It’s not uncommon for molecular modelers to encounter structures that are incredibly dense or complex. When working with large biomolecular assemblies or intricate materials, overlapping atoms and meshes can make it difficult to understand spatial relationships or highlight specific areas of interest. This is where SAMSON’s Disassemble animation can be particularly useful.
The Disassemble animation effect provides a simple but effective way to temporarily separate parts of a molecular or mesh-based model for better visualization. With a couple of clicks, you can make selected parts of your system fly apart, revealing their internal structure or interaction interfaces without altering the original spatial organization permanently. This is especially helpful during presentations, lectures, or documentation of molecular mechanisms.
How It Works
To use the Disassemble animation in SAMSON:
- Select the group of structural nodes or meshes you want to separate. If nothing is selected, SAMSON will attempt to guess which nodes to affect.
- Go to the Animation panel of the Animator and double-click on the Disassemble effect.
- The selected elements will be visually separated between two keyframes. You can adjust these keyframes to control the timing of the animation.
What’s handy is that the amplitude of the disassembly (how far things move apart) is calculated automatically when the animation is created. But if you need more (or less) separation, you can tune the amplitude manually via the Inspector.
Why It Matters
This tool is especially helpful in educational or collaborative settings. For example, if you’re teaching molecular biology and want to show how a protein complex is assembled, you can use Disassemble to reveal the individual chains or domains. Researchers presenting at seminars can use it to break down complex assemblies into understandable components.
You can even customize how the disassembly progresses between keyframes by modifying the easing curve, allowing for linear, smooth, or even dramatic motion profiles depending on your narrative goal.
Practical Tip: Animate Twice
For dynamic storytelling, combine Disassemble with its counterpart, Assemble. You can start with a disassembled view, rotate or zoom in, then reassemble the structure to show it in action — all while keeping the viewer oriented throughout the transformation.
Want to Try It?
To learn more and follow the full instructions for using this animation, visit the Disassemble animation documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.