If you’re working in molecular modeling, you’ve likely faced the common challenge of adopting new software and navigating its features efficiently. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or professional, figuring out how to carry out even simple modeling tasks in an unfamiliar platform can be frustrating—not to mention time-consuming.
This is where SAMSON’s built-in interactive tutorials can make a big difference.
Learning by doing, inside the app
SAMSON provides a set of interactive tutorials that are integrated directly into the platform, helping you learn how to use its features in real time. These aren’t static help pages or long videos. They are live guides embedded in the software interface, providing intuitive, step-by-step instructions while you work. This makes them ideal for users who want to quickly apply their learning to their own projects.
Accessing the tutorials is simple. Just go to:
Help > Tutorials
From there, you can select any tutorial that fits your current need or area of interest and click Start tutorial. Each tutorial opens as a tip window in the modeling environment, guiding you interactively as you perform actions inside SAMSON.
What’s covered?
The available tutorials cover a range of fundamental workflows in SAMSON, such as:
- Loading molecular structures and navigating the Viewport
- Running basic simulations
- Manipulating atoms and molecules
- Visualizing molecules with various representations
Because these are interactive, they are ideal for trial-and-error exploration. You can follow along with the guidance, try variations, and see immediate feedback. If something doesn’t go as expected, you can restart the tutorial easily from the same Help > Tutorials menu.
Exiting and restarting
Need to take a break mid-tutorial or made a wrong step? No problem. To exit a tutorial, simply close the tip window at the top-right corner of the Viewport. You can return to the same tutorial later and start fresh when you’re ready.
Tips for extending your learning
If you’re using SAMSON Extensions, make sure to check out the set of tutorials dedicated to them. These are accessible at the SAMSON Extensions Tutorials page, covering everything from advanced simulation tools to specific plug-in functionalities.
Interactive tutorials are a useful feature for anyone starting out with SAMSON or revisiting workflows they don’t use every day. They reduce the learning curve by letting you work through examples in the actual interface without switching back and forth between software and external instructions.
To see the full list of interactive tutorials and get started, visit the documentation page here:
https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/interactive-tutorials/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net