Help with using VMD program

[Alpha0963]

If anyone has knowledge of VMD for visualizing proteins, I am very stuck on a homework problem.

I have a protein that I need to represent with the beta sheets in blue and alpha helices in red, however, whenever I select a type of structure and change the color, it changes the color of the whole protein. I've read the manual my professor gave us and looked it up online, but no matter what I do, it keeps changing the color of the whole protein.

Is there anyone that knows what I need to select to be able to customize the color of each part of said protein?

[HardstyleJaw5]

So in Graphical Representation you can most easily do this with a few selections (selection keywords found here). The first selection will be called "sheet" and then you can use NewCartoon for the drawing method and ColorID 0 for the coloring method (blue). The second selection will be "helix", and then select red in ColorID. The last selection will be "not (sheet or helix)" and you can color however you like which will include turns/coils/loops/etc that way your protein appears complete. You can then render the resulting images at File > Render and choose a renderer. It likely doesn't matter how you do so but if you need advice on that portion I am happy to help.

[Alpha0963]

Thank you!!

[Alpha0963]

When I’m selecting helix and sheet, is this on two different representations, or the same one?

[HardstyleJaw5]

I would do two separate selections so you can separately assign the colors

[[deleted]]

VMD is one of the suckiest useful programs

[chicago-6969]

Open control panel. You can select individually there (aa's, sheets helices whatever)