Anyone who has ever built or edited a molecular system knows this familiar moment: the accidental click, the undesired transformation, or the misplaced edit. In complex modeling environments like SAMSON, one changed parameter can ripple through your workflow. That feeling of ‘oops’ used to be dreaded. But with SAMSON’s smart Undo and Redo functionalities, there’s a safety net for modelers.
Just like in document editors, modeling in SAMSON allows you to reverse many actions using Undo and Redo commands. What’s particularly powerful is that each molecular document in SAMSON has its own independent history. This means you can track and revisit changes within specific systems without affecting your work elsewhere.
Where to Access the History
To navigate a document’s history, open the History view via Interface > History, or use the shortcut:
- Ctrl + 3 on Windows and Linux
- Cmd + 3 on Mac
This opens the visual history panel, where past actions are displayed chronologically. This view allows you to move forward or backward through the modeling steps with a simple click.
Undo and Redo Shortcuts
You can also access Undo and Redo from the Edit menu or use keyboard shortcuts:
- Undo: Ctrl + Z (Cmd + Z on Mac)
- Redo: Ctrl + Y (Cmd + Y on Mac)
These commands are fast and intuitive—perfect for iterative modifications where immediate feedback is needed.
Why It Matters to Modelers
In molecular modeling, avoiding irreversible changes can save hours of work. SAMSON’s Undo/Redo system not only brings peace of mind but encourages experimentation. You can test a transformation, measure its effects, and effortlessly revert if needed. This fosters a safer, more agile design flow, especially when optimizing conformations, tweaking molecular geometries, or applying force fields.
Important Caveats
Note
Not all operations are undoable. If you perform a non-undoable action between two undoable actions, the redo/undo stack may be broken. As always, save your work regularly.
Visual Feedback Helps
The animated History View makes it easy to track structural adjustments and alternative states. It’s especially valuable when working with large biomolecular systems where changes may not be obvious at first glance.
With this system in place, modelers using SAMSON are encouraged to explore more freely, iterate faster, and reduce fear of mistakes.
To learn more, visit the full documentation page on History: Undo and Redo.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.