A molecular presentation can be scientifically clear and still be difficult to follow if it moves continuously. Viewers may need a moment to inspect a structure, read a label, or understand what changed between two views. As the presenter, you may also want to explain a result before moving on. A useful fix is to build deliberate pause points into the presentation.
In SAMSON, the Stop animation stops the presentation at a specified frame. The presentation stays there until someone resumes it by pressing Space or clicking the Play button in the Animator’s controls. This makes Stop useful for dividing a presentation into slide-like sections: the animation reaches a chosen point, waits for the audience, and continues when you are ready.
Plan pauses around the story
Start by identifying moments when the audience should have time to take in information. For example, you might want a pause after introducing a molecular structure, before moving to the next part of your explanation, or at a point where you plan to discuss an observation. The Stop animation does not decide what those moments should be; it gives you a way to place a clear break in the presentation’s timeline.
Think of each stop as a boundary between sections. If your presentation has several distinct parts, a stop at the end of one part can prevent the next part from starting before you have finished speaking. You can then resume playback when the group is ready. This is especially helpful when presenting live, where the right amount of time to spend on a view can depend on questions or discussion.
Add a Stop at the frame you need
- Open the Animator and find the Animation panel.
- Double-click the Stop animation effect. SAMSON places its keyframe at the current frame.
- Check where the keyframe sits in the timeline. If the pause should happen elsewhere, move the keyframe to the frame you want.
- During playback, resume from the stop with Space or the Play button in the Animator’s controls.
The placement detail matters: adding the effect uses the current frame, so choose that frame intentionally—or move the keyframe afterward. You do not need to treat the first placement as final; Stop animation keyframes can be moved.
Check the pause before presenting
After placing a Stop, play through the presentation and check that it pauses at the intended point. If it stops too early or too late, adjust the keyframe and test again. A quick playback check helps you confirm that the pause supports the explanation rather than interrupting it unexpectedly.
Keep the interaction simple for your audience: when the presentation stops, explain that playback resumes with Space or the Play button. This small cue can make the pause feel intentional instead of like a playback problem. If what you need is a different kind of interruption, SAMSON also documents a separate Pause animation.
Stop is a small timeline tool, but it can help solve a common presentation problem: giving people enough time to understand what they are seeing. For details, see the Stop animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.