For molecular modelers, accurately tracking and documenting measurements such as bond lengths, angles, and distances is often a critical, yet time-consuming task. With SAMSON’s Measure editor, this process becomes both streamlined and efficient. In this blog post, we’ll explore how measurement labels in SAMSON provide an elegant solution to organizing and enhancing your modeling workflow.
Why measurement labels matter
Whether you’re analyzing a molecule’s structural properties, running simulations, or documenting results for further study, having a clear and organized way to track measurements is crucial. But what happens if your measurements disappear after zooming or navigating away from your viewport? Or worse, if you lose your temporary measurements after your next action?
This is where SAMSON’s measurement labels come in, providing a way to store these measurements directly in your document. Labels not only make measurements persistent but also adaptable, visually clear, and customizable.
Using the Measure editor
The Measure editor is accessible via the left-side menu in SAMSON’s viewport or by using the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + M. Once active, it allows you to:
- Measure bond lengths by clicking on a bond.
- Display the distance between two atoms by selecting them.
- Calculate angles between three atoms or dihedral torsions between four atoms.
These measurements are initially temporary, meaning they’ll automatically disappear once you perform another measurement – unless you choose to save them as labels. To save a measurement as a label, simply press the Enter key. This ensures your data remains part of your document and can be revisited or further analyzed later.
Advantages of labels
Measurements saved as labels offer several benefits:
- Longevity: Saved labels are tied to your document and persist even after closing SAMSON, provided you save the document in
.samor.samxformats. - Customizable appearance: Change attributes like font size, text color, and line color to suit your preferences or highlight critical measurements.
- Adaptability: Labels automatically update if the positions or charges of related atoms change, making them ideal for dynamic modeling scenarios like simulations.
- Rich visualization: For distance measurements, additional data like projections on planes can be accessed in the Inspector. This can provide deeper insights into your molecular structure.
Color and font customization
Measurement labels in SAMSON can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Using the Inspector, you can:
- Adjust the colors of distance lines, angle planes, and text for clarity or emphasis.
- Modify the label’s font and size.
If needed, you can easily reset to default colors and text options. For example, double-clicking on a label’s line or angle color resets it, while clicking the 
icon clears text color.
Don’t forget to explore the settings under Preferences > Rendering > Labels. This section allows you to define default label fonts and fine-tune the number of decimal places used for distances and angles.
Maintaining clarity and focus
One of the most significant advantages of using labels lies in their intelligent visibility. Measurement labels adapt to zoom levels and remain visually clear during any adjustment. This ensures that your measurements are readable without cluttering the viewport, even for complex molecular models.
If you’re not yet leveraging labels for molecular analysis in SAMSON, now’s a perfect time to incorporate them into your workflow. They simplify measurement tracking and provide a professional edge to your molecular modeling documentation.
To learn more about measurement labels and other features in SAMSON, visit the official documentation page.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.