A molecular scene can become difficult to follow when every structure, group, or other node is visible from the beginning. Viewers may have to search through a crowded model to understand what matters, while a presenter has to explain why a component is relevant before it has even entered the story.
The Show animation offers a simple way to stage that information: selected nodes remain hidden for the opening part of the animation, appear at a chosen keyframe, and stay visible through the ending keyframe. This is a visibility change—not a gradual change in transparency—so it is useful when you want a clear reveal rather than a fade.
Use visibility to guide attention
Imagine presenting a molecular assembly in stages. You might first discuss the structure already on screen, then introduce a selected set of nodes at the moment they become relevant. By keeping those nodes out of view until that point, you can help the audience focus on one part of the explanation at a time.
The same approach can help when preparing a recorded walkthrough or a presentation with several visual beats. Instead of adding and removing objects manually while explaining, you can use keyframes to define when the chosen nodes enter the visible scene.
Set up the reveal
- Select the nodes you want to reveal. Think of this selection as the scope of the animation: the Show effect is applied to the nodes you chose.
- Add Show by double-clicking the Show effect in the Animation panel of the Animator.
- Review its three keyframes. Between keyframes 1 and 2, the specified nodes stay hidden. At keyframe 2, they appear. Between keyframes 2 and 3, they stay visible.
- Move the keyframes to place the reveal where it belongs in your presentation. You can reposition them as needed, so you do not have to keep the animation at its initial timing.
For example, if you want a component to appear after you have introduced the surrounding structure, place the appearance keyframe after that opening explanation. The timing is controlled by the keyframes, while the selected nodes define what is revealed. This separation makes it easier to revise the pacing without rebuilding the selection.
Know what the effect does—and does not do
Show combines the behavior of the Hidden and Shown animations in one effect: the nodes are hidden first, then visible for the remainder of the animation. Because this is controlled through node visibility rather than transparency, do not expect the nodes to gradually become more opaque. If your intent is a fade-like visual transition, Show is not described as providing one.
You can also change how parameters are interpolated between frames by modifying the easing curve. This gives you a way to adjust interpolation behavior without changing which nodes the animation targets. If your reveal is happening at the wrong point, first inspect the keyframe positions; if you want to adjust interpolation, inspect the easing curve.
Preview the result
After adding the effect, play through the animation and check two things: whether the nodes stay hidden for the intended opening, and whether they remain visible after the reveal. If the scene feels too crowded before the reveal, check that you selected the intended nodes. If the reveal occurs too early or too late, move the keyframes. These small checks can make a presentation easier to follow without changing the molecular model itself.
Animations are accessed through the Animation panel in the Animator. The older Animation menu shown in the example movie is no longer present; presentation actions are available through the Animator’s controls.
For the complete instructions, see the Show animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.