A familiar challenge in molecular modeling is not simply finding instructions—it is turning them into a workflow you can repeat. Reading a guide while working in the application can leave you switching attention between the page and the task. Interactive tutorials offer another approach: they guide you through a task directly inside SAMSON.
Use a tutorial when you have a task in mind
Interactive tutorials are most useful when you want to practice a concrete workflow, rather than just explore the interface or read about a feature. Before starting one, think about what you want to be able to do afterward. A clear goal helps you treat the tutorial as practice, not just as a sequence of tips to dismiss.
If you are still learning where SAMSON’s main interface areas are, begin with First look: the interface. Interactive tutorials make more sense once you recognize the areas they refer to. If you have already explored Moving around and Loading molecules, a tutorial can be a useful next step for guided practice. There is no need to complete tutorials in a fixed order: they are optional, so you can return when one matches a workflow you want to learn.
A simple practice loop
- Choose a relevant tutorial. In SAMSON, open Help > Tutorials, select a tutorial, and click Start tutorial. Pick one that relates to a task you want to perform.
- Follow the guidance in context. The tutorial runs inside the application, so you can work through the task where you will use it. Focus on what each step helps you accomplish, not only on getting to the next step.
- Try the workflow again. When the tutorial is complete, see whether you can repeat the demonstrated workflow without its window. The goal is to become more comfortable doing the task independently—or to know which guide to consult next.
This last step is easy to skip, but it is what turns a guided walkthrough into useful practice. You do not have to remember every detail immediately. If you cannot yet repeat the task, that tells you where another pass or a written guide may help.
Stop without losing the option to try again
If you want to stop before finishing, close the tutorial tip window in the top-right corner of the Viewport. You can restart an interactive tutorial from scratch at any time through Help > Tutorials. This makes it practical to pause when you need to return to your modeling work, then revisit the walkthrough when it is useful.
Choose the kind of help that fits
Interactive tutorials are one way to learn, not the only way. If you want to practice with your own structures, continue with Loading molecules. If you need assistant-led help with questions, commands, selections, or scripts, explore SAMSON AI. For a broader onboarding sequence, see Start here.
The useful question is not “Have I completed every tutorial?” but “Can I use this workflow when I need it?” Choose a tutorial when it matches a real task, practice the steps in context, and repeat the workflow afterward. To learn more about launching, stopping, and restarting tutorials, visit the Interactive tutorials documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.