For molecular modelers, efficiently analyzing and presenting structures can be a challenge, especially when juggling large and complex datasets. Labels are vital for identifying structural features—but what happens when your viewport becomes overwhelmed with text? Understanding how to tailor the visibility of labels in SAMSON can provide the clarity you need during analysis and presentations.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to control label visibility in SAMSON effectively, ensuring that your workspace remains intuitive and visually streamlined. You’ll also learn how zooming behavior impacts label visibility, and how you can adjust it based on your preferences.
Switching Labels On and Off
The first step to manage label visibility is learning how to toggle labels on and off. In SAMSON, you can control a label’s visibility directly from the Document View by ticking or unticking each label. This allows you to selectively display only the information that’s most relevant to your task.
How Zooming Impacts Label Visibility
One of SAMSON’s unique features is the way label visibility adjusts when zooming in and out. When you zoom out, labels for smaller nodes—like atoms—disappear, while larger nodes such as molecules retain their labels. Zooming back in has the opposite effect. This progressive display mechanism keeps your viewport free from label clutter while still providing essential contextual information as you zoom.
Customizing Visibility via Radii
What if the default zoom-behavior doesn’t quite meet your needs? You can personalize when labels appear and disappear by adjusting the maximum and minimum display radii. These parameters are accessible in the Inspector. Select the label you want to edit, and then change its visibility boundaries according to your preferences.
This level of control is particularly useful for presentations or when focusing on specific details of your system. By setting visibility radii, you can ensure that your important structural cues are always clear without overwhelming the viewport.
Why Visibility Control Matters
Tailoring label visibility is not just an organizational trick—it directly impacts the efficiency and precision of your work. Whether you’re presenting findings to colleagues or analyzing molecular competitions, ensuring only the most pertinent information is displayed can save time, reduce errors, and improve communication.
Want to fine-tune your label visibility or explore other labeling features in SAMSON? Head over to the official documentation to learn more.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON today at www.samson-connect.net.