A common source of friction in molecular modeling is not knowing which tool is currently interpreting your clicks or keystrokes. You may intend to select a region, move a structure, or generate a nanotube—but the active tool determines how SAMSON responds to those interactions. A useful first step is to treat the editor as the current interaction mode, rather than as a permanent property of the molecular structure.
In SAMSON, editors respond to user interaction events such as mouse and keyboard input. Examples include a rectangle selection tool, a rigid-body transform tool, a tool for deforming structures while preserving local rigidity, and a nanotube generator. These editors may all work in the same viewport, but they serve different purposes. Before acting, ask: Am I trying to navigate, select, transform, or create? That small check can help prevent an interaction from being interpreted by the wrong tool.
Find the editor before you need it
Editors are available from the menu on the left side of the viewport. The Find everything search box at the top of SAMSON is another way to locate them. Once an editor is active, quick access commands for it are shown in the top-left corner of the viewport. This gives you three useful places to orient yourself: the editor menu to browse, search to locate, and the viewport corner to inspect commands for the current editor.
Remember: only one editor is active
SAMSON has one—and only one—active editor at a time. This is the key idea behind a predictable workflow. If an interaction does something unexpected, pause before repeating it. Check which editor is active, then choose the one that matches your intended task. For example, a selection task calls for a selection editor; a task that changes an object’s position calls for a transform editor. If you are creating something, such as a nanotube, choose the relevant generator editor.
This mental model is especially useful when switching between different kinds of work. Instead of assuming that every click has the same meaning, think of the active editor as setting the rules for the next interaction. After completing one task, deliberately switch to the editor