Not Sure About Your CNT Parameters? Build Them Interactively Instead

If you’ve ever tried to model carbon nanotubes (CNTs), you’ve probably run into the challenge of selecting the right n and m parameters. These parameters define the chirality and radius of a CNT—fundamental structural elements that impact its electronic and mechanical behavior. But what if you’re exploring a new nanostructure and don’t yet know what values to use? Here’s a lesser-known but powerful feature in SAMSON that helps solve this exact problem: building carbon nanotubes interactively, directly in the viewport.

Instead of predefining parameters, you can visually define both the length and radius of a nanotube by simply clicking and dragging your mouse. It’s especially useful during exploratory phases of your modeling workflow, when you’re experimenting with different topologies or just trying to get a ‘feel’ for spatial relationships in your system.

Step-by-Step: Building a CNT with a Mouse 🖱️

  1. Activate the Nanotube Creator Editor in SAMSON:
    – Either go to … > Materials > Nanotube Creator in the viewport menu
    – Or press Shift + E and type “Nanotube Creator”
  2. Set the axis and length:
    Press and drag the left mouse button to define where the nanotube starts, ends, and which direction it orients.
    Nanotube creation step 1
  3. Adjust the radius:
    Once you’ve set the axis, release the mouse button, move your mouse to change the tube’s radius (and the underlying m parameter), and click again to confirm it.
    Nanotube creation step 2

Why Use This Approach?

  • Visual feedback: As you build, the status bar shows the current n and m values being generated. This enables you to hit structural targets without trial-and-error parameter guessing.
  • Faster prototyping: You can quickly sketch out tubes for testing before refining them via the graphical interface or editing tools.
  • Spatial control: You define the position and alignment of the CNT manually—useful when docking or integrating with other molecular parts.

Of course, once you have a better idea of the parameters you want, you can always switch to the GUI-based interface to input precise values. The interactive and GUI-based methods in SAMSON complement each other well depending on whether you’re brainstorming or fine-tuning designs.

Advanced Tip 💡

This method is ideal for creating custom nanotube environments for molecular transport or drug delivery simulations, especially when structure-function relationships rely heavily on geometry. Matching dimensions visually instead of guessing parameter sets can save time, especially in early-stage model design.

For more information, including how to export or simulate your CNT designs, visit the full documentation page here:
Build carbon nanotube models – SAMSON Documentation

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

Comments are closed.