Keeping up with new software features is a familiar problem for molecular modelers. You may want to learn a better way to inspect a structure or make a figure, but watching a full-length webinar—or pausing a project to explore every new tool—can feel like too much overhead.
The SAMSON webinar recordings offer a practical alternative: use the chapter timestamps as a menu. Instead of treating a webinar as one long presentation, choose a specific task you want to improve, jump to the relevant chapter, and watch only that segment. The webinar page links directly to the recordings and their chapter lists.
Start with the task, not the release number
Before opening a recording, name the friction you are trying to remove. Is it difficult to select the right atoms? Do you need a clearer view inside a structure? Are you preparing an interaction diagram or a movie? A concrete question makes it easier to pick a useful chapter and decide whether the feature fits your workflow.
For selection and structure inspection, the SAMSON 2025 recording includes chapters on the View and Point selection editors at 1:30, Progressive Clipping at 7:27, and Quick Groups at 14:42. These are useful starting points when your immediate need is to work with selections or inspect a molecular structure. Later in the recording, the Protein Aligner appears at 20:33, followed by the Interaction designer at 30:02 and Pattern Builders at 44:59.
For example, if you are preparing to compare protein structures, begin with the Protein Aligner chapter rather than watching the whole webinar first. If the task is explaining protein–ligand contacts, go directly to the Interaction designer chapter. The recording’s chapter links provide a quick way to reach each segment.
Choose a learning path for a broader task
Some jobs span several features. The SAMSON 2024 webinar can help you assemble a focused viewing path:
- Improve selection: compare selection through the Document View and Context Toolbar (13:15), the Viewport and Selection filters (16:29), Selection Commands (17:37), and the Interactive Sequence Viewer (21:26).
- Prepare a visual explanation: explore Cycles for studio-quality renderings (23:47), the Visual Preset Editor (26:32), and the Animator for creating movies (31:52).
- Work with simulation or structure workflows: find the Cloud Job Manager and protein-structure prediction segment (33:39), GROMACS simulation import and visualization (36:40), or Martinize for creating coarse-grained structures (51:10).
These are viewing suggestions, not a required sequence. A modeler who only needs to make a clearer rendering can skip the selection chapters; someone troubleshooting selection can leave the visualization sections for another day. The timestamps make it easier to match the recording to the work in front of you.
Turn watching into a small experiment
After viewing a segment, try the demonstrated idea on a copy of a relevant structure or on a low-stakes part of your current project. Note what problem the feature addresses, what result you expected, and whether it saves steps or improves the result. This simple check helps separate an interesting demonstration from a tool that belongs in your regular workflow.
If you are new to SAMSON, the webinar page also points to Getting Started, the First look, and interactive tutorials. Use those resources when a webinar introduces something you would like to explore more carefully.
To browse the recordings and chapter links, visit the SAMSON webinars documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.