Creating presentations in molecular modeling can sometimes feel a bit linear. Wouldn’t it be nice to pause at important points, like slides in a presentation, so the audience can take in the information bit by bit? If you are working with animations in SAMSON, the Stop animation provides a straightforward way to do exactly this! By strategically using the Stop animation, you can enhance the clarity and impact of your visual storytelling while keeping everything smoothly under control.
What Does the Stop Animation Do?
The Stop animation halts your molecular presentation at a selected frame. This gives you the opportunity to add emphasis or explain key details before moving on. To seamlessly resume, simply press the Space key or click the Play button in the Animator controls panel. It’s an ideal way to divide your animation, presenting it like clearly defined slides for better communication and understanding.
For example, imagine presenting the folding pathway of a protein. Each key intermediate structure could be its own “slide” in your animation, thanks to the Stop effect. This adds structure and makes it easier for others to follow your narrative.
How to Add the Stop Animation
Implementing the Stop animation in your workflow is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Find and double-click on the Stop animation effect. This action will place a keyframe at the current frame of your animation.
- If needed, you can move the keyframes to adjust their timing and location in the animation sequence. This gives you flexibility in precisely when the animation stops.
Quick Tip
Keyframes can be adjusted anytime, so feel free to experiment with placement until you achieve the desired effect.
Take Your Animations to the Next Level
Pausing at key points in an animation isn’t just a technical feature—it’s a way to build better narratives. By integrating Stop animations into your workflow, you can make your molecular presentations more polished, informative, and compelling. Plus, combining Stop with other effects like Pause allows you to refine your animations even further.
For detailed instructions and additional tips, visit the full documentation on Stop animations.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON from here.