When presenting molecular simulations or structural results, small visual choices can significantly impact how viewers perceive your work. One subtle yet powerful way to guide attention and make transitions smoother is by using background animations to switch between scenes.
In SAMSON, the molecular design platform, the Set background animation allows molecular modelers to enhance presentations by controlling what appears behind molecular systems as the animation progresses. Whether you’re highlighting conformational changes, zooming into interactions, or switching between molecular assemblies, this feature makes it easy to keep viewers oriented while also making each transition more visually appealing.
Why background transitions matter
Scientists often focus entirely on molecules, but the background can play a major role in the clarity of message—especially in talks, training, or video recordings. For instance, switching to a dark background might make charged residues stand out more, while a light or image-based background could be used to introduce context, such as aligning to a biochemical pathway or slide.
When multiple background keyframes are placed in a SAMSON animation, the platform automatically performs interpolations between them. This means you won’t have abrupt color jumps or image swaps—instead, you’ll get a smooth, controllable transition between backgrounds.
How to add a background animation
To create a background transition:
- Open the Animator in SAMSON and go to the Animation panel.
- Double-click on the Set background animation effect. This adds a keyframe at the current animation frame.
- Move ahead in time and add a second keyframe. You can now set a different background (color or image) for this point in time.
SAMSON will interpolate between the two backgrounds across the frames, creating a seamless visual change. This is especially useful when you move from one focus area to another and want to contextualize each scene in a more structured way.
Controlling the transition: Easing curves
Interpolation between backgrounds isn’t just linear—you can fine-tune the timing behavior using easing curves. In the Inspector, clicking on a keyframe provides access to the Easing curve editor. From here, you can control how fast or slow the background changes, helping you sync visual changes with the molecular events being shown (e.g. accelerating the background change to match a faster molecular transition).
This approach is especially helpful if you’re combining multiple visual layers—such as overlays, annotations, and large structural changes—within a single video or guided live session. By reducing sudden background jumps, you naturally increase the clarity and focus of the audience.
Adding context with images
You can also set an image as a background, such as a title slide, schematic, or experimental figure. Choose whether to contain the image within the viewport or use it as a full cover background. This flexibility makes it easier to transition between scientific explanation and data visualization during presentations.
Learn more and see additional visual examples in the full documentation: Set background animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.