When working on molecular modeling, smoothly visualizing trajectories or switching between conformations quickly can sometimes be a daunting task. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to seamlessly navigate between different frames or paths for better analysis, SAMSON’s “Play path” animation tool might just be the feature you need.
Why is “Play path” useful?
The Play path animation is designed to create smooth presentations of molecular trajectories or transitions between configurations. Simply put, it allows you to visualize paths efficiently without the need for manual interventions, creating clear, synchronized animations of one or multiple paths.
Whether you’re viewing a molecule’s dynamic movement across a simulation or comparing conformations within different keyframes, “Play path” ensures a polished and professional output. This can save both time and effort while allowing you to focus on understanding critical scientific details.
How does it work?
Using “Play path” is straightforward:
- Select the path(s) you want to visualize or animate.
- Open SAMSON’s Animation Panel within the Animator.
- Double-click on the Play path animation effect.
- The animation runs your chosen path(s) between two keyframes.
By default, the software smoothens paths if the number of animation frames doesn’t match the frames in your path. This feature guarantees a fluid transition, but if you need exact, unsmoothed trajectories, you can turn off smoothing via the Inspector panel.
Advanced control: Easing curves
For those working on finely-tuned animations, SAMSON provides advanced controls through Easing curves. These allow you to customize how parameters change between frames, giving your animations a more dynamic or precise aesthetic.
Here’s what using “Play path” might look like:
What about multiple paths?
If you select multiple paths for animation, SAMSON ensures synchronization during playback. This is particularly helpful when analyzing the interactions of molecular components or comparing the motions of related molecules over time.
Final tips & tricks
After creating your “Play path” animation, remember that keyframes aren’t locked in place—they’re entirely adjustable! You can move them around the Animator timeline to customize the length or timing of your animation for ideal visualization.
Want to dive deeper into “Play path” animation? Learn more about it in the official SAMSON documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at SAMSON Connect.