Have you ever looked at your molecular models and felt like something was missing? Even with high-resolution molecular visualizations, it can be difficult to perceive depth clearly—especially when working with intricate structures. This lack of visual depth may make it harder to communicate results in presentations, papers, or collaborative discussions.
This is where ambient occlusion can make a big difference. SAMSON, the molecular design platform, offers a rendering effect called ambient occlusion that improves the perception of depth, making your models easier to understand and visually more engaging.
What is Ambient Occlusion?
Ambient occlusion simulates the way light behaves in real-world environments—it assumes that regions more enclosed by geometry receive less ambient light, and therefore appear darker.
SAMSON supports two types of ambient occlusion:
- Screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAO): A faster approximation that works well for interactive viewing, but its accuracy depends on the distance to the camera.
- Object-space ambient occlusion: A more realistic (but slower) technique independent of the viewer’s perspective. It produces more consistent results for static renders.
When Does It Help?
If you’re modeling large biomolecules like proteins or DNA, or visualizing assemblies, using ambient occlusion helps reveal depth relationships between structural features. This is particularly useful when:
- You want reviewers or colleagues to quickly understand what they see in snapshots or videos.
- You need high-quality renders for scientific publications.
- You’re studying ligand interactions buried inside a protein structure.
How to Enable It in SAMSON
There are two main ways to enable and adjust ambient occlusion:
- Toggle it on quickly via Visualization > Options.
- Fine-tune it in the Rendering > Ambient occlusion section of the Preferences panel.
You can choose between screen-space and object-space, and adjust parameters like intensity and radius depending on your system and desired quality.
Visual Comparison
Here’s an example using the Ribbons visual model of molecule 1AF6:
Without ambient occlusion:
With screen-space ambient occlusion:
The model with ambient occlusion feels more three-dimensional and expressive. Surface folds and cavities are easier to distinguish, which is especially helpful when exploring receptor-ligand interactions or enzyme active sites.
A Practical Tip
Enable ambient occlusion when composing figures or animations, and disable it during fast exploratory modeling sessions to save GPU resources. Screen-space AO is a good compromise for most users and balances visual quality with performance.
Ambient occlusion is a small tweak that can make a big difference in how your molecular structures are understood. Clearer visuals mean fewer explanations and better communication across disciplines.
Learn more about rendering effects in SAMSON.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.