Molecular modelers often face challenges when presenting their research effectively—especially when trying to integrate molecular scenes with presentation elements like background slides or contextual imagery. In team meetings, research talks, or teaching, conveying your message clearly and attractively matters.
This is where SAMSON’s Set background animation comes into play. It lets you seamlessly blend scientific visualization with more traditional presentation formats, directly inside your molecular design environment.
Use Backgrounds Like Slide Decks
Instead of switching back and forth between slides and molecular scenes, you can now include your background slides in the same space where molecular models live. With support for background images that remain visible through keyframes, SAMSON allows you to anchor your molecular visualization in a broader narrative.
The tool offers two fitting modes when using images:
- Contain – fits the whole image, preserving aspect ratio (may have letterboxes or borders)
- Cover – fills the viewer, possibly cropping larger sides
This gives you flexibility depending on whether image completeness or screen coverage is a higher priority.
Creating and Timing the Animation
To insert a background transition:
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Double-click on the Set background effect. A begin keyframe will be created at the current frame.
- Add a second keyframe where the transition should stop.
All animations can be easily repositioned on the timeline by dragging the keyframes. This lets you coordinate multiple visual elements with precision.
Smooth Interpolations Between Backgrounds
If multiple Set background animations are placed in sequence, SAMSON interpolates them automatically. That means you can transition smoothly from one background to the next, instead of having jarring cut-offs.
This is particularly helpful in guided narratives where the background might reflect topics or ideas that evolve over time—for example, moving from a diagram of an overall pathway into a zoomed-in region, or shifting between schematic slides summarizing different molecular targets.
Fine-Tuning Transitions with Easing Curves
Transitions can be further refined using the Easing curve in the Inspector. This allows you to control how acceleration and deceleration happen between frames, supporting more natural or attention-grabbing effects, depending on the style of your presentation.
Using easing curves, you can:
- Make transitions start slow and finish fast (e.g., for dramatic effect)
- Use symmetrical easing for natural-feeling transitions
- Emphasize the entrance or exit of a certain image
Example in Action
Here’s an example gif showing a transition between backgrounds inside a molecular animation:
Conclusion
The Set background animation in SAMSON gives molecular modelers a simple yet flexible way to blend narrative content with molecular visualization. Whether you’re crafting a recorded walkthrough or preparing a live demo, this small feature can make your science easier to follow—and a little more engaging.
To learn more, visit the full documentation at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/set-background/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download the platform from https://www.samson-connect.net.