If you spend hours in front of a molecular modeling interface, every click counts. A cluttered layout or an inefficient arrangement of tools can make your scientific journey feel unnecessarily long. Fortunately, SAMSON offers a highly customizable interface that allows you to tailor your workspace for better focus, speed, and comfort. Whether you’re building a macromolecular complex, analyzing trajectories, or programming your own apps, customizing your environment can help reduce friction and cognitive load.
Why Customization Matters
Molecular modelers often juggle multiple perspectives: structural data, analysis outputs, editing tools, simulations, and visualizations. Efficient navigation between these components is essential. Instead of re-opening windows, resizing panes, or digging through menus repeatedly, a personalized workspace streamlines your actions—especially for repetitive tasks.
Drag and Dock: Rearranging Key Panels
In SAMSON, several interface components—called widgets—can be moved, docked, or undocked freely. For example, you can reposition the Document view, Inspector, and History to any part of the screen via drag-and-drop. This allows you to place the most important widgets within easy reach, or even on a separate monitor.
To dock or undock a widget:
- Click and hold its title bar
- Drag it to your desired location
- Release the mouse to dock
Many SAMSON Extensions also add their own interactive widgets. The interface adapts automatically, letting you dock multiple widgets together or organize them into tabs.
Quick Visibility with Shortcuts
Need to hide part of the interface temporarily or bring back a panel you’ve closed? Look no further than keyboard shortcuts. SAMSON lets you toggle components on and off using simple key combinations like:
Ctrl+1/Cmd+1for the Document viewCtrl+2/Cmd+2for the InspectorCtrl+3/Cmd+3for the HistoryCtrl+0/Cmd+0for SAMSON AI
This makes it easy to switch between immersive 3D modeling and detailed parameter control without ever lifting your hands from the keyboard.
Save Your Layout
The layout you create isn’t lost when you close SAMSON. Your customized interface is saved and reloaded the next time you start the application. This is especially useful if you develop a consistent workflow and want to pick up right where you left off.
Star Your Favorites
Do you use specific commands, apps, or editors repeatedly? Mark them as favorites by clicking the star icon (⭐) when hovering over options in the “Find everything” search. These selections then appear at the top of your menu or in the Viewport menu, allowing faster access.
Pin Windows for Always-On-Top Access
Some windows (such as Apps) feature a “Pin” icon that keeps them on top of other interface components. This is useful for tools you want visible at all times—like a Python console, animation timeline, or job monitor.
Workspaces: Different Layouts for Different Needs
Sometimes, one single layout doesn’t fit all tasks. You can switch between different workspaces in the top-left corner of the menu to match your current task, be it simulation, design, editing, or analysis.
To learn more customization options and explore the full documentation, visit the SAMSON First Look page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.