For molecular modelers, visualizing complex systems efficiently and effectively can be one of the biggest challenges. The intricate structures and significant visual data require tools that allow quick and customizable rendering. SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, offers a solution through its Visual Presets, designed to simplify the visualization process and bring your molecular systems to life effortlessly.
What Are Visual Presets?
Visual presets in SAMSON are pre-defined combinations of visual models and color schemes that can be applied to molecular systems in just a few clicks. These presets ensure that you can analyze structures or prepare stunning images or animations without needing to manually customize each parameter.
SAMSON provides a variety of default visual presets, and advanced users can also modify these or create entirely new presets to suit specific use cases. This flexibility allows you to adapt the visualization process to your specific research needs.
Applying a Visual Preset
To apply a visual preset, follow these simple steps:
- Navigate to Visualization > Visual preset in SAMSON.
- Select the desired preset from the list.
For example, the Protein-Ligand preset is perfect for showing key interactions in molecular docking studies. As shown in the image below, applying this preset can make complex systems much easier to interpret:
Need to go beyond the default options? Visit the Create Visual Presets section of the documentation to learn how to customize and save your own presets.
Realize the Power of Illustration
If you’re working on presentations, you might want your visualization to be not only informative but also visually appealing. SAMSON offers an illustrative visualization style for molecules, inspired by the RCSB PDB Molecule of the Month aesthetic. This preset can be accessed from the Visualization > Visual preset menu by selecting Illustrate….
This style applies:
- Van der Waals models with color coded by chain ID for receptors and ligands.
- An illustrative rendering style that is clean and impactful.
Here is an example of the illustrative visualization style applied to a molecular structure:
Why Use Visual Presets?
Beyond saving you valuable time, visual presets allow you to:
- Standardize visualizations: Use consistent styles across different systems or projects.
- Enhance communication: Clear and appealing visuals are essential for presentations, publications, or collaboration.
- Experiment efficiently: Quickly switch between presets to find the best visualization for your data.
Whether you’re preparing for a presentation, exploring molecular dynamics data, or documenting your research, SAMSON’s visual presets make visualization more intuitive and streamlined.
Learn More
Ready to make the most of SAMSON’s advanced visualization tools? Visit the official documentation page to dive deeper into visual presets and other visualization features.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get started today by downloading SAMSON at www.samson-connect.net.