When creating molecular presentations or studying molecular interactions, conveying motion effectively is often a key challenge. Molecular modelers may struggle to emphasize subtle structural dynamics or make their models feel more alive during presentations. If you’ve ever had a hard time making a molecular structure stand out visually, especially when explaining its spatial architecture to students or collaborators, the Rock animation in SAMSON might be the simple solution you need.
The Rock animation gently oscillates a selected group of atoms or molecules around their centroid, pivoting around an axis aligned with the Z-direction. This subtle rocking movement can bring static structures to life — without overwhelming the viewer — and is especially useful for focusing attention while maintaining spatial awareness.
Why Rock?
In static 3D visualization, depth and spatial orientation can be difficult to perceive. Turning on the Rock effect creates a smooth back-and-forth motion that gives the audience a much better sense of the three-dimensional structure. Whether you’re working with proteins, ligands, or full molecular assemblies, Rock enhances perception without the need for rotations that may disorient the viewer.
How to Apply the Rock Animation
Adding the Rock animation in SAMSON is simple:
- Select a group of particles. This can be anything from a ligand to a full complex. Use SAMSON’s selection tools to define your target.
- Open the Animator, then the Animation panel.
- Double-click on the Rock effect to apply it to the selection.
The effect is applied between two keyframes, enabling you to control the timing and duration of the rocking movement. You can move the keyframes to adjust when and how fast the animation plays. This gives you flexibility over storytelling in your scene.
Fine-Tuning the Motion
SAMSON lets you customize how smooth or abrupt the motion feels by editing the easing curve. For example, using an “ease-in-ease-out” curve gives the animation a more organic feel, ideal for fluid transitions in a presentation. A linear curve, by contrast, keeps the motion steady and mechanical. Experiment with easing options to match the tone of your project.
When to Use the Rock Animation
Consider applying the Rock animation in scenarios such as:
- Highlighting a binding site on a protein
- Emphasizing a single domain in a large molecular complex
- Making your academic or professional presentations more dynamic
- Creating looping animations for poster sessions or videos
Remember, the goal of using Rock is not to animate realism, but to communicate relationships and structures more clearly.
To explore examples that use this feature, check out this document on 2BRD – Rock animation.
To learn more, view the full documentation page for Rock animation on SAMSON’s User Guide here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/rock/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.