importing writes a harmless __pycache__/; set PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 to suppress it.)

python
from build_reaction_scheme import build_scheme    # local copies, already in the workdir
from check_scheme import check_all

steps = [
    {"smiles": "O=C1CCCC1", "name": "cyclopentanone"},
    {"smiles": "O=C1C(Br)C(Br)C(Br)C1Br", "name": "tetrabromoketone",
     "conditions": ["Br2 (excess)", "AcOH, 25 C"]},          # reagents for the arrow into this step
    {"smiles": "O=C1C=CC=C1Br", "name": "2-bromocyclopentadienone",
     "conditions": ["Et2NH", "cold Et2O"]},
    {"smiles": "C12C3C4C1C5C2C3C45", "name": "cubane", "conditions": ["(remaining steps)"]},
]
cdxml, png = build_scheme(steps, "cubane.cdxml", title="Total Synthesis of Cubane", cols=4)
check_all("cubane.cdxml", expect={3: "C12C3C4C1C5C2C3C45"})   # validate before delivering
print(f"Deliverables: {cdxml} + {png}")

Key Parameters

ParameterModule / FunctionDefaultOptionsEffect
formatMolToChemDrawBlockCDXFormat.CDXMLCDXML, CDXUse CDXML (str); for CDX bytes use legacy MolToCDXMLBlock
sanitizeMolsFromChemDrawBlockTrueTrue/FalseFalse to inspect raw/invalid input
sanitizeReactionsFromChemDrawBlockFalseTrue/FalseDefaults False — pass True for clean SMILES
SetPreferCoordGenrdDepictorFalseTrue/FalseTrue gives more natural 2D layouts
ArrowheadHead<arrow> XML—Full, HalfLeft, HalfRight, NoneArrowhead style
ArrowType<graphic> Line—FullHead, Equilibrium, Resonance, RetroSynthetic, NoGoSpecial arrow semantics
BondLength<CDXML> root"" (RDKit)numeric, e.g. 30Canvas scale; set a number so structures/arrows scale together
Show full SKILL.md (856 more words)Show less

Best Practices

  1. Compute 2D coordinates before writing (SetPreferCoordGen(True) then Compute2DCoords); a molecule without coordinates writes as a degenerate layout.
  2. Never round-trip a reaction through a Mol if you need the drawing — reading drops arrows, plus signs, text, and graphics. Edit reaction files on the XML tree (Module 8).
  3. Keep object ids globally unique. Merging RDKit outputs (each starts at 1) collides and breaks <step> references and doubles arrows; renumber into disjoint blocks.
  4. Prefer CDXML (text) over CDX (binary). CDX write via rdChemDraw raises UnicodeDecodeError; only legacy Chem.MolToCDXMLBlock(mol, CDXMLFormat.CDX) returns valid CDX bytes.
  5. Write a complete document header — <CDXML BondLength=...> plus a standard <fonttable>/<colortable> and page dimensions. See references/cdxml-schema-reference.md.
  6. Text: use °C for temperatures and Δ for heat (both render); keep charges inline (H+, OH-) since Indigo has no superscript; avoid other non-Latin-1 characters. Render heteroatoms via <n Element=...>, not free <t> text; don't add decorative flags ("Chiral"/"racemic") — use wedge bonds. Keep labels clear of the arrow line: names under the structure, conditions offset above/beside the arrow. (build_scheme does all of this — 0 C→0 °C, heat→Δ, subscripts, spacing — automatically.)
  7. Deliver the CDXML and PNG together, and run check_scheme.check_all first. The render and the critic catch overlaps, duplicate/degenerate arrows, dropped intermediates, and connectivity errors before the user sees them.

Common Recipes

Recipe: Batch SMILES → CDXML files
python
from rdkit import Chem
from rdkit.Chem import rdChemDraw, rdDepictor
from pathlib import Path

rdDepictor.SetPreferCoordGen(True); Path("out").mkdir(exist_ok=True)
for i, smi in enumerate(["CCO", "c1ccccc1", "CC(=O)O"]):
    m = Chem.MolFromSmiles(smi); rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(m)
    Path(f"out/mol_{i}.cdxml").write_text(rdChemDraw.MolToChemDrawBlock(m), encoding="utf-8")
Recipe: Pretty-print CDXML for inspection
python
import xml.dom.minidom as minidom
print(minidom.parseString(open("esterification.cdxml", encoding="utf-8").read())
      .toprettyxml(indent="  ")[:1500])

