When presenting complex molecular transformations or simulations, one of the most frustrating problems molecular modelers face is jittery or discontinuous motion. Whether you’re creating animations to communicate results or to better understand molecular processes, the key to clear, compelling molecular presentations is smooth transitions.
This is where SAMSON’s Move atoms animation with keyframe-based control becomes especially useful. Instead of manually capturing each motion frame-by-frame or relying on scripted paths, you can now use keyframes to intuitively define atomic positions at different stages, and let SAMSON interpolate the transitions. This results in clean, continuous movements—ideal both for scientific communication and exploratory model editing.
What is a Keyframe?
In animation, a keyframe marks a specific point in time where the properties of an object—such as position, orientation, or scale—are explicitly defined. For molecular animations, keyframes capture the spatial configuration of atoms at particular points in a timeline.
SAMSON uses these to create smooth interpolated transitions from one conformation to another.
Steps to Animate Atom Movements with Keyframes
If you’ve never used animations in SAMSON before, this method can help you get started quickly:
- Select atoms you want to animate in the model.
- Double-click the Move atoms animation effect in the Animation panel (within the Animator).
- This automatically creates the starting keyframe.
- Then, go to a future point in the animation track and manually position the atoms in their destination configuration. A new keyframe will be added.
Between these two points, SAMSON will interpolate the positions of atoms to create smooth motion.
Refining Control with the Animator
You can move keyframes by simply dragging them within the animation timeline. This allows easy adjustment of timing, which can make a big difference when demonstrating dynamic processes such as reaction mechanisms or ligand docking.
If you want to fine-tune the interpolation style, change the Easing curve in the Inspector. This alters how speed is distributed between keyframes—useful to insert pauses or accelerate transitions naturally.
Using Other Editors While Animating
If Move atoms animation controllers are visually cluttering your workspace or limiting your editing style, you can hide them. Simply uncheck the animation controllers in the Document view and use other tools like the Twister editor or Move editors to manipulate atom positions. Once done, add a new keyframe from that transformed state.
When Should You Remove a Keyframe?
Sometimes, you may want to smooth out or rework parts of your animation. To remove a keyframe, just right-click on it in the Animator’s Track view and select Remove keyframe.
This non-destructive approach gives you flexibility as you refine animations for clarity or effect.
Takeaway
If you’re creating molecular animations that feel disjointed or clunky, chances are you’re not leveraging the power of keyframes. With just a few clicks, SAMSON allows you to produce smoother, more accurate representations of molecular motion—making your presentations easier to understand and visually appealing.
To learn more about the Move atoms animation and its uses, visit the official documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/move-atoms/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download it at https://www.samson-connect.net