Effective molecular visualization is a critical task for molecular modelers striving to communicate complex data to colleagues, collaborators, or audiences. One common challenge is finding ways to enhance focus on critical portions of a molecule—or removing distracting details entirely. If you’ve ever needed a simple yet elegant way to gradually make atoms disappear in your molecular animation projects, SAMSON’s ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation could offer the perfect approach.
Why Use the ‘Conceal Atoms’ Animation?
The ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation allows you to make specific atoms (and the bonds between them) progressively disappear between defined frames in molecular animations. Unlike changes in transparency, this method manipulates the visibility of nodes directly, ensuring a clean and clear result. It’s a useful solution when you want to isolate certain molecular structures or drive attention to specific regions, while maintaining a professional and comprehensible flow of information.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding the Animation
Wondering how to integrate this effect into your animation? It only takes a few intuitive steps:
- Select Atoms and Bonds: Begin by choosing the atoms and bonds you’d like to progressively disappear from view. This step lets you control which parts of your structure will noticeably fade out in the animation.
- Add the Animation Effect: Open the Animation panel in SAMSON’s Animator. Double-click the ‘Conceal Atoms’ effect to apply it.
The animation is structured around four keyframes, where each part of the effect is carefully defined:
- Between keyframes 1 and 2: all specified atoms (and any bonds between them) remain fully visible.
- Between keyframes 2 and 3: the atoms and bonds progressively disappear based on their order in the selection.
- Between keyframes 3 and 4: all selected atoms and bonds are fully hidden.
This flexibility lets you adjust the timing and sequencing of the concealment for maximum control. You can also move the keyframes at any time to refine your animation’s flow.
Fine-Tuning the Experience
To tailor how the animation transitions occur over time, SAMSON lets you modify the Easing curve. By adjusting the parameters of the curve, you can create smoother or more dynamic conceal effects depending on your needs.
Examples for Inspiration
Need real-world inspiration? Here are a few examples of molecular presentations on SAMSON Connect – Documents that employ this animation:
Both feature clever uses of the ‘Conceal Atoms’ animation to streamline the visualization of molecular structures and keep viewers engaged.
Learn More
To explore this feature further and take your molecular visualizations to the next level, visit the documentation page at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/conceal-atoms/.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.