A molecular presentation can move through important states so quickly that viewers miss what they are meant to notice. This is especially frustrating when a structure changes, a close-up reveals a detail, or the next part of the explanation depends on the audience understanding the current frame. A short pause can give people time to look before the presentation moves on.
In SAMSON, the Pause animation holds the presentation at a chosen frame for a specified number of seconds. It is a simple way to make the timing of a molecular animation more deliberate—without asking the presenter to stop and restart playback manually.
Choose the moment, then set the duration
Start by placing the Animator’s current frame at the point where viewers need time to observe. For example, you might want to pause after a transition has completed, when a region of interest is clearly visible, or before the presentation continues to a different view or step. These are presentation choices: the goal is to pause where an explanation or visual inspection would otherwise feel rushed.
To add the effect, double-click Pause in the Animation panel. The keyframe is placed at the current frame. If it lands slightly before or after the intended moment, move the keyframe to the appropriate position. You can move animation keyframes later as well, so you do not have to get the timing perfect on the first try.
Adjust the pause in the Inspector
The pause duration is set through the Inspector. Select the Pause animation node in the Document view, then inspect it and specify how many seconds the presentation should remain at that frame. This gives you a practical review loop: place the pause, set a duration, play the presentation, and revise the timing if the moment still feels too brief or unnecessarily long.
Use pauses to improve clarity, not to fill time
A pause is most useful when it serves a clear purpose. Before adding one, ask what the viewer should be able to notice during that moment. If the answer is specific—such as comparing a visible state with the preceding one—the pause can make the explanation easier to follow. If nothing needs attention, it may be better to let the presentation continue.
When choosing a duration, consider how the presentation will be used. A pause intended for a live explanation may need to leave room for spoken commentary; a pause in a self-guided presentation should give viewers enough time to orient themselves without making the sequence feel stalled. There is no single ideal duration for every scene, so preview the result at normal playback speed and adjust it to suit the material.
It can also help to think about the pause as part of the sequence’s rhythm: movement communicates change, while a held frame gives the audience time to interpret what they have just seen. A well-placed pause can make a complex animation feel more approachable because it separates the moment of change from the moment of observation.
For the full instructions, see the Pause animation documentation. The related Stop animation is also documented separately.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.