When creating molecular presentations, static visuals can limit how well we convey structural dynamics or draw attention to key features. A common challenge for molecular modelers is how to illustrate subtle but important motions—like minor side-chain shifts or protein flexibility—without overwhelming viewers with complex simulations. One useful tool for enriching molecular presentations is the Rock animation in SAMSON, which gently rocks atoms or molecular groups around their center of geometry without distorting the structure.
The Rock animation creates a smooth, back-and-forth rotation around the Z-axis going through the centroid of the selected atom group. It is ideal for making a molecular fragment “catch the eye,” highlight subtle structural differences between conformations, or simply add visual interest to a static frame.
When to Use the Rock Effect
This effect is particularly useful when you want to:
- Draw attention to a ligand bound in a protein pocket
- Show the flexibility of a loop or terminal region
- Bring focus to a specific substructure during a presentation
- Indicate that a part of the molecule could have some mobility
Importantly, the Rock animation is not a physical simulation—it merely rocks the selection visually. But because it does this in a smooth, defined way, it is very effective in scientific presentations, educational materials, or shared documents.
How to Add the Rock Animation
It takes just a few steps:
- Select a group of atoms or particles. You can use the standard selection tool in SAMSON to do this.
- Open the Animation panel inside the Animator.
- Double-click on the Rock animation to apply it to the selected atoms.
The animation is automatically created between two keyframes. If you want to increase or decrease the duration or timing, just move the keyframes around.
Fine-Tuning the Animation
You can control how the parameters change with time by modifying the easing curve, which defines the speed variation during animation. For example, a linear easing curve makes the rocking motion constant, while an ease-in-out curve adds a smooth acceleration and deceleration effect.
See It in Action
The image below shows a real example of the Rock animation in action on a molecular structure:
You can also explore a live example in the 2BRD – Rock animation presentation available on SAMSON Connect.
In Summary
If you’re preparing a molecular presentation or educational content and want to add a touch of movement to highlight specific regions, try the Rock animation. It’s simple to apply, highly reusable, and gives your audience a better sense of spatial dynamics without requiring complex simulation setups.
To learn more about Rock and other animations, visit the full documentation here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/rock/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. To get SAMSON, visit https://www.samson-connect.net.