For researchers and developers creating custom tools for molecular design or simulations, one common roadblock is: how to share your software with collaborators or the broader community? Whether it’s an app that wraps an existing simulation, an importer for specialized data formats, or an editor for molecular manipulation, distributing your work in a reliable way can take significant time and infrastructure.
If you’re using SAMSON, the integrative platform for molecular design, the good news is: SAMSON Connect provides a built-in system to publish and distribute your SAMSON Extensions. These can be free or offered as paid subscriptions, depending on your goals.
Why distribute as a SAMSON Extension?
Publishing your work as a SAMSON Extension solves a range of problems molecular modelers often face:
- No need to host or maintain your own download infrastructure.
- Works cross-platform—users on Windows, Linux and macOS can install your Extension the same way.
- Integration: Your users will benefit from SAMSON’s visualization, data representation, and scripting systems.
- Commercialization options are built-in, making it simple to grant access with different licensing tiers.
Setting up distribution
Once you have developed your SAMSON Extension with the SAMSON SDK, here’s what it takes to distribute it:
- Create a SAMSON Connect account. Sign in and go to the Extensions section.
- Prepare your Extension for upload. This involves building it for the correct platforms and making sure it complies with SAMSON’s guidelines.
- Decide on access: Extensions can be free, or you can sell monthly or yearly subscriptions. SAMSON uses Stripe to process payments. You can offer pricing tailored to academia and industry separately.
- Publish. Once approved, your Extension becomes available in the SAMSON Connect Marketplace. Users can add it to their SAMSON installations with just a few clicks.
This setup helps researchers focus on what they do best—developing models and tools—without investing time in solving infrastructure and distribution issues.
Bonus: Cloud integration and partner programs
If your Extension relies on heavy computation, such as quantum chemistry methods, you can also sell access to cloud-based services directly from the Extension interface. This can make your tool accessible even to users without a local high-performance laptop or server. SAMSON’s team also supports advanced partners, so you can contact them for more information if you’re interested in enterprise collaborations.
To dive deeper into how to package and publish your work, visit the SAMSON Extension Developer Guide.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.