Molecular modelers often face the challenge of creating animations that clearly communicate specific dynamics while maintaining the integrity of certain structural elements. A common pain point is keeping certain atoms fixed in position as other parts of the structure move during the animation. This can be crucial for emphasizing localized motion or ensuring key regions remain unchanged between keyframes. Thankfully, SAMSON’s Hold atoms animation provides a simple yet effective solution. Let’s explore how you can use this feature to create precise and compelling molecular animations.
What Is the ‘Hold Atoms’ Animation?
The Hold atoms animation is designed to keep selected atoms fixed at their positions between two keyframes. This ensures that important regions, such as a binding site or an anchor point in a molecular complex, remain stationary while other areas of the model move. Whether you’re animating a docking process or illustrating dynamic rearrangements, this feature can bring clarity and focus to your presentation.
Step-by-Step: How to Use the ‘Hold Atoms’ Animation
To get started, follow these steps:
- Select the group of particles you want to keep fixed. Use the selection tool in SAMSON to identify the atoms or residues that should remain in place across keyframes. For more guidance on selection, you can refer to the Selection Documentation.
- Locate the ‘Hold atoms’ animation effect in the Animation panel. This is part of the Animator interface.
- Apply the effect by double-clicking on ‘Hold atoms’ in the Animation panel. The selected group of particles will now be constrained at their original positions.
- Adjust the keyframes. You can freely move the keyframes of the animation along the timeline to tailor the animation to your specific needs. This flexibility ensures that your animation flows smoothly while the fixed atoms remain stationary.
For a visual illustration, check out the following example, which combines the ‘Hold atoms’ and ‘Move atoms’ animations:
Enhancing Presentations with Examples
To dive deeper into real-world use cases, SAMSON Connect offers several example presentations that utilize the ‘Hold atoms’ animation. These include:
- 2AZ8 – Dock animation: A demonstration of docking dynamics.
- 2XQ6 – Assemble animation: Illustrates the assembly of molecular components.
- 5SAT – Dock animation: Another example focusing on docking.
These examples show how fixing specific atoms with ‘Hold atoms’ can bring clarity and accuracy to even the most complex molecular presentations.
Conclusion
The ‘Hold atoms’ animation in SAMSON is a valuable tool for molecular modelers looking to emphasize specific structural components while animating dynamic processes. Its flexibility and ease of use make it a reliable choice for creating polished and informative animations. To learn more, visit the original documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/hold-atoms/.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.