A molecular file that will not open can interrupt an otherwise straightforward modeling task. The first useful question is not necessarily “What went wrong?” but “Which part of the file-loading process am I trying to solve?” In SAMSON, three references help separate those questions: the loading workflow, the supported-format list, and the importer extension family.
Start with the job you need to do
If you are trying to open a local file, fetch a structure, or understand how loaded content is organized in a document, begin with Loading molecules. That page is the task-oriented guide. The importer reference, by contrast, explains the component that reads a file and turns its contents into objects SAMSON can load.
This distinction can save time. A question about the steps for opening a file belongs to the loading workflow. A question about whether a particular file type is supported belongs to the supported-formats list. A question about the software component that handles file reading belongs to the importer reference.
Think of an importer as the reader for a file
Importers parse files so SAMSON can load structures, maps, meshes, and other objects into a document. PDB files and electron-density data are examples of the kinds of data an importer may read. SAMSON includes default importers, and additional importers can be added from SAMSON Connect.
That means a file extension is a useful clue, but the practical check is whether the format appears in SAMSON’s supported-format reference. If it does, use the loading guide to follow the relevant opening workflow. If it does not, the supported-formats page is still the right place to verify the format rather than guessing from the file’s contents or renaming the file.
A small decision tree for an unfamiliar file
- Identify what you want to load. Is it a molecular structure, a map, a mesh, or another kind of object? Importers can handle different kinds of content, so naming the expected object helps frame the question.
- Check the format reference. Look for the file format in Supported formats. This is the reference for checking which formats SAMSON can import and export.
- Follow the task workflow. For opening local files or fetching structures, consult Loading molecules. It covers the user-facing process rather than the extension architecture.
- Look for an available importer. SAMSON comes with default importers, and more can be added through SAMSON Connect. This is relevant when the format is not handled by the importers currently available in your installation.
- Ask about a missing format. If the importer you need is missing, the documentation provides a direct contact route: contact@samson-connect.net.
When the question is about building, not loading
If your goal is to create a new importer, you are moving from using SAMSON to extending it. The documentation points developers to Generating SAMSON Extensions and the Documentation center. For a broader overview of extension-based capabilities, see Extending SAMSON.
And if your goal is to save work out of SAMSON, rather than bring it in, the corresponding extension family is Exporters. Importers read files into a document; exporters are the related reference for writing files.
Keeping these paths separate makes file-format questions easier to resolve: check support, follow the loading workflow, then investigate importer availability or development if needed. For the importer reference itself, learn more about SAMSON importers.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.