When working on complex molecular systems, clarity is key. Whether you’re presenting a structure in a paper, discussing a finding with a colleague, or simply trying to make sense of your own model, labels help bring order to atoms, residues, and molecules. But when labels become too small to read or too numerous to manage, they can quickly become a source of frustration rather than clarity.
If you’ve ever zoomed out in a molecular model and noticed label clutter, or worse—missing annotations—you’re not alone. That’s why SAMSON gives you precise control over the appearance and visibility of labels in the Viewport. In this post, we’ll focus on how to manage label visibility and font settings effectively so that your work stays organized and readable at any scale.
Why Label Visibility Matters
Labels in SAMSON are not static text. Their visibility automatically adjusts based on your zoom level. For example, labels assigned to atoms might disappear when zoomed out, while those for larger structures (like molecules) become visible. This feature helps maintain clarity in busy scenes—but it might also hide critical information if not configured properly.
You can fine-tune when a label appears by adjusting two parameters:
- Minimum display radius: the smallest relative size at which a label becomes visible.
- Maximum display radius: the largest relative size before a label disappears.
To access these settings, simply:
- Select the label in question.
- Open the Inspector.
- Adjust the display radii to fit the zoom levels where you want the label to appear.
Making Labels Legible with Font Control
Labels need to be legible—not just visible. That’s why SAMSON enables font customization for all or specific labels. You can change font family, size, and even numeric precision (handy for distance or angle annotations) in two ways:
Global Font Settings
Head to Preferences > Rendering > Labels to define a default font for all labels. Any label that hasn’t been individually customized will follow these settings.
Per-Label Customization
Need to emphasize certain parts of your model? You can select one or more labels and use the Inspector to assign them a different font from the rest. Simply:
- Select the labels in the Viewport or the Document view.
- Open the Inspector and click Choose font….
- Pick your desired font. If multiple labels are selected, choose “Edit all selected nodes” to apply changes collectively.
If you ever want to revert a label’s font to the default one, double-click the Font property in the Inspector.
Final Thoughts
Being able to control when labels appear and how they look is more than a cosmetic feature—it’s essential for usability and communication. Whether you’re distinguishing between similar residues or trying to present a clean molecular snapshot for publication, SAMSON helps you stay in control of your annotations.
To learn more about managing labels in your molecular documents, check the full documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/labeling/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.