Molecular modeling often means dealing with structures that include thousands of atoms, bonds, residues, and more. Navigating such complexity can be challenging, especially when you need to focus on just a few key parameters—like the position of a specific atom or the partial charges across a selection of residues.
If you’ve worked with intricate systems before, you may have found yourself endlessly scrolling through unfiltered property lists, trying to find the one attribute you want to change. Fortunately, SAMSON’s Inspector offers a feature that can significantly reduce this friction: attribute filtering.
This post will guide you through the attribute filtering functionality in the SAMSON Inspector and explain how this simple tool can help you stay focused and increase your productivity.
What Is the Attribute Filter?
The Inspector in SAMSON displays the properties—called attributes—of selected nodes in your model. These nodes could be atoms, residues, bonds, or larger structures. When multiple attributes are displayed at once, it can be difficult to spot the one you’re looking for, especially in large systems.
This is where the attribute filter comes in. When you type into the filter field at the top of the Inspector, it dynamically narrows down the displayed list to attributes whose names match what you’re typing. This works on-the-fly and instantly reduces clutter.
Example: Filtering by Position
Suppose you’ve selected one or more atoms and want to edit their Cartesian positions. Rather than scrolling through all the attributes (which include atom type, ID, name, etc.), just begin typing position into the filter bar. Immediately, only the relevant attributes are shown.
This fine-grained control makes targeted editing much simpler, especially when you’re working with large heterogeneous selections.
Making Changes with Confidence
Once you’ve filtered the list and identified the attribute of interest, you can modify it directly. In the case of atomic positions, for example, you can alter an individual atom’s coordinates and visually observe the changes in real-time.
This real-time feedback is especially helpful when designing or refining molecular systems and ensures greater confidence in changes without the need to hunt through broader menus or commands.
Tips for Effective Use
- Use partial keyword matches—for example, typing
chamight help you find attributes likecharge. - Familiarize yourself with common attribute names in your typical workflows to speed up filtering.
- Combine selection techniques with attribute filtering to update several nodes at once.
While it’s a simple feature, attribute filtering can go a long way in smoothing your modeling experience, especially during highly focused design or analysis tasks. Reducing the time and effort spent locating the relevant attribute lets you stay in the flow as you build and refine your models.
To learn more about attribute filtering and other Inspector features, visit the official documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/inspecting/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.