When presenting molecular models to colleagues or during lectures, it can be helpful to integrate context — whether that’s explanatory slides, background visuals, or subtle environmental cues. Yet, switching abruptly between molecular views and background content can feel disjointed. This is where SAMSON’s Set background animation comes in handy.
With the Set background animation in SAMSON’s Animator, you can create fluid transitions between different backgrounds in your presentation. This allows you to blend content seamlessly, whether you’re moving from an introductory slide to a molecular system or transitioning between different stages of a molecular mechanism.
Why background animations matter in molecular design
Molecular modeling is increasingly used in communication: tutorials, outreach, project presentations, and publications. Often, scientists wish to combine clear, schematic content (like a slide) with interactive molecular visuals. But without smooth transitions, these changes may feel abrupt or disrupt the logic of the presentation.
Key pain point: Poor visual continuity when switching from one background or slide to another reduces the flow of the story and can cause viewers to lose focus.
What the Set background animation does
Using this animation tool, you can:
- Set a background (plain color or image) at any frame.
- Display slide-like visuals behind your model.
- Choose if the image should cover the background or be entirely contained without cropping.
- Use multiple background animations to seamlessly interpolate between backgrounds — very useful for storytelling!
How to add a Set background animation
Here’s a quick guide:
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click on Set background.
- This automatically creates a begin keyframe at the current frame.
- Adjust the position of this and the end keyframe along the timeline.
- To modify how the background changes over time, tweak the easing curve in the Inspector.
The system will interpolate between backgrounds when multiple Set background animations are added. This means SAMSON will calculate smooth transitions, e.g., fading from a white slide to a molecular backdrop without extras effort.
Example in action
Here’s an example showing how a Set background animation modifies presentation flow. Notice how smoothly the background fades between two visuals:
Controlling transition feel with the Easing Curve
The pace of your background transition doesn’t have to be linear. You can use easing curves to control the dynamic of the interpolation — do you want the background to fade quickly, then slow down? Or start slowly and accelerate toward the next frame?
The Inspector provides a panel to customize the easing curve:
Conclusion
SAMSON’s Set background animation is more than cosmetic — it’s a tool for better storytelling. Whether you’re adding explanation slides behind your molecular models, emphasizing a visual mood, or simply improving the pacing of your transitions, this feature helps tie it all together without interruptions.
To learn more, visit the official documentation: Set background animation
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download the platform at https://www.samson-connect.net.