When preparing molecular animations, one frequent need is to focus attention on specific molecular components: hiding solvent molecules, intermediate structures, or complementary domains in large biomolecular complexes. Instead of manually fiddling with visibility toggles frame by frame, SAMSON provides a streamlined way to manage visibility dynamically through the Hide animation effect.
If you’re using the SAMSON platform for visualizing and presenting molecular systems, learning how to properly use the Hide animation can save you considerable time and help create clearer, more focused visualizations. In this post, we’ll explore how the Hide animation works, how it differs from transparency, and who might benefit most from using it in their research.
What Does the Hide Animation Do?
The Hide animation makes selected nodes (atoms, molecules, surfaces, etc.) disappear at a specific keyframe and keeps them hidden until the animation ends. The key distinction: this animation adjusts node visibility, not their transparency. This is important when you want objects to completely disappear from the rendered scene, for instance, when showing the structural evolution of a folded protein or ligand approach without visual clutter.
When Is It Useful?
- To highlight only the active site of an enzyme by temporarily hiding unrelated regions.
- To remove solvent particles in the middle of a simulation for clearer visuals before reintroducing them later.
- To isolate and showcase key binding events across stages of a molecular docking process.
How to Use It Step by Step
- Select the nodes you want to hide.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click on the Hide animation effect.
The animation includes three keyframes:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2, the nodes remain visible.
- At keyframe 2, the nodes disappear.
- Between keyframes 2 and 3, the nodes remain hidden.
This tri-keyframe system gives you precise control over the timing of visual transitions in your animation. Keyframes can be moved freely along the timeline to match the desired progression of your story or simulation.
A Small Tip: Easing Curves
If you want to add a sense of natural motion or delay to related animation effects, consider modifying the easing curve. Though not directly applicable to visibility (since it’s not interpolated), using consistent easing across other concurrent animations can improve the overall smoothness.
Visual Example
Below is an example of the Hide animation applied in a molecular sequence. Note how the targeted structure disappears visibly and does not transition through transparency:
Conclusion
Whether you’re crafting a presentation or clarifying complex structural transitions, the Hide animation provides a straightforward way to remove distractions and guide the viewer’s attention effectively.
Learn more from the official documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON here.