# May 2026 Development Updates

**URL:** <https://discuss.avogadro.cc/t/may-2026-development-updates/7449>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [May 22, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/t/may-2026-development-updates/7449 "2026-05-22T14:53:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ghutchis](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/user_avatar/discuss.avogadro.cc/ghutchis/32/456_2.png) [@ghutchis](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/u/ghutchis)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/t/may-2026-development-updates/7449/1 "2026-05-22T14:53:41Z")

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Well May is almost gone(!!) which goes to show how busy it’s been for me.

I’m still intending on releasing a 2.1 version on 02-June (6/02 here in the US) which will include significant performance improvements (~20-25x faster orbitals and density rendering & 6-10x faster geometry optimizations) and some work on conformer / trajectory properties.

## ✨ Features

- [Extend PlotConformer scan coordinate support by jcerezochem · Pull Request #2840 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2840)
- [Enable "D" stereo by inverting all dihedral angles for side-chains by ghutchis · Pull Request #2837 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2837)
- [Add an initial polymer builder by ghutchis · Pull Request #2789 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2789)

## 🪲 Bug Fixes:

- [Fix auto opt dynamics - optimize & rescale velocities by ghutchis · Pull Request #2859 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2859)
- [Keep labels aligned with their anchors in screen space by trainer312 · Pull Request #2856 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2856)
- [Fix issue with inserting SMILES with whitepace - just trim first by ghutchis · Pull Request #2853 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2853)
- [Fix skipped frames in player tool playback by sohocine · Pull Request #2846 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2846)
- [Fix an issue with extra H atoms on proline residues by ghutchis · Pull Request #2830 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2830)

## 🚀 Performance Improvements:

- [Update L-BFGS and Implement FIRE optimizer by ghutchis · Pull Request #2855 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2855)
- [Add optimizer state, including E & grad, plus hybrid mode by ghutchis · Pull Request #2857 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2857)

## 🧰 Build Updates:

- I’ve been updating Open Babel for a v3.2 release next week. This has a bunch of improvements for Avogadro as well, including much better (and faster) 3D coordinate generation and full CJSON support.
- [chore(GaussianFchk): improve messages when no MO coefficients are found by e-kwsm · Pull Request #2832 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2832)
- [Make sure to zero the density and spin matrix and ensure symmetry by ghutchis · Pull Request #2831 · OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs · GitHub](https://github.com/OpenChemistry/avogadrolibs/pull/2831)

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**Author:** ![ghutchis](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/user_avatar/discuss.avogadro.cc/ghutchis/32/456_2.png) [@ghutchis](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/u/ghutchis)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://discuss.avogadro.cc/t/may-2026-development-updates/7449/2 "2026-05-22T14:53:54Z")

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