A molecular model can be hard to read when several structures occupy the same space. Moving each group by hand may take time—and can make it difficult to create a clear, repeatable presentation. The Undock animation offers a simple way to show selected groups moving away from their current, docked positions.
Undock is a presentation animation: it creates movement between keyframes, with the destination positions computed automatically away from the starting positions. That makes it useful when you want to reveal components that are close together in a static view. It is a way to clarify a visual story, not a molecular simulation of a physical dissociation process.
Set up the selection with intent
Before adding the animation, select at least two structural nodes or meshes in the document. The first selected node serves as the static receptor; the other selected nodes are the ones that move. In other words, selection order matters: put the object you want to keep in place first, then select the groups you want to animate.
If several structures should remain fixed together as the receptor, place those receptor nodes in a folder and select the folder first. This gives you a practical way to treat multiple nodes as the stationary side of the animation. If nothing is selected, SAMSON will try to guess which nodes the animation should affect, but making the selection yourself gives you more control over what stays still and what moves.
Add the animation, then tune its timing
Open the Animator and find Undock in its Animation panel. Double-click the effect to add it to the selected nodes. The selected nodes will be undocked between the animation’s two keyframes. You can move those keyframes to adjust when the movement starts and finishes in your presentation.
The movement amplitude is calculated automatically when the animation is created. If the groups move too far—or not far enough for the view you want—inspect the animation and change its amplitude in the Inspector. You can also adjust how values transition between frames by changing the easing curve. These controls help you refine the visual result without manually repositioning every animated group.
A quick workflow for a clearer view
- Decide which node, or group of nodes, should remain stationary.
- Select that receptor first. If it includes multiple nodes, group them in a folder and select the folder.
- Select the nodes or meshes you want to move, making sure the selection includes at least two structural nodes or meshes overall.
- Double-click Undock in the Animator’s Animation panel.
- Move the keyframes as needed, then inspect the animation to adjust its amplitude or easing curve.
This workflow is especially helpful when the main problem is not the model itself, but the clarity of the view: separating overlapping groups can make a presentation easier to follow. For other kinds of movement, the documentation also lists Dock, Hold atoms, and Move atoms.
For the full procedure and animation properties, learn more in the Undock documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.