If you’re a molecular modeler creating animations of complex molecular systems, you’ve likely run into this challenge: too many elements vying for attention in your scenes. Whether you’re showing conformational changes, reaction mechanisms, or protein-ligand interactions, excess visual clutter can make it hard for your audience to focus on what’s important.
This is where the Hide animation in SAMSON comes into play — a simple but effective way to remove distraction and guide attention during molecular animations.
Why “Hide” Instead of “Fade”?
Many users attempt to fade out objects when they want to remove them visually, but the Hide animation works differently. Rather than gradually adjusting transparency, it switches the visibility parameter of nodes, making them disappear instantly at a defined keyframe. This allows for precise control of what is shown and when — ideal for breaking your sequence into clear visual steps.
How It Works
To apply the Hide animation:
- Select the nodes you want to hide.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click Hide.
- Edit the keyframes:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2, the nodes are visible.
- At keyframe 2, the nodes disappear and remain hidden until keyframe 3.
You can drag the keyframes along the timeline to align them with other animation events as needed.
When Should You Use It?
The Hide animation is particularly useful in these cases:
- Transition sequences: Switch focus between different parts of a structure by hiding non-essential components.
- Before & after comparisons: Show an initial state, then hide it to reveal a final or altered state.
- Stepwise mechanisms: Emphasize each molecular transformation by hiding previously displayed intermediates.
Extra Tip: Combine with Other Animations
Since the Hide animation effectively compresses both the Shown and Hidden animations into a single action, it simplifies your animation timeline and reduces clutter. Still, it works well in tandem with animations like Appear or Flash for dramatic sequence transitions.
Fine-Tuning: Adjusting the Easing Curve
While visibility itself toggles instantly, you can still adjust how other animated properties behave around the hide transition by adjusting the Easing curve for surrounding animations. This can smooth the overall flow of your presentation.
If clarity and storytelling are important in your molecular visualizations, the Hide animation offers an effective, minimalistic way to structure complex scenes. By removing visual noise exactly when needed, you provide viewers with a better understanding of the story you’re telling at the molecular scale.
To learn more, see the original SAMSON documentation page on Hide animation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/hide/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.