A molecular presentation can move through a lot of information: a structure, a change in viewpoint, an interaction, and the next part of the explanation. When the animation keeps advancing while your audience is still taking in one detail, the result can feel rushed. A Stop animation offers a simple way to create a deliberate break at a chosen point in the presentation.
Use a stop to create a presentation beat
The Stop animation halts the presentation at a given frame. This makes it useful when you want a section to behave more like a slide: the presentation reaches a frame, waits for you to explain what is visible, and continues when you are ready. You can resume by pressing Space or clicking the Play button in the Animator’s controls.
This can help with moments that deserve attention, such as introducing a structure before moving on, pausing to discuss a molecular feature, or giving viewers time to follow a change already shown in the presentation. The animation itself does not explain the science; the stop simply gives you control over when the next part begins.
Place the stop where the explanation needs a pause
In SAMSON, add the effect by double-clicking Stop in the Animation panel of the Animator. Its keyframe is placed at the current frame. If that is not the right point, move the keyframe to the frame where you want the presentation to stop. Keyframes for this animation can be moved later as well, so you can adjust the timing while refining your presentation.
- Find the moment to pause. Decide where the audience should have time to look or listen before the presentation proceeds.
- Move to that frame. The Stop keyframe is added at the current frame, so positioning the current frame first gives you a useful starting point.
- Add the Stop effect. Double-click it in the Animation panel.
- Adjust the keyframe if needed. Move it if the pause should happen earlier or later.
- Play through the presentation. Check that the stop lands at the intended moment, then resume with Space or the Play button.
Think in terms of audience attention
A useful way to plan pauses is to ask what the viewer needs to notice before the next event. If the answer is “this structure” or “this part of the explanation,” a Stop keyframe can make that moment easier to present at a comfortable pace. If the presentation is intended to run without a speaker, consider whether viewers will understand why it stopped and how they should continue it.
Stops can also help you divide a longer presentation into manageable sections. Instead of asking an audience to follow one uninterrupted sequence, you can create natural points to explain, answer a question, or let people catch up. The key is to use pauses intentionally: place them where they support understanding, rather than adding one after every small change.
Stop and Pause are separate animation effects in the documentation. If you are deciding which fits your presentation, see the related Pause animation page as well.
For the exact steps and Animator controls, see the Stop animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.