When manipulating molecular structures, it’s easy to make small changes that have big consequences—like accidentally moving an atom… or several. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to precisely adjust or revert attributes of different parts of your molecular model, SAMSON’s Inspector provides a straightforward solution.
Whether you’re tweaking positions or changing node types, the Inspector gives you organized access to all editable—and non-editable—properties of your selection. Let’s explore how understanding the difference between modifying absolute vs. relative attributes can save you both time and frustration in your workflow.
What Does the Inspector Actually Show?
The Inspector in SAMSON displays groups of attributes depending on the type of node you’ve selected: atoms, residues, bonds, etc. These attributes are sorted in a hierarchy to keep things manageable.
For example, select a residue with all its descendants, and you will see multiple groups of attributes. You can edit attributes like position, visibility, or temporary metadata depending on the node type. Some attributes, such as atomic weight or element symbol, cannot be modified directly because they are defined inherently by the element itself.
Editing Multiple Nodes – A Common Pitfall
One of the frequent challenges comes with selecting multiple nodes—say, a group of atoms—and trying to move them. Did you know that how you move them depends heavily on whether the Relative option is enabled?
With Relative ON: all atoms maintain their internal geometry while you move the group as a whole. Perfect for moving a ligand into a new conformation.
With Relative OFF: all atoms are set to the same specified coordinates—useful in rare cases, but more often a source of unintentional distortions.
Don’t worry if you make a mistake—SAMSON’s robust history feature allows easy undo operations.
Fine-Tuning with Filtering
Instead of scrolling through long attribute lists, take advantage of the Inspector’s filtering function. Type in a keyword like position to instantly find all related attributes for the currently selected nodes.
It’s an especially useful method when working with complex systems. Not only do you reduce visual clutter, but you also decrease the chance of editing the wrong field.
Revert Values with a Double-Click
Accidentally entered the wrong value for an attribute? No need to start over. Just hover over the label for that attribute. If the cursor changes, double-click the label to reset the field to its default value:
Takeaway
SAMSON’s Inspector is more than a display panel—it’s a control hub for precise molecular editing. Taking the time to understand how group selections, relative movements, and filtering work can significantly streamline your modeling tasks and reduce sources of error.
To learn more, visit the official documentation page on Inspecting.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON here.