Molecular modelers often face a recurring challenge: loading data from a wide variety of molecular and structural file formats. Whether you’re working with PDB files, electron density maps, or custom formats from instruments or collaborations, importing that data seamlessly into your molecular modeling software is often a bottleneck in your workflow.
SAMSON, the integrative platform for molecular design, addresses this with a flexible system of dedicated importers. These are extensions that handle parsing and loading of specific types of files—like PDB structures, volumetric electron densities, and more.
What exactly is a SAMSON Importer?
A SAMSON importer is a module that knows how to read a specific file format and translate it into the 3D structural data and properties that SAMSON can work with. Think of it as a specialized translator that ensures information stored in different file types is correctly loaded into your workspace.
Out of the box, SAMSON provides importers for many commonly used file types. These include formats like PDB, MOL2, XYZ, and a range of volumetric and field data formats. This means you can start modeling using structural information from BMRB, the Protein Data Bank, or your quantum chemistry outputs right away.
Getting more (when the default isn’t enough)
Sometimes, though, the format you need isn’t supported by default. For example, your lab might use a niche data format for electron density or simulation trajectories. Or perhaps you’re developing a new experimental method and need to visualize resulting output files quickly in SAMSON.
In such cases, don’t worry. You can add more importers from SAMSON Connect. SAMSON Connect is an online platform where developers and users share Extensions, including importers. Just find the one you’re looking for, and with one click, add it to your SAMSON installation.
If you can’t find the importer you need, the SAMSON team encourages you to contact them directly. Chances are you’re not the only one with that need, and your request could help guide future development.
Writing your own importer
For scripting-savvy users and developers, SAMSON offers tools to create custom importers. This is ideal if you’re working with internal formats, prototyping new modeling techniques, or just want tight integration between your data pipelines and visualization tools. Start by reading the guide on generating SAMSON Extensions, and learn how to register your own file formats and handlers.
Why importers matter
Without flexible, reliable importers, molecular designers often get stuck on trivial tasks—writing wrappers and conversion scripts, or worse, manually reformatting data. This breaks flow, costs time, and increases errors. With SAMSON’s importer system, you get a scalable and extensible way to integrate structural data fast, no matter where it originated.
Want to know more? Visit the official documentation for the full details on SAMSON importers: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/importers/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.