When working on complex molecular systems, one common problem modelers face is the need to edit properties of multiple entities—such as atoms—simultaneously. Whether you’re adjusting atomic positions, changing atom types, or reviewing structural attributes, doing it one atom at a time can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially in large biomolecular structures.
This is where the Inspector in SAMSON becomes incredibly useful. The Inspector interface allows users to view, filter, and edit attributes of multiple selected nodes at once, significantly enhancing productivity when managing and modifying molecular data.
Modify Once, Apply to Many
Let’s say you want to adjust the position of several atoms at once. With the Inspector:
- Select the group of atoms you’re interested in (drag or use the selection tools).
- Open the Inspector from Interface > Inspector or use the shortcut Ctrl + 2 (or Cmd + 2 on macOS).
- The Inspector shows properties grouped by node type, e.g. Atom, Residue, etc.
If you have multiple atoms selected and change the value of the position attribute, the change is applied to all selected atoms. This means you can translate an entire fragment, move atoms to a new location, or reset them efficiently.
Relative or Absolute: You Choose
There’s a useful detail that helps you control how changes are applied. By default, the Inspector applies changes relatively, keeping the internal geometry of the group intact while translating it. If you uncheck the Relative option, then all selected atoms are updated to have the same value—in this case, placing them all at the same position, effectively overlapping them.
This flexibility makes it possible to perform a wide range of operations—from careful repositioning to fast resets—without redundant steps.
Targeted Filtering
With many properties available per atom (e.g. element type, name, weight, position), scrolling can be tedious. That’s where the attribute filter comes in. Start typing an attribute name (like position) in the filter bar, and the Inspector shows only matching fields.
This simple feature can save considerable time during repetitive tasks, especially in large systems where performance and clarity matter.
Modifications Can Be Undone
All changes made through the Inspector are tracked. If you make a mistake or want to retry, simply use the undo functionality via the History mechanism.
When This Comes in Handy
- Translating fragments during system construction or visualization setup
- Editing element types for custom molecular construction
- Resetting a large number of attributes to default values
Being able to directly manipulate the molecular system in bulk reduces friction and increases iteration speed—without requiring scripting.
To dive deeper into what the Inspector can do, see the full documentation on Inspecting molecular models.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.