If you’ve ever built a molecular animation to explain a structural transformation, introduce a conformational change, or visualize a docking sequence, you know how quickly things can move. For viewers—whether students, colleagues, or collaborators—absorption takes time. But what if your animation could take a breath right at the right time?
In molecular modeling, timing isn’t just about polish—it’s about precision. When a key interaction flies by before someone can register its significance, attention gets lost. SAMSON offers a simple but highly underrated solution: the Pause animation.
Why Pausing Matters in Molecular Presentations
A well-placed pause in a molecular animation has the same effect as a pause in speech—it gives the watcher a chance to reflect, recognize, and absorb. For example:
- Freezing on a binding moment allows you to verbally or textually elaborate an interaction.
- Pausing before a major conformational switch sets up a natural suspense.
- Allowing time at the end of a segment helps viewers catch up before moving on.
How to Add a Pause to Your Animation
In SAMSON, inserting a pause is both quick and flexible. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Double-click on the Pause animation effect.
- A keyframe is added at the current frame—drag it to the exact frame you want to hold.
Note
You can move any keyframe—including the Pause—at any point during editing. This gives you detailed control over the timing of key animation events.
How to Set the Duration
Once the pause effect is added, you can specify exactly how long the animation should hold:
- Select the pause node in the Document view.
- Use the Inspector to set the duration in seconds.
Want to pause for just a beat? Set it for one or two seconds. Need time to discuss a mechanism? Increase it accordingly. The flexibility means your presentation can match the rhythm of your explanation.
Example: What It Looks Like
Here’s a snapshot of what the Pause animation looks like in the Inspector panel:
Where This Fits In Your Workflow
If you’re preparing teaching materials, designing video abstracts for papers, or recording tutorials, pauses can act as moments of transition or reflection. This micro-adjustment takes mere seconds to set up, yet significantly boosts the clarity and impact of your animations.
Final Thoughts
When you slow down the motion, you speed up understanding. Especially in scientific visualization, less movement can sometimes say more. So the next time you’re presenting a key active site interaction or a structural rearrangement, consider letting SAMSON take a breath for you.
To learn more about using the Pause animation, visit the official documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/pause/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.