In molecular modeling, clarity matters. A cluttered visual representation can easily hide key features of your system. This becomes especially noticeable when labels—used to annotate atoms, residues, or molecules—remain visible at all zoom levels in the model.
Thankfully, SAMSON offers a nuanced way to control the visibility of labels depending on zoom level, improving both aesthetics and clarity. This functionality is especially beneficial when working on large biomolecular systems or when preparing figures for publications and presentations.
Why Adjusting Label Visibility Helps
When zoomed in on an atom or residue, labels can provide useful contextual information without distracting from the main structure. But as you zoom out, these atom-level annotations can quickly obscure important high-level features. Conversely, showing only molecule names at high zoom can keep the scene clean and readable while letting cluster-level patterns emerge.
Progressive Label Visibility in SAMSON
By default, SAMSON automatically changes label visibility as you zoom in or out. You may notice that labels for individual atoms disappear when you zoom out, replaced by labels for larger structural units like residues or molecules. This smart behavior adapts the scene dynamically to what level of structural detail is most useful at your current zoom level.
Manually Setting Visibility Ranges
Sometimes, you need more control. If you’ve placed a label and want it to be visible only within a certain zoom range, you can set its display radius thresholds manually:
- Step 1: Select the label in the Document view or directly in the Viewport (ensure the selection filter is set to Labels).
- Step 2: Open the Inspector.
- Step 3: Locate and modify the Minimum display radius and Maximum display radius values. These control at what distances the label appears or vanishes.
For example, to have a label show only during close inspections, set a low maximum display radius. To show it only from a distance (e.g., at molecule level), increase the minimum display radius.
Best Practices
- Use smaller radii for labels on atoms and bonds.
- Medium radii work well for residues or secondary structural elements.
- Larger radii should be used for molecule-wide labels visible from further away.
Adjusting label visibility is a small tweak that can make a big difference in how you and others interpret your molecular models. Whether you’re preparing teaching visuals or analyzing a new structure, a cleaner viewport can often highlight insights more effectively than more text or color ever could.
To learn more about controlling label visibility and other useful labeling tools in SAMSON, visit the full documentation page: 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.