One of the recurring challenges in molecular modeling is presenting molecular dynamics in a compelling and intuitive way. If you’ve ever tried to create a smooth animation of a ligand moving through a binding pocket or a protein folding over time, you know how tricky it can be to go beyond static snapshots. This is where SAMSON’s Play path animation comes in handy.
The Play path feature in SAMSON lets you visualize the movement of molecular systems over time by animating paths stored in the model. This is especially useful when working with simulation trajectories or morphing between conformations.
What is a Path?
In SAMSON, a path is a type of node that stores a trajectory. It can represent anything from a precomputed simulation result to a morphing movement between two molecular states. Once a path is created or imported, the Play path animation lets you bring it to life.
How It Works
To begin, choose a path you wish to animate. Simply double-click the Play path animation effect in the Animation panel of the Animator. The whole path will be played between two animation keyframes.
Don’t worry if your animation has a different number of frames than your trajectory—SAMSON has you covered. It automatically smooths the path to fit the animation timeline. This can be useful for interpolating long movements or minimizing jerky transitions. However, if you prefer to stick to your original data without smoothing, you can turn this feature off in the Inspector.
Synchronizing Multiple Paths
If your project involves multiple molecules or conformational changes happening in parallel, you can select multiple paths when applying the animation. SAMSON will synchronize these paths, coordinating their playback between the same keyframes. This is especially useful when demonstrating interactions between multiple components of a large molecular assembly.
Tweak the Animation Curve
To further refine your animation, adjust how interpolation occurs between frames via the Easing curve. This gives you control over acceleration and deceleration of the movement, which can make your results feel more natural or more scientific, depending on your context.
Flexible Keyframe Control
Keyframes in SAMSON animations are easily adjustable. This means you can fine-tune the beginning and end of the playback path and control the timeline for your visual story more precisely.
Why This Matters
The ability to animate a trajectory might seem minor compared to setting up simulations—but it plays a major role when sharing your insights with colleagues, teaching molecular concepts, or preparing for presentations. A well-crafted animation can illuminate behaviors hidden in raw data tables.
To explore this feature in more detail, visit the original documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.