Presenting molecular models isn’t just about accurate structure—it’s also about telling a clear story. Whether you’re preparing a conference presentation, a teaching video, or a visual inspection of an interaction site, sometimes you need viewers to pause and reflect on what they’re seeing.
This can be especially important for scenes showing complex events, such as docking or conformational changes. If the animation moves too quickly through a key frame, the audience might miss important details. That’s where the Pause animation feature in SAMSON comes in handy.
Why Use Pauses in Molecular Animations?
When communicating using animations, pacing matters. Skipping over frames too quickly may confuse viewers, particularly when they’re trying to interpret subtle structural changes in a protein, ligand binding orientations, or rearrangements of complexes. Introducing timed pauses allows you to:
- Draw attention to key events or configurations
- Create time for explanation during voiceovers or live presentations
- Let viewers digest structural information before moving on
Adding a Pause in SAMSON
To add a pause, go to the Animation panel in the Animator. Double-click on the Pause animation effect. A keyframe will be inserted at your current frame position. Don’t worry if it’s not exactly where it should be—you can adjust its position anytime.
Note
You can always move the keyframes of the animation to better match your narrative.
Customizing Pause Duration
The length of the pause is adjustable. Once the animation node is selected in the Document view, go to the Inspector to set the duration in seconds.
This makes it simple to add, for instance, a 5-second pause at the moment a ligand docks with its target, allowing your audience to fully appreciate the binding interaction.
Example: Highlighting a Binding Site
Imagine you’ve created an animation showing a drug candidate approaching its receptor. The frames beautifully capture the motion, but your audience keeps asking what residues are involved in binding. A pause at the right keyframe gives you a window to:
- Highlight binding site residues
- Show residue labels
- Zoom in for clarity
- Verbally comment or add text annotations
This small tweak can significantly increase how much your audience retains from your animation.
Final Thoughts
The Pause animation in SAMSON is a simple but powerful tool to improve the effectiveness of your molecular presentations. Especially in educational, collaborative, or publication-prep contexts, it helps ensure your audience doesn’t miss important details.
To learn more about how the Pause animation works in SAMSON, visit the official documentation page here.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.