Visualizing structural changes in biomolecules isn’t just about seeing movement — it’s about understanding the dynamics of life at the molecular level. Whether you’re preparing a presentation or analyzing how a ligand docked, playing back trajectory paths in a clear and synchronized way can greatly enhance your understanding and communication.
One challenge many molecular modelers face is how to present conformational changes or molecular trajectories in a manageable and intuitive format. Instead of manually cycling through structural states or exporting large sets of frames, you can use the Play path animation effect within SAMSON to create smooth, dynamic animations directly inside your scene.
What is the Play Path Animation?
The Play path animation lets you animate a molecular path — such as a trajectory imported from a simulation or a transition between two conformations — within a custom animation timeline. It works between two keyframes and can follow one or several paths in sync, allowing you to create seamless, visually engaging animations without leaving your modeling environment.
Why Use It?
This tool is useful in a variety of situations:
- To simulate molecular dynamics by playing through loaded trajectories
- To demonstrate docking transitions or pathway sampling results
- To highlight conformational changes in protein structures
- To create understandable animations for presentations or teaching purposes
How to Add the Play Path Animation
Adding this effect within SAMSON is simple:
- Select the path you want to animate (you can select multiple for synchrony).
- Open the Animator panel and find the Animation panel.
- Double-click on Play path to add the effect between two keyframes.
- Adjust the keyframe positions to control the duration and portion of the timeline that plays the path.
Customization Options
The Inspector allows you to fine-tune several settings:
- Smoothing: If the number of animation frames doesn’t match the number of frames in the path, SAMSON smooths the animation by default. You can disable this in the Inspector if you prefer a frame-for-frame match.
- Easing Curve: Control the interpolation speed between frames using different easing curves. This can create more natural pacing depending on the molecular movement you want to highlight. Learn more about easing curves in the documentation.
Conclusion
The Play path animation is a lightweight yet powerful feature that solves a common need: to display molecular motion in an intuitive and engaging way. Instead of manually assembling sequences or exporting external videos, you can animate directly in SAMSON and adjust everything from timing to interpolation with just a few clicks.
To learn more, visit the official SAMSON documentation here: documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/play-path
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net