When presenting molecular models, motion can be a powerful tool to enhance understanding and communication. A static image may capture a single perspective, but animating a molecule—particularly by rotating it—can highlight spatial features, reveal internal organization, and simply make your model come alive during a presentation or in educational content.
In SAMSON, the Rotate animation offers a straightforward way to create visually engaging rotations of molecular structures. This tool rotates a group of particles—such as atoms or molecules—around their geometric center, using the z-axis as the rotation axis. While this might sound simple, the effect can significantly boost clarity when showcasing molecular geometries or assemblies.
Why Rotation?
Rotation helps when dealing with dense or symmetric molecular systems where one frame isn’t enough. For example:
- Examine protein-ligand spatial orientations from different angles
- Visualize helical geometries more clearly
- Present supramolecular assemblies without manual camera manipulation
How to Add a Rotate Animation in SAMSON
Here’s how to create your own rotation:
- Select the group of particles you want to rotate. This can be done easily through SAMSON’s selection tools. More info on that here.
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Double-click on the Rotate animation effect to apply it to the selected group. The model will then rotate between two automatically created keyframes.
- Drag the keyframes along the timeline as needed to adjust the duration or timing of the rotation.
Fine-Tuning the Animation
Want the rotation to accelerate or decelerate smoothly? You can modify interpolation between keyframes using the Easing curve. This gives you finer control over how the motion unfolds across time.
Also, remember that you can edit and reposition keyframes anytime, which makes tweaking your animation less tedious and more adaptable to evolving project needs.
A Note About the Interface
If you’ve seen older examples or tutorials using the Animation menu, note that this interface has changed. All animation tools, including Rotate, are now available directly in the Animation panel of the Animator.
Using rotation can help others better comprehend your work, whether you’re explaining it in a classroom, publishing findings, or preparing slideshow visuals. It’s a small effort that can make a big difference in clarity.
To learn more about the Rotate animation in SAMSON, visit the original documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/rotate/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.