A molecular presentation can move through important views faster than an audience can absorb them. A binding site, a structural change, or a carefully framed comparison may need a moment of attention. Without a deliberate pause, viewers can miss the point—not because the model is unclear, but because the presentation keeps moving.
SAMSON’s Pause animation gives you a simple way to control that pacing: it pauses the presentation at a chosen frame for a specified number of seconds. Think of it as a small timing cue that gives people room to look before the presentation continues.
Use a pause to support the explanation
A pause is most useful when it has a purpose. Before adding one, consider what you want the audience to notice at that point in the presentation. Perhaps the current frame shows a view you want people to examine, or it marks a transition where a brief break will help separate one part of the explanation from the next.
This is especially helpful when you are preparing a presentation for people who may not be familiar with the structure. They need time to orient themselves and connect what they see with what you are saying. A pause cannot explain the molecular details for you, but it can make sure the relevant view is not immediately left behind.
Place the pause where the audience needs it
- Go to the intended frame. The Pause animation’s keyframe is placed at the current frame, so first position the presentation at the point where the hold should occur.
- Add the animation. In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click the Pause animation effect. The keyframe will be placed at the current frame.
- Adjust its position if needed. If the keyframe is not exactly where you want it, move it. Animation keyframes can be moved, so you can refine the timing as your presentation takes shape.
- Set the duration. Select the Pause animation node in the Document view, then inspect it in the Inspector. Specify how many seconds the presentation should pause.
A useful way to think about the controls is that the keyframe determines where the pause is placed, while the duration determines how long the presentation waits there. Keeping those two decisions separate makes it easier to adjust pacing: you can change the location, the duration, or both as needed.
Choose a duration that fits the moment
There is no single pause length that works for every presentation. A brief hold may be enough for a familiar audience to register a view; a longer one may be appropriate when people need more time to inspect a complex image or follow an explanation. Consider the amount of information on screen and the time your spoken explanation needs. The goal is not to stop for its own sake, but to give the audience enough time to keep up.
If a presentation feels rushed, look for the frames where an important view appears and consider whether a pause would help. If it feels slow, check whether a hold is longer than the explanation or viewing moment requires. Small adjustments to timing can make the sequence easier to follow without changing the molecular content.
Pause is a presentation-timing tool: it lets you hold the presentation at a chosen frame for a chosen duration. For related timing behavior, the documentation also points to the Stop animation.
Read the Pause animation documentation for the complete instructions.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.