Creating engaging and informative animations is often a challenge in molecular modeling, especially when trying to convey 3D structures and spatial relationships clearly. One recurring issue modelers face is how to make their molecular presentations more dynamic without overwhelming the viewer. If you’re preparing animations for teaching, publications, or molecular design discussions, adding subtle motions can help your audience better understand the molecular geometry.
This is where the Rock animation in SAMSON comes in handy. It provides a straightforward way to apply a rocking movement to a group of atoms around their geometric center. This subtle oscillatory motion helps highlight structural features by creating a slight parallax effect—perfect for presentations or educational videos.
What Does the Rock Animation Do?
The Rock animation rotates a selected group of particles around a vector aligned with the Z-axis, passing through the centroid (geometric center) of the group. It’s a smooth, reversible back-and-forth motion that mimics a cradle-like swing, highlighting molecular structure and depth through movement.
This animation is particularly effective when you want to:
- Enhance the 3D perception of a molecule’s shape
- Keep a structure visually engaging without constant rotation
- Demonstrate local symmetry or arrangement of atoms
Here’s how it looks in practice:
How to Add the Rock Animation
Getting started with the Rock animation in SAMSON is simple. Follow these steps:
- Select a group of atoms you want to animate. You can learn more about selection in the selection guide.
- Open the Animator via the Animation panel.
- Double-click the Rock animation effect. This will automatically create a pair of keyframes, and the atoms within the group will begin performing the rocking motion.
- Adjust the timing by dragging the keyframes to extend or shorten the rocking cycle as needed.
The Rock animation becomes even more flexible when paired with SAMSON’s easing curve editor. By adjusting the interpolation method through the Easing curve, you can fine-tune the speed and smoothness of the rocking motion. For example, smoother or more abrupt swings can better match your presentation’s tone or emphasize certain steps in a molecular process.
Why Use the Rock Animation?
Small motions like rocking can be all you need to keep a viewer attentive. Unlike full rotational animations (which are also available in SAMSON), rocking offers a subtler alternative that doesn’t distract but still conveys depth and spatial arrangement. It’s particularly useful when showcasing ligand binding, β-sheet arrangements, or highlighting conformational differences in proteins.
You can see a live example here: 2BRD – Rock animation
To learn more, visit the official Rock animation documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/rock/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON here: https://www.samson-connect.net