When you open a molecular modeling workspace, the structure itself is only part of what you need to understand. You may also need to find a command, inspect selected atoms, review an action, or add a molecule. If you are new to SAMSON—or returning after changing your layout—it can be hard to know which part of the interface to look at first.
A useful starting point is to treat the interface as a set of areas with distinct jobs. Once you know what each one is for, you can spend less time searching and more time working on the model.
Start with the six areas you will use to orient yourself
- Viewport: the 3D view of your document. This is where you see the molecular structure.
- Document view: a structural representation of the document. Use it when you need to orient yourself in the document’s contents.
- Inspector: access parameters for chosen nodes, such as atoms, residues, and molecules.
- History: a list of actions that have been performed.
- Asset Browser: access asset libraries for adding atoms, fragments, and molecules while constructing systems.
- Animator: create a presentation and add or modify animation effects.
The menu is another important landmark: it provides access to commands, workspaces, and open documents. Its contents are populated by installed SAMSON Extensions, so the available functionality can depend on which extensions are installed. The status bar may also display messages.
Find a command without guessing where it lives
If you know what you want to do but not which menu contains it, try Find everything at the top of the menu. It can search available commands, apps, editors, and documentation. This is a practical first step when following instructions or exploring a feature: search by the name of the task or tool rather than opening menu sections one by one.
You can also add commands, apps, and editors to favorites from search results by clicking the star icon that appears when you hover over them. Favorites appear in special sections near the top of the ribbon menu and in the Editors viewport menu. This can make frequently used tools easier to reach without changing the underlying document.
Bring back a panel with a shortcut
When a panel is hidden or you simply want to focus on a particular part of the workspace, the Interface menu can show or hide interface areas. The documented shortcuts are also a quick way to reach key panels:
- Document view: Ctrl+1 on Windows/Linux, Cmd+1 on macOS
- Inspector: Ctrl+2 or Cmd+2
- History: Ctrl+3 or Cmd+3
- Asset Browser: Ctrl+4 or Cmd+4
- Animator: Ctrl+7 or Cmd+7
Other documented shortcuts include the Periodic Table (Ctrl/Cmd+5), Job Manager (Ctrl/Cmd+6), Python console (Ctrl/Cmd+8), Code Editor (Ctrl/Cmd+9), and SAMSON AI (Ctrl/Cmd+0). On macOS, use Cmd; on Windows and Linux, use Ctrl.
Make the workspace fit the task
Panels such as Document view, History, and Inspector can be rearranged by dragging their title bars. Widgets can be docked together, or moved to another position; release the mouse where you want the widget to sit. You can also switch workspaces to change how the menu is represented. The interface arrangement you customize is saved and loaded the next time you open SAMSON.
For a simple orientation routine, first identify the viewport and Document view, then open the Inspector when you need parameters for selected nodes. Use History when you want to review performed actions, and use Find everything when you cannot remember where a command or tool is located. This small mental map is often enough to get unstuck without learning every panel at once.
For the full interface reference and additional panel details, see SAMSON Interface. To continue with camera control and viewport navigation, see Moving around. You can also return to the First look: the interface documentation page.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.