Troubleshooting

ProblemCauseSolution
Exception on MolToChemDrawBlockRDKit built without ChemDraw supportCheck Chem.HasChemDrawCDXSupport(); install a build with the Revvity parser
UnicodeDecodeError writing CDXrdChemDraw CDX path is brokenUse legacy Chem.MolToCDXMLBlock(mol, CDXMLFormat.CDX), or write CDXML
Structure written flat/overlappingNo 2D coordinatesCall rdDepictor.Compute2DCoords(mol) before writing
Edited reaction lost arrows/textFile round-tripped through a MolEdit the XML tree (ElementTree); RDKit writes structures only
Reaction won't re-parse<step> references missing ids (collision after merge)Renumber fragment ids globally unique; update ReactionStep*
Structures/arrows mismatched size<CDXML BondLength=""> emptySet a numeric BondLength (e.g. 30) on the root
mols tuple empty on readWrong format, or unsanitizable structureRetry with sanitize=False; confirm the file is genuine CDX/CDXML
Doubled labels ("OO", "BrBr")Free-text <t> on top of Element nodesRemove the free labels; let <n Element=...> render the symbol
Stray line crosses a structureDuplicate or degenerate <arrow>Run check_scheme; unique id + real length (Head3D≠Tail3D) per arrow
Conditions text overlaps a structureText placed on the structure, not over the arrow gapCenter conditions over the arrow midpoint; widen structure spacing
Text renders wrong/blanknon-ASCII, or <s font> id missing from <fonttable>Keep text ASCII; reference an existing font id
No PNG / render errorepam.indigo missing, or loaded as molecule when it has arrowspip install epam.indigo; try loadReaction before loadMolecule
"Chiral"/"racemic" printed above structuresDecorative flag text added as <t>Remove it — stereochemistry is shown by wedge bonds; check_scheme flags it
A name or label sits on an arrowText placed on the arrow lineNames go under the structure, conditions offset above/beside the arrow; check_scheme flags text on an arrow
stoi: no conversion loading in Indigo<CDXML BondLength=""> emptySet a numeric BondLength (e.g. 30) before rendering
ModuleNotFoundError/FileNotFoundError on a helper scriptimported or open()ed the /SciAgent-Skills/... path from PythonThat path is reachable only via the read-file tool, not the sandbox filesystem — copy the script into the workdir first (Workflow 4), then import
import indigo fails after a "successful" pip installpip installed into a different Python than the runtime (system /usr/local vs the pixi/kernel env)Install into the running interpreter (%pip install or python -m pip install), or pixi add epam.indigo; don't shell out to a different python
A charge (H+) renders as a giant +Indigo draws a standalone + as a reaction-plus symbol, and superscript (face 64) mangles ion textKeep charges inline (H+, OH-), face 0 — a true raised superscript is not achievable in the Indigo preview. Subscripts (face 32) and °C/Δ render fine

Bundled Resources

The scripts/ files can be read from the skill path but not imported from there — copy the one you need into your working directory (read_file it, write locally), then import or run it (see Workflow 4 for the exact copy snippet). Each is self-contained and depends only on rdkit (+ epam.indigo).

  • references/cdxml-schema-reference.md — element/attribute cheat-sheet (n, b, arrow, graphic, step/scheme, t/s, fonttable, colortable), coordinate conventions, enum tables, and a copy-paste document header.
  • scripts/build_reaction_scheme.py — assemble a multi-step scheme from (smiles, name, conditions) steps and render the PNG in one call; auto-sizes cells so structures never overlap. Library (build_scheme(...)) or CLI (python build_reaction_scheme.py steps.json out.cdxml out.png "Title").
  • scripts/check_scheme.py — pre-delivery validator/critic. check_all(path, expect=..., perspective_ids=...) rebuilds each molecule from the drawing, sanitizes, prints formulas for a mass-balance check, and flags duplicate ids, fragment overlaps, degenerate arrows, non-ASCII text, decorative flag words ("Chiral"), and labels sitting on an arrow line.
  • rdkit-cheminformatics — descriptors, fingerprints, SMARTS; analysis once molecules are parsed
  • datamol-cheminformatics — higher-level RDKit wrapper for batch standardization before drawing
  • openbabel — multi-format 2D/3D conversion when you need formats beyond ChemDraw

References

© jaechang-hits, BSD-3-Clause. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 3 other files (scripts, references) in skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml of jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/cdxml-schema-reference.md
  • scripts/build_reaction_scheme.py
  • scripts/check_scheme.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 82c862c

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Works with

Questions about Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml

What does Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml do?

Read, write, and edit ChemDraw CDX/CDXML files with RDKit's rdkit.Chem.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG. Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml is an agent skill from jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills.rdChemDraw plus direct XML editing, always paired with a rendered PNG.

When should I use Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml?

Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml fits situations like: reaction schemes; synthesis routes.

How do I install Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills --skill rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml in jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills) into .claude/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml in Codex?

Run `npx skills add jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills --skill rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/structural-biology-drug-discovery/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml in jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills) into .agents/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills --skill rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml, .gemini/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml, .github/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml and .opencode/skills/rdkit-chemdraw-cdxml in your project.

What does Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (python and pip). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml access the network?

SKILL.md names 4 domains. As links in the text: lifescience.opensource.epam.com, rdkit.org, chemapps.stolaf.edu and github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml use?

Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml is published under the BSD-3-Clause licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml use?

About 6.9k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 28k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 2.1k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml: DiffDock Molecular Docking (K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills, 48k stars), Edu Chem Reaction (wy51ai/edulab, 1.4k stars), Biopipelines (locbp-uzh/biopipelines, 109 stars) and RDKit Cheminformatics Practices (aiming-lab/AutoResearchClaw, 15k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Rdkit Chemdraw Cdxml?

jaechang-hits (a GitHub user) maintains it in jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills, which has 371 GitHub stars. The repository holds 169 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 29, 2026.

Source: jaechang-hits/SciAgent-Skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.