In structure analysis and molecular communications, presentation matters. Whether you are making a tutorial, preparing a presentation, or building interactive models, dynamic motion is often better than static views. Yet, animating molecular data in a purposeful and meaningful way is not always intuitive.
This is where the Rock animation in SAMSON can help. This simple yet effective motion effect helps you highlight important parts of a molecular system by creating a subtle back-and-forth movement around their center—providing depth, clarity, and visual appeal with minimal effort.
What is the Rock Animation?
The Rock animation causes a selected group of particles to rock gently around their geometric center. The movement is computed around the Z-axis and adds rotation that feels natural yet eye-catching.
This is especially useful for:
- Emphasizing a site or group of atoms in a structure
- Creating engaging molecular presentations for teaching or collaboration
- Drawing attention without overwhelming the viewer with complex motion
Getting Started in Two Steps
Adding this effect into your own project takes just a minute:
- Select the group of atoms or particles you want to animate. You can use SAMSON’s selection tools to choose atoms based on name, type, or spatial region. Learn more about selection options here.
- Apply the Rock animation by double-clicking it in the Animation panel, found inside the Animator. This inserts two keyframes with the rotation behavior.
After this, you can adjust the placement of the keyframes on the timeline to control the timing of your animation.
Customizing Motion
The Rock animation also supports easing curves. These curves help you customize how your animation accelerates and slows down between keyframes, creating a more natural feel. You can access these under the Animator’s properties panel and experiment with different timings that fit your narrative. For technical details, refer to the easing curve guide.
Why Use It?
Unlike a continuous spin, a rock movement is rhythmic and bounded, making it perfect for subtle motion where clarity is key. For structural biologists, educators, or anyone crafting molecular visuals, it provides a smart balance of dynamics and stability. It’s also an effective way to provide a 3D sense of shape without distracting from the model.
Example in Action
Check out this public example, where the Rock animation has been applied to a protein structure:
To learn more about how to use the Rock animation and how it fits within SAMSON’s animation framework, visit the full documentation page: Rock Animation in SAMSON.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download the SAMSON platform at https://www.samson-connect.net.