Molecular researchers and simulation specialists often hit a wall: they need a specific modeling or simulation tool, but it simply doesn’t exist yet – or at least not in the form they need it. What if you could build exactly what you need without being bogged down by graphical infrastructure, data management, or compatibility headaches?
That’s where SAMSON Extensions come into play. If you’re working with SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, you can start developing your custom modules easily using the SAMSON SDK.
What is a SAMSON Extension?
SAMSON Extensions are modules that work inside SAMSON to extend its capabilities. These can be anything from apps and editors to force fields, interaction models, parsers, and even visual renderers. SAMSON’s open architecture means you can integrate your own tools or functions seamlessly—to work just like the built-in components.
Examples of use cases for a custom Extension may include:
- Wrapping an existing command-line tool to interact with SAMSON.
- Creating a new editor that lets users design specific structures like graphene or DNA origami directly in the viewport.
- Defining a new interaction model for calculating energies based on your own equations.
How to Get Started
To begin developing a SAMSON Extension, you will need the SAMSON SDK. Simply sign in to your account on SAMSON Connect and go to the Download page.
The SDK provides templates to quickly get started with different types of Extensions. For example, if you’re building an app, you don’t have to worry about GUI creation or handling user inputs from scratch—SAMSON takes care of that through its framework. Just define the core logic of your tool and let the SDK handle the rest.
Cross-Platform Deployment
Once your Extension is ready, you can distribute it through SAMSON Connect. Thanks to SAMSON’s multi-platform SDK, your Extension will run on all platforms supported by SAMSON without needing separate developments for each system.
Monetize or Share Freely
Decide how you want your tool to be used. Will it be freely available to academics? A subscription-based module for industry users? SAMSON Connect lets you configure pricing tiers and subscriptions via Stripe. You can even monetize cloud computing services if your Extension includes that capability.
Why It’s Worth It
For developers and researchers with niche needs, SAMSON Extensions remove a significant amount of repetitive or infrastructure-related development effort. You can spend more time on your scientific or engineering expertise and less on building everything from the ground up. Whether it’s a side project or the core of your research pipeline, Extensions let you work faster and smarter.
Learn more about building and distributing SAMSON Extensions in the documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON here.