When presenting molecular models or computational results, clarity of communication is just as important as accuracy. Whether you’re showing a ligand entering a binding pocket or stepping through a complex reaction mechanism, it can be challenging to narrate your visuals effectively if everything is moving at once. That’s where SAMSON’s Stop animation effect can help.
This post walks you through how to use the Stop animation to enhance control over your molecular presentations, making them feel more like interactive slide shows than passive screen recordings.
What is the Stop Animation?
The Stop effect inserts a pause at a particular frame in your animation. It works like a virtual bookmark, halting the animation flow until you manually resume it by pressing the Space key or the Play button available in the Animator’s controls.
This functionality is especially useful in educational settings, virtual talks, or team meetings where you need to explain components step by step. Want to describe a change in electron density or highlight a structural transition before moving on? A strategic stop lets your audience catch up with your explanation.
How to Add a Stop in SAMSON
To use the Stop animation, follow these steps:
- Open the Animator in SAMSON.
- Find and double-click on the Stop effect in the Animation panel.
- The keyframe will be placed at the current frame—move it if needed to align with the moment where you want the animation to pause.
Pro Tip
You can always reposition keyframes later. This gives you flexibility to refine timing as your narrative evolves.
Why Use ‘Stop’ Instead of Just Pausing Manually?
In live presentations, manually pausing the timeline introduces inconsistency. You might click a second too early or too late. The Stop animation ensures the animation always pauses at the right spot, leaving you free to focus on what you’re saying rather than timeline controls.
Better Slide-style Control
By combining multiple Stop effects with animation transitions, you can effectively simulate slides. Walk your audience through a pathway in several steps, stopping at key intermediate conformations. Speak. Highlight. Then continue.
It turns your molecular animation into a structured, paced story rather than a fast-forwarded video clip.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Only one Stop is needed per pause point; multiple stops at the same frame are redundant.
- The Stop animation does not persist—once the user presses Space or clicks Play, the animation continues smoothly.
- Combine Stop with transitions or highlights to build modular, narrative animations.
If you often demo concepts or walk through simulations with others, it’s worth mastering this simple but powerful tool. It gives you space to speak—and your viewers time to understand.
Want to get started? Visit the official documentation page to learn more.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.