A molecular scene can become hard to follow when every structure, annotation, or other node remains visible throughout a presentation. You may want to focus attention on one part of a model, then remove it from view while continuing with the next step. The challenge is doing that at a precise moment without changing or deleting the underlying model.
In SAMSON, the Hide animation is designed for this kind of presentation task. It changes the visibility of selected nodes, rather than making them transparent. The nodes remain part of the scene; they simply become invisible for the specified portion of the animation.
Make a clean, timed transition
Hide uses three keyframes to define when the selected nodes are visible and when they are not:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2: the selected nodes stay visible.
- At keyframe 2: the selected nodes disappear.
- Between keyframes 2 and 3: they stay hidden.
This structure is useful when you want a component to remain on screen while you explain it, then clear it away at a particular point and keep the view uncluttered afterward. Because the change happens at keyframe 2, you can move the animation’s keyframes to adjust when the transition occurs. Think of the three points as a simple timeline: visible, switch off, remain hidden.
Build the effect around the story
Start by choosing the nodes you want to hide. Then, in the Animator, double-click Hide in the Animation panel. Once the animation is added, move its keyframes to match the sequence you want to present. For example, you might keep a selected set of nodes visible while introducing a part of the model, hide them when the explanation moves on, and leave them out of view for the remainder of that animation.
A useful planning question is: At what exact moment should this part stop competing for attention? Place keyframe 2 there. The first interval gives the selected nodes time on screen; the last interval keeps them hidden. This makes Hide particularly suitable for deliberate scene changes rather than gradual visual fades.
Hide is not a transparency fade
Visibility and transparency are different. Hide makes nodes disappear from view; it does not gradually make them more transparent. If your goal is a fade-like effect, look at the other animation choices available in SAMSON, such as Disappear or Appear, and choose the effect that matches the transition you want. Hide is the more direct choice when the intended result is simply visible, then hidden.
The animation’s parameter interpolation can also be adjusted using its Easing curve. Since Hide works through visibility, do not treat easing as a way to turn it into a transparency change. Instead, use the keyframe positions to control when the hide event takes place, and consider the easing setting when adjusting interpolation between frames.
Check the sequence before presenting
After adding Hide, play through the relevant section and check three things: the selected nodes are visible for the interval you intend, they disappear at keyframe 2, and they remain hidden through keyframe 3. If the result feels mistimed, move the keyframes rather than changing the model itself. This keeps the presentation sequence easy to revise.
One interface detail to keep in mind: older demonstrations may show an Animation menu that is no longer present. In current SAMSON workflows, animations are accessed through the Animation panel in the Animator, and presentation actions are available through the Animator’s controls.
For the full instructions, see the Hide animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.