Molecular modelers often face the challenge of creating effective presentations that clearly communicate the structure and behavior of molecules to broad audiences. One frequent need is to adjust the visibility of specific atoms and bonds dynamically—perhaps to highlight key segments or enhance a molecular tale. In SAMSON’s molecular design platform, the ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation provides an elegant way to make atoms and their bonds disappear progressively between specified frames, creating a seamless storytelling flow in molecular visuals.
Why use the ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation?
When presenting molecular simulations, simply turning off the visibility of certain components can feel abrupt or jarring. The ‘Conceal Atoms’ feature bridges this gap by smoothly hiding atoms and bonds, offering an intuitive visual transition. Importantly, this approach alters the visibility of nodes rather than their transparency, which often results in cleaner and clearer presentations.
How to start with ‘Conceal Atoms’
Adding this effect in SAMSON is straightforward:
- Select the atoms and bonds you’d like to gradually conceal.
- Find and double-click the ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation in the Animation panel of the Animator. The animation will then be added to your project.
Understanding the animation keyframes
The ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation employs four keyframes to define its behavior:
- Keyframe 1 to Keyframe 2: All selected atoms and bonds remain completely visible.
- Keyframe 2 to Keyframe 3: The specified atoms and bonds progressively disappear. This gradual removal is based on their order in the selection, providing precise control.
- Keyframe 3 to Keyframe 4: All selected atoms and bonds are fully hidden by this point.
To achieve the desired timing and smoothness, you can freely move these keyframes within your animation timeline. Additionally, the Easing Curve can be customized to further refine how parameters change between frames.
Real-world examples
The ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation feature has been used in numerous compelling molecular studies available on SAMSON Connect – Documents. Take a look at these examples:
- 1AF6 – Fly around, where key features are dynamically revealed as other parts fade away, ensuring the focus remains on specific molecular zones.
- 1AF6 – Fly around – 2, which shows seamless transitions that improve audience understanding.
Final tips
It can be useful to experiment with keyframe placement to see how various timings affect your animation. Be sure to combine ‘Conceal Atoms’ with other animations like Reveal Atoms for a cohesive narrative experience.
For those who want to explore further or apply advanced refinement, check out the full documentation on the ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation at this link.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Discover more and get started at SAMSON Connect.