In molecular modeling, visual clarity is key. Whether you are preparing educational content, publishing research, or just trying to better understand a complex structure, being able to control what appears and disappears from your view can make a big difference. But there’s a subtle issue modelers often face: how to remove elements from view without them vanishing abruptly and disrupting visual continuity? That’s where SAMSON’s Disappear animation comes in handy.
This animation makes selected nodes progressively disappear by increasing their transparency—a more visually appealing alternative to instant hiding. It helps guide viewers through a molecular narrative while maintaining a clean, professional look.
When to Use the Disappear Animation
You may want to use the Disappear animation when:
- You need to reveal internal molecular components by fading out outer layers.
- You want to transition between different modeling stages in a smooth fashion.
- You are preparing presentations, videos, or keyframes where visual continuity matters.
How It Works
The Disappear animation can be applied only to nodes that support transparency, such as:
- Structural models
- Visual models
- Meshes
- Labels
For atoms and bonds, apply the animation to their structural model instead, since individual atoms and bonds don’t have an opacity property.
Creating the Animation
Follow these steps to set up the Disappear animation in SAMSON:
- Select the nodes you want to gradually disappear.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click the Disappear animation effect.
- SAMSON adds four keyframes by default:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2: nodes are fully opaque.
- Between 2 and 3: nodes fade by becoming more transparent.
- Between 3 and 4: nodes are fully transparent (invisible).
- Adjust the keyframes to control the timing of the visual fade.
You can also customize how transparency evolves between keyframes through the Easing curve, giving you smoother or more dramatic transitions depending on your presentation style.
Practical Example
The example below illustrates both Appear and Disappear animations in action:
This is particularly useful in video abstracts, molecular walkthroughs, or step-by-step visualizations of chemical processes.
Why It’s Useful
Animations like Disappear help molecular modelers create more engaging and informative content. Instead of jumping from one configuration to another, your viewer follows a clear progression—almost like peeling back layers. This subtle control over visibility can be the difference between confusion and insight.
To learn more, visit the official documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/disappear/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.