When creating molecular presentations or animations, timing is everything đź•’. Whether you’re preparing a communication video, building an educational resource, or capturing a memorable moment in a simulation, one pain point many molecular modelers face is how to reveal parts of a molecular system just when they are needed—without clutter, without overwhelming the viewer.
This is where the Show animation in SAMSON makes a significant difference. Defined by its ability to make nodes (molecular entities, groups, or visual elements) appear at a keyframe and remain visible until the animation ends, it offers an efficient and clear way to guide the viewer’s attention with minimal distraction.
What does the Show animation actually do?
The Show animation is designed to make selected nodes visible starting at a precise moment in time—specifically, at keyframe 2 of a designated 3-keyframe animation sequence. These nodes stay hidden in keyframes 1–2 and appear from keyframe 2 onwards.
Unlike transparency-based transitions, this effect toggles visibility, making it computationally straightforward and visually unambiguous—especially when working with large models with nested or hierarchical structures.
Why molecular modelers find this useful
Imagine you’re crafting an animation to explain how a ligand binds to a protein. Initially, you might want the viewer to focus only on the binding pocket. That’s when you keep the rest of the system hidden. At just the right moment—when you’re ready to introduce a cofactor, or a solvation layer—you can use the Show animation to bring them into view, cleanly and without abrupt cuts or opacity tricks.
This is particularly helpful for:
- Stepwise educational walkthroughs
- Controlled progressive reveals in simulations
- Highlighting interacting partners or structural rearrangements
How to use the Show animation
- Select the nodes you want to reveal.
- Double-click the Show animation in the Animation panel of the Animator.
- Adjust the keyframes:
- Nodes are hidden between keyframes 1 and 2.
- Nodes appear at keyframe 2 and remain visible until keyframe 3.
You can reposition keyframes to control exactly when your content is revealed.
Tip: Controlling Interpolation
The animation’s timing curve can be fine-tuned via the Easing curve parameter, allowing a smoother or more abrupt transition that fits the style of your animation.
Note: The image below illustrates the Show animation in action. You can see how nodes are introduced at the chosen moment in the timeline. This kind of controlled visibility simplifies storytelling in molecular animations.
To learn more, visit the full documentation page on the Show animation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.