Anyone creating molecular animations knows how important it is to control how much of a structure is shown at each point in time. Whether you’re preparing a scientific presentation or building an educational video, there are moments when you want specific atoms or regions of a molecule to gradually appear, helping your audience focus and understand better.
In SAMSON, this is where the Reveal atoms animation comes in. Rather than relying on opacity or fading effects, it works with visibility toggles, progressively showing the atoms and bonds you’ve selected. This makes it ideal for step-by-step visual builds of molecular structures, especially when you want a cleaner and crisper progression without semi-transparent overlap.
Why this matters
If you’re a molecular modeler, you’ve probably run into this scenario: you want to unravel a complex molecule piece by piece, maybe beginning with a binding site and expanding outward. A smooth reveal, with precise control over which atoms appear and when, can make all the difference in how your audience interprets the structure.
Animations that reveal atoms progressively allow for a “molecular storytelling” approach—showing rather than telling what’s important, without overwhelming viewers with the full complexity all at once.
How it works
To use the Reveal atoms animation effect in SAMSON:
- Select the atoms and bonds you want to reveal.
- Double-click the Reveal atoms animation in the Animation panel of the Animator.
This will automatically insert four keyframes into your animation:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2: all selected atoms and bonds are hidden.
- Between keyframes 2 and 3: atoms and bonds progressively appear in the order of your selection.
- Keyframes 3 to 4: everything is fully revealed and visible.
You can adjust the timing of these keyframes manually to control the pace of the reveal. This gives you flexibility to align the animation with voiceovers, captions, or specific moments in your final media.
Fine-tuning the animation
SAMSON also lets you fine-tune the interpolation behavior via easing curves. These curves determine the speed and smoothness of the reveal, so you can create slow builds or snappy reveals depending on your needs. Whether you want a linear progression or a more natural acceleration, adjusting the easing curve adds nuance to your animation.
Visual example
Here’s a preview of how Reveal and Conceal animations can be chained together to tell a clear molecular story:
Try it out
The combination of selection-driven visibility and flexible keyframes makes the Reveal atoms animation especially helpful in interactive molecular presentations, educational demos, and publication-quality animations.
To explore the full documentation and learn how to integrate this animation in your workflow, go to the official page on Reveal atoms.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.