Apparatus library
Short answer: Click Apparatus in the top bar to open the apparatus library on the left. Click a piece to add it, or drag it onto the canvas. Joints snap together, and the panel stays open so you can build a whole setup.
The apparatus library is a docked panel of lab glassware and equipment. It stays open while you add pieces. Stack a flask, a condenser and a drying tube one after another.
- Click Apparatus in the top bar. The button has a flask icon and sits next to the zoom buttons.
- Pick a style: Line, Premium or Illustrated.
- Pick a category, or type in Search apparatus.
- Click a card to add the piece. Or drag the card onto the canvas.
- Keep the new piece selected and click the next card. It joins onto the selected piece when a joint fits.
- Click the close button in the panel header when you are done.
You can also open the library from the Glassware tool. Open the Draw ribbon, open the Glassware menu, and click Open library.
Styles#
| Style | What you get |
|---|---|
| Line | Clean line drawings with joints that snap. |
| Premium | Shaded glass with the same pieces and joints. |
| Illustrated | Detailed pictures with their own categories. They load from the internet and are placed as images. |
MolDraw remembers the style you pick. Line and Premium also set the default look for new glassware.
Categories#
The Line and Premium styles hold over 120 pieces in these categories:
- Flasks & vessels
- Funnels & filtration
- Condensers & columns
- Distillation & rotovap
- Adapters & closures
- Vacuum, gas & tubing
- Heating & cooling
- Stands, clamps & tools
- Measuring & analysis
Click All to see every piece.
The search box also finds other common names for a piece. Try a short word like flask or funnel.
How pieces connect#
- Click a card with a glassware piece selected. The hint under the search box reads "Adds onto the selected" and the piece name. The new piece fits onto a free joint.
- Click a card with nothing selected. The piece lands in the middle of the view and joins any free joint within reach.
- Drag a card onto the canvas. Joints snap together when you drop it.
- The new piece is selected after you add it, so the next card stacks onto it.
Hover a card for a large preview. The card lists the piece's connection points under Joints, Hose barbs and Fits on. Use it to check which pieces fit together.
Tubing#
Click Tubing in the panel to pick the tubing tool. Then drag from one hose barb to another to draw a water line or vacuum hose. The tube ends follow the glassware when you move it. Drawing and shaping tubes is covered in Draw lab apparatus.
Start from a full setup#
For a labelled setup in one click, open Templates and pick Reaction setups. You get reflux, distillation, Dean-Stark, Soxhlet, filtration and more, built from the same pieces.
Tips#
- Only one left panel is open at a time. Opening the apparatus library closes Templates and the Objects panel.
- Press Esc in the search box to clear it. Press it again to close the panel.
- Liquid levels, colors, tilting and the look of each piece are set after you place it. See Draw lab apparatus and the apparatus library guide.
- On a phone, the top bar has no Apparatus button. Use the Glassware tool and pick pieces from its menu.
Common problems#
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| A new piece does not join the selected one | No free joint on the selected piece fits it. Hover the card to see its joints, or drag it into place. |
| "Could not load illustrations" | The Illustrated style needs the internet. Click Retry, or switch to Line. |
| No matches | Try a shorter word, or click All to clear the category. |
Questions and answers
How do I draw a reflux setup in MolDraw?
Open the apparatus library, add a round-bottom flask, then click the condenser card while the flask is selected. It snaps on. Or add the Heating under reflux template from Templates, Reaction setups.
Can I change the glassware style?
Yes. Pick Line, Premium or Illustrated at the top of the apparatus library. MolDraw remembers your choice.
Why does the apparatus panel stay open?
It is built for adding several pieces in a row. Each new piece is selected, so the next one stacks onto it. Close it with the button in its header.
How do I connect a condenser to a water hose?
Click Tubing in the apparatus panel, then drag from one hose barb to another.
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