A molecular modeling task can feel straightforward when you read about it and unexpectedly fiddly when you try it in the application. You may know what you want to accomplish, but still need to work out where to begin, which interface area to use, or what to do next. Re-reading instructions while switching between a guide and your model can interrupt your train of thought.
SAMSON’s interactive tutorials offer a different way to learn: the application guides you through a task directly inside SAMSON. Instead of only reading a sequence of steps, you can follow guidance in the environment where you are working. This is especially useful when you want to practice a concrete workflow rather than simply become familiar with the interface.
Choose guided practice for a specific reason
Interactive tutorials are optional, so there is no need to treat them as a required checkpoint before doing molecular modeling. They are most useful when you have a particular task in mind and want to practice it with guidance. If you are still learning where the main interface areas are, start with First look: the interface. If you want to get comfortable navigating or bringing structures into your work, the guides to Moving around and Loading molecules are useful preparation.
A simple decision rule: read when you need an overview or reference; choose an interactive tutorial when you want to rehearse a task inside the application. You can also skip tutorials for now and return when one matches a workflow you actually need. That keeps onboarding connected to your work instead of turning it into a checklist.
Start, practice, then try it without the guide
To launch one, open Help > Tutorials, select a tutorial, and click Start tutorial. Once it begins, use the guided steps as an opportunity to notice the sequence of actions—not just to reach the end. Ask yourself: what is the goal of this step, and what part of the interface is involved? Paying attention to those cues can make the workflow easier to recall later.
When you finish, try repeating the demonstrated workflow without the tutorial window. The aim is not to memorize every instruction. It is to become able to repeat the task, or to know which guide page to consult when you need a reminder. If you find that you still need the prompts, that is useful feedback: restart the tutorial and practice again, or return to the relevant documentation before trying once more.
Stopping is part of the workflow
You do not have to complete a tutorial in one sitting. To stop it, 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 easy to pause when you need to focus on your model, then return to the guided practice later.
After a tutorial, decide what would help you take the next step. If you want to practice with your own structures, continue with Loading molecules. If you would rather ask questions or get help with commands, selections, or scripts, explore SAMSON AI. For tutorials about extensions, the documentation points to SAMSON Extensions Tutorials.
Interactive tutorials work best as targeted practice: learn the interface basics, choose a workflow that matters to you, follow the prompts, and then see what you can repeat independently. Learn more in the interactive tutorials documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.