You add an Extension through SAMSON Connect, open SAMSON, and expect a new tool to appear. Nothing seems to have changed. For a molecular modeler in the middle of a project, that can be frustrating—but it does not necessarily mean the Extension failed to install. Extensions can provide different kinds of functionality, and a few checks can help narrow down what is happening.
Try this sequence before removing or reinstalling anything. It follows the checks recommended in the SAMSON FAQ, starting with the most basic compatibility and launch questions.
1. Confirm that the Extension supports your setup
On the Extension’s page, check its availability information beneath its name. Make sure it supports both your operating system and the version of SAMSON you are running. An Extension can be present in your SAMSON Connect account but unavailable for a particular platform or application version. If it is not listed as available for your operating system, contact the SAMSON team rather than repeatedly trying to install it.
2. Restart SAMSON after adding it
If SAMSON was already running when you added the Extension on SAMSON Connect, close and relaunch SAMSON. Newly added Extensions are automatically downloaded and installed on the next launch. In other words, adding one in a browser while the application is open may not make it available in the current session.
There is a useful distinction here: adding an Extension to your account and loading it into a running SAMSON session are not necessarily the same moment. A restart is a simple first test and gives SAMSON the opportunity to download and install the newly added item.
3. Look beyond the Apps and Editors menus
It is easy to assume every Extension should create a visible App or Editor. Not all of them do. Depending on what it provides, an Extension may add an importer or exporter, a visual or interaction model, a render preset, a command, or another component instead.
So if you do not see a new tile under Home > Apps, or an Editor in the menu on the left side of the viewport, that alone does not establish that the Extension is missing. Use Find everything at the top of SAMSON to search for available Apps, Editors, and commands. For other types of functionality, check the Extension’s description and documentation to see what it is designed to add.
4. Use the SAMSON Log to investigate
If the compatibility check, restart, and menu search do not explain the issue, open the log using Interface > Show log. Filter it for the Extension’s name. The log can help show whether SAMSON detected the Extension and whether there are messages indicating a problem. The FAQ notes that Extension-related problem lines appear in red.
If the log shows an issue, you can submit it from the log window using Submit. Include your user email and a description of what you expected to happen. That context makes the report more useful than a log alone.
A quick recap
- Check operating-system and SAMSON-version availability on the Extension’s page.
- Restart SAMSON if it was open when you added the Extension.
- Remember that Extensions do not all add Apps or Editors; search for commands and check the Extension description.
- Inspect Interface > Show log and submit relevant errors with a short explanation.
For more answers about installation, updates, accounts, and Extensions, see the SAMSON FAQ.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at www.samson-connect.net.