Mastering Molecular Precision with SAMSON’s Move Editors.

If you’ve ever struggled with precisely repositioning or rotating molecular structures during your modeling workflows, SAMSON’s Move Editors could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Designed to provide control down to the atomic level, these editors empower molecular modelers with tools to align, translate, and rotate objects with precision.

Understanding the Move Editors

SAMSON offers three main types of Move Editors to facilitate structure manipulations:

  • Displacer Editor: Move objects within the plane of the camera by directly dragging elements.
  • Local Move Editor: Enables translation and rotation along the principal axes of the selection. Perfect for fine adjustments.
  • Global Move Editor: Lets you manipulate objects along the global XYZ axes for broader or reference-oriented transformations.

These Move Editors are easily accessible from the left-side menu of the SAMSON viewport. Let’s dive into the Local Move Editor to better understand its capabilities.

Local Move Editor in Action

The Local Move Editor (M) is a particularly versatile tool for complex manipulations. Here’s how you can use it effectively:

Translation

The Local Move Editor offers widgets specifically designed for translations using a combination of arrows and planes:

  • Central translation widget (cross with arrows) allows for movement in the camera plane. Click and drag to reposition the molecule with ease.
  • Side translation widgets (straight arrows and planes) assist with translations along the selection’s local axes.

The axis translation widget (highlighted in yellow) of the local move editor

Rotation

Rotate the molecule with several options at hand:

  • Curved arrows represent side rotation widgets to rotate along principal axes with precision.
  • The trackball widget (sphere) enables free rotation for maximum flexibility.
  • Right-clicking on a widget provides alignment options like aligning to global axes.

The trackball of the local move editor with a rotation widget highlighted in yellow

Snapping

Sometimes, exact positioning and rotation are critical. Enable snapping in the top-left corner of the viewport or through “Preferences” (Interface > Preferences > Editors > Snapping). Snapping ensures that movements are restricted to predefined increments, such as 0.5 Å for translations or 10° for rotations.

Viewport menu: snapping

Precise Adjustments

For molecular modelers who depend on absolute precision, SAMSON lets you provide exact values for translation and rotation. Right-clicking on widgets or using Ctrl / Cmd + left-click brings up input options for precise control.

Editing Dihedral Angles

Structure refinement often requires specific dihedral adjustments. The Local Move Editor simplifies this task: click on a bond’s segment to define a pivot, and rotate the attached fragment using a dedicated widget.

Edit dihedral angle

Why Use SAMSON for Molecular Manipulations?

Unlike generic editing software, SAMSON combines an intuitive interface with scientific rigor. Whether you’re designing new molecules, optimizing structures, or visualizing complex systems, the Move Editors reduce complexity and enhance productivity.

To discover the full power of the Move Editors, refer to the official documentation page at Moving Objects Documentation.

Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.

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