A new molecular modeling environment can feel harder to start than the science itself. You may be asking several questions at once: Will SAMSON run on my machine? Where do I begin after installation? How do I move around the workspace, and what should I open first?
Trying to answer all of them by browsing documentation at random can turn a simple first session into a maze. A more useful approach is to treat onboarding as a short sequence of decisions: confirm your setup, learn just enough of the interface, then load a structure and choose what to explore next.
1. Decide whether you need setup or a refresher
If SAMSON is not installed on your current computer, begin with Requirements and Platforms. It helps you check operating-system support, graphics requirements, and Linux dependencies before you start installation. Then follow Install SAMSON for the installer, sign-in, and key-entry steps.
Already have SAMSON running? You can skip those setup pages and go straight to the Quick Start Guide. That small decision matters: it keeps you from spending time rereading installation information when what you really need is a route to your first useful task.
2. Learn the map before exploring every tool
Once the application is open, it is tempting to click through every panel and option. Instead, first get familiar with the main interface areas in First look: the interface. Then use Moving around to learn viewport controls and the default editors for navigation and selection.
This order solves a common early frustration: not knowing whether a difficult interaction is caused by the molecule, the view, or the currently selected editor. A little orientation gives later instructions a place to “land.” You do not have to master the interface before doing science; the goal is simply to recognize the basics well enough to follow the next step.
3. Make your first session concrete
Choose a specific first action: open a structure file or fetch a structure. The Loading molecules page covers both routes and explains where documents, files, and shared data appear. Loading something gives you a practical anchor for learning: you can connect the interface and navigation basics to an actual molecular structure instead of trying to memorize them in the abstract.
Keep the first session modest. The initial goal is not to complete a complex modeling workflow; it is to get from launch to a visible structure, understand where that structure lives as a document, and feel comfortable moving around it. Once that works, you have a reliable starting point for more focused work.
4. Pick help that matches how you learn
If you like guided walkthroughs, try Interactive tutorials after you know where the main interface parts are. If you prefer asking questions or using assistant-led workflows, explore SAMSON AI once the basics are familiar. For downloads, extensions, account settings, or shared documents, use SAMSON Connect.
These options serve different needs, so you do not have to use all of them on day one. Direct documentation may be enough for some users; others may find a walkthrough or assistant more natural. Choose the route that helps you make progress on the task in front of you.
A simple route to keep handy
- New computer: Requirements and Platforms → Install SAMSON → Getting Started → Quick Start Guide.
- Already installed: Quick Start Guide → First look → Moving around → Loading molecules.
- Ready to explore help: Quick Start Guide → Interactive tutorials or SAMSON AI.
After loading a document, continue with Work with structures for selection, inspection, measurement, and undo/redo. If your next task is to modify a system, see Build and edit; for clearer visualization or presentation, go to Visualize and present.
The useful habit is to choose the next page based on the obstacle you actually have: setup, orientation, loading, or a particular task. For the complete onboarding sequence and more paths, return to the Start here documentation page.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.