Bug 17489 – REGRESSION: Chemdraw Plugin does not load.

• Component: Plug-ins
• Status: RESOLVED FIXED

[Chris Swain]

From the Cambridgesoft website

MacOS X 10.5 Leopard

"We have done some cursory testing and we are aware that our 11.0 ChemDraw Plugin does not work in Safari 3.0."

The plugin did work perfectly with previous versions of Safari, and worked with embedded webviews in a number of projects (iBabel http://homepage.mac.com/swain/Macinchem/page6/page6.html) however these all now fail to function. Chemdraw is a key plugin for chemists and the loss of this functionality is a major regression.

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

How can one get access to this plugin? I could only find a reference to "ChemDraw ActiveX/Plugin Pro 11.0", which sounds like something that is Windows-only.

[Chris Swain]

The plugin is part of the ChemBioOffice package and a trial version is available here
http://scistore.cambridgesoft.com/software/category.cfm?group=free

Depending on the platform you either get a plugin or activeX control.

More details here

http://www.cambridgesoft.com/services/DesktopSupport/Documentation/ChemDrawPlugin/

and an example of its use

http://www.cambridgesoft.com/services/DesktopSupport/Documentation/ChemDrawPlugin/UserDocs/StreamTest.aspx

(In reply to comment #1)
> How can one get access to this plugin? I could only find a reference to
> "ChemDraw ActiveX/Plugin Pro 11.0", which sounds like something that is
> Windows-only.
> 

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

This page only lists a Windows download for ChemBioOffice. Could it be one of ChemDraw/BioDraw/ChemBioDraw offerings instead?

[Chris Swain]

Sorry they keep changing the names
ChemBioDraw Ultra 11.0 Trial Version Download Edition contains the plugin

(In reply to comment #3)
> This page only lists a Windows download for ChemBioOffice. Could it be one of
> ChemDraw/BioDraw/ChemBioDraw offerings instead?
> 

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

I have downloaded and installed ChemBioDraw Ultra 11.0 Trial. Its installation log shows that all the items were installed to /Applications/CS ChemOffice 2008 - so, there is no plugin in /Library/Internet Plug-ins or elsewhere.

I have tried launching CS ChemBioDraw Ultra, but it asks to locate an "items folder" which I don't seem to have, and refuses to work without it.

[Chris Swain]

Within the folder

/Applications/CS ChemOffice 2008/CS ChemDraw/

You should find

Read Me-CS ChemDraw® Plugin.htm
A folder called HTML which has all the web stuff and the details of how to call the plugin

and a folder ChemDraw items which has all the document styles.

(In reply to comment #5)
> I have downloaded and installed ChemBioDraw Ultra 11.0 Trial. Its installation
> log shows that all the items were installed to /Applications/CS ChemOffice 2008
> - so, there is no plugin in /Library/Internet Plug-ins or elsewhere.
> 
> I have tried launching CS ChemBioDraw Ultra, but it asks to locate an "items
> folder" which I don't seem to have, and refuses to work without it.
> 

[Alexey Proskuryakov]

I see it now! At first, I have used Custom Install with all options selected - and I only got a partial installation. With Easy Install, I do see the plug-in installed.

However, it seems to work perfectly well for me (other than complaining about a soon-to-expire key twice per browser session).

I've tried both Safari 3.0.4 and a recent nightly. I'm running Mac OS X 10.5.2.

[Chris Swain]

After complaining to Cambridgesoft for months and nothing happens, I put the bug on this list (and tell them) and within a few days they have a fix! Your influence is impressive.
(In reply to comment #7)
> I see it now! At first, I have used Custom Install with all options selected -
> and I only got a partial installation. With Easy Install, I do see the plug-in
> installed.
> 
> However, it seems to work perfectly well for me (other than complaining about a
> soon-to-expire key twice per browser session).
> 
> I've tried both Safari 3.0.4 and a recent nightly. I'm running Mac OS X 10.5.2.
>