For molecular modelers preparing presentations, animations are increasingly important: they make it possible to clearly showcase structural changes, reaction mechanisms, or simulation outputs. But when integrating scientific animations into teaching materials or conference talks, a recurring challenge emerges: how do you include non-molecular content — like a title or context image — seamlessly within your animation?
Whether you’re presenting results to your lab, teaching students, or publishing a video online, transitions and backgrounds matter. A sudden switch to a different app to display a slide breaks the flow. That’s where SAMSON’s Set background animation comes in: it allows you to embed background images directly into your animations — title slides, logos, diagrams, anything visual — and interpolate between them smoothly.
Here’s how it works and why it solves a real presentation problem for molecular modelers.
Embedding Background Images in Molecular Animations
The Set background animation in SAMSON lets you define the scene background at a specific frame and optionally interpolate to another background image at a future frame. You can:
- Insert title cards or diagrams directly inside your animation timeline.
- Add institutional logos or research group branding as subtle background overlays.
- Provide contextual visual cues (like a reaction coordinate or schematic) behind your molecule.
To add a background:
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Double-click on Set background to add the effect at the current frame.
- Choose whether you want the image to be fully contained (preserving aspect ratio) or to cover the frame (may be cropped).
- Adjust keyframes to control where and when backgrounds change.
The keyframes determine the timing of background changes:
- Frame 1: background is introduced.
- Frame 2: background remains until changed; if followed by another Set background animation, the change will be interpolated.
Smooth Interpolations with Easing Curves
Transitions between backgrounds are not abrupt. SAMSON uses interpolations so one image fades naturally into the next. You can control how this happens with an easing curve in the Inspector.
This curve determines the speed of change: linear fades, slow-in-fast-out transitions, or custom timing. This is especially useful when synchronizing a title slide fade-out with a molecular zoom-in, for example.
With careful placement, background changes can visually segment your animation, highlight interpretation points, or help non-experts follow complex transitions.
A Practical Takeaway
If you’re working on an animated presentation with SAMSON, the Set background feature gives you a flexible way to include supplementary materials within your animation, without juggling multiple software tools. It’s simple, integrated, and highly adaptable to both research and educational needs.
Learn more in the original SAMSON documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download the platform at https://www.samson-connect.net.