Producing clear and informative molecular visuals can be challenging when you’re limited by dull or overly simplified representations. If you’re working on molecular simulations, drug discovery, or simply trying to better illustrate complex biomolecular interactions, having control over how your models look is essential. SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, addresses this with its integrated Cycles Renderer, offering intuitive material customization options to help scientists and modelers create more expressive and informative images.
Here’s how you can better control the appearance of your molecular models using Cycles in SAMSON.
Why Material Control Matters
Material properties affect how light interacts with molecular surfaces. By applying different materials—such as metals, glass, or emissive surfaces—you can guide visual focus and improve perception. For example, showing a metallic ligand inside a glass-like receptor pocket makes it easier for viewers to distinguish between the components and understand their spatial arrangement.
Material Categories Available in SAMSON
SAMSON lets you choose from several ready-to-use material presets, organized into intuitive categories:
- Metallic: carbon steel, copper, gold, silver, etc.
- Semi-metallic: brass, bronze, pearl, rust, etc.
- Smooth: ceramic, latex, marble, plastic, etc.
- Rough: concrete, granite, velvet, wood, etc.
- Emissive: glowing intensities to help highlight parts.
- Transparent: glass, ice, water, jade, etc.
You can quickly apply these presets from the Inspector.
Customizing Material Parameters
Once a preset is applied, you can tweak individual values for more precise control. In the Inspector, you can fine-tune settings like:
- Reflectivity
- Roughness
- Transparency
- Emissive strength
This provides you with the freedom to design visuals that match your scientific purpose and presentation needs.
Visual Examples
The following images show various uses of materials in molecular renderings, showcasing metal surfaces, transparency, and light effects to enhance scientific communication:
Quick Tips
- Use metallic presets to make active sites or ligands stand out.
- Apply transparencies to membranes or protein surfaces for an inside look.
- Use emissive materials for active atoms or important labels that need attention.
Video Tutorial
If you prefer visual guidance, this YouTube video walks through applying materials and presets in SAMSON:
Mastering material control in SAMSON can significantly improve how you communicate scientific ideas through visuals—whether for publications, presentations, or educational content.
To learn more, visit the full documentation on rendering at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/rendering/.