One common challenge in molecular modeling is clearly and efficiently conveying dynamic behavior of systems, especially when preparing scientific presentations or instructional materials. Still images often fall short in highlighting spatial transformations, such as molecular rotations. This is where SAMSON’s Rotate animation effect becomes helpful for both educators and researchers alike.
If you’ve built a molecular system in SAMSON and need to visually demonstrate a rotation—whether to showcase symmetry, highlight functional group orientation, or compare conformations—a well-executed animation can make all the difference. The Rotate animation effect allows you to rotate a selected group of atoms or molecules around their geometric center. The rotation axis is aligned with the Z-axis and passes through the group’s centroid.
When to Use Rotate
This animation is especially useful when:
- Inspecting the symmetry of ring systems or crystalline structures
- Demonstrating dynamic behavior in molecular presentations
- Producing educational videos to show orientation changes
- Highlighting ligand position within a binding pocket
How to Add the Rotate Animation
Follow these simple steps to add a rotation effect in your project:
- Select a group of particles you want to rotate. This selection will define the centroid used as the center of rotation. You can learn more about selection tools here.
- Open the Animator panel. Double-click on the Rotate effect under the Animation panel. This adds an animation track between two keyframes.
- Adjust the keyframes to define the duration and timing of the rotation.
Note: The direction of rotation is fixed along the Z-axis relative to the selected group’s centroid. This makes it ideal for consistent rotations across various scenes within a presentation or video.
Customizing Interpolation
You have control over how the rotation progresses between keyframes. SAMSON supports easing curves, which allow you to define whether the motion starts slowly and accelerates, or moves at a uniform speed. Using easing curves can produce a more natural motion, especially helpful when illustrating biologically relevant conformational changes.
To modify these curves, visit the Easing Curve settings inside the Animator interface.
A Note on Evolving Interfaces
While older versions of SAMSON included animations in the Animation menu, the latest versions have consolidated these into the Animator panel for a more streamlined experience. Remember, all animations can now be found and managed within the Animator interface.
Adding even basic animations like Rotate can greatly enhance how molecular behavior is communicated to others. Whether preparing figures for a paper, assembling teaching materials, or showcasing your work at a conference, visual movement strengthens understanding—and sometimes even reveals patterns that static images miss.
To learn more, visit the Rotate animation documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.