SMILES to SVG Molecule Plugin

Name: Chemistry / Molecules for SVGSketch
Author: SVGSketch

Quick answer

The Chemistry / Molecules plugin converts SMILES, InChI, and MOL file notation into 2D skeletal structures made of editable SVG shapes. It previews the molecule as you type, shows the molecular formula and weight, recognizes hundreds of common molecules by name, and keeps placed structures re-editable as notation.

Steps at a glance

Enter a notation

Type or paste SMILES, InChI, or MOL file text in the Chemistry plugin.

Check the preview

The structure, formula, and molecular weight update automatically as you type.

Place the molecule

Click and drag on the canvas to place the structure at the size you want.

Refine or re-edit

Restyle the shapes directly, or select the molecule to edit its notation.

From notation to editable structure

Paste a SMILES string, a standard InChI, or a MOL file and the plugin computes a 2D depiction with proper double bonds, aromatic rings, and stereo wedges, rendered as ordinary SVG lines, polygons, and text labels you can restyle like any other shape.

The depiction engine is OpenChemLib, and InChI support is the official IUPAC InChI library, so identifiers copied from PubChem, Wikipedia, or a paper reproduce the expected structure - including stereochemistry on both tetrahedral centers and double bonds.

Identity readouts and captions

Every conversion reports the Hill-order molecular formula, molecular weight, canonical SMILES, InChI, and InChIKey. A curated dictionary of several hundred PubChem-verified molecules names what you pasted - aspirin typed as any equivalent SMILES is still recognized as aspirin.

An optional caption places the name and formula under the structure, with real subscript typography that stays editable as rich text.

Stays editable after placement

Placed molecules remember their notation. Select one and the plugin panel lets you change the SMILES or options and regenerate the structure in place, with a single undo step restoring the previous version.

Included workflows

SMILES input

Type or paste SMILES with a live structure preview as you edit.

InChI and MOL files

Convert standard InChI identifiers and MOL files into structures.

Common-molecule library

Insert caffeine, glucose, aspirin, and other presets by name.

Re-editable molecules

Placed structures keep their notation for in-place regeneration.

FAQ

Can SVGSketch draw molecules from SMILES?

Yes. The Chemistry / Molecules plugin parses SMILES with OpenChemLib and renders the 2D skeletal structure as editable SVG shapes.

Does it support InChI?

Yes. The official IUPAC InChI library runs in the editor, so standard InChI strings convert to structures with stereochemistry preserved, and every conversion also reports the InChI and InChIKey of the drawn molecule.

Does it name molecules?

Recognized molecules are named from a curated, PubChem-verified dictionary of several hundred common compounds keyed by InChIKey. Systematic IUPAC names for arbitrary structures are not generated.

Is the drawn structure editable?

Yes. Bonds, wedges, and atom labels are ordinary SVG shapes, and the molecule as a whole remembers its notation so it can be regenerated in place from edited SMILES.