When presenting complex molecular systems, it can be difficult to explain key steps if the animation doesn’t pause at the right time. Whether you’re explaining a reaction mechanism, structural transition, or molecular interaction, jumping from frame to frame without control can confuse your audience and reduce the impact of your explanation.
This is where the Stop animation effect in SAMSON becomes useful. It provides a way to break down your animation into digestible segments, similar to slides in a presentation. This makes it easier for your audience to follow along and gives you space to comment or highlight specific molecular changes.
What the Stop Animation Does
The Stop animation halts playback at a specified frame. This helps you divide an animation into clear sections. For instance, during a protein folding animation, you might stop at a key intermediate structure to highlight hydrogen bonding or domain interactions. Playback can be resumed easily by pressing the Space key or clicking the Play button.
When to Use It
Consider using the Stop effect in cases like:
- Breaking your animation into slides for instructional purposes
- Pausing at a specific molecular conformation to label features
- Allowing time for verbal narration during key events
- Encouraging viewer interaction during a demonstration
How to Add a Stop Animation
To insert a Stop effect:
- Go to the Animation panel inside the Animator.
- Double-click the Stop animation from the list.
- A keyframe will appear at your current frame in the timeline. You can drag it to a different frame, if necessary.
Note
You can always move the keyframes of the animation.
This feature offers flexibility. You won’t need to modify your entire animation if you simply want to highlight additional explanations. You can control the flow of your animation interactively, turning your scientific visualization into a step-by-step teaching tool.
To learn more about using the Stop animation effect in SAMSON, including links to related features like the Pause animation, visit the official documentation page here:
https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/stop/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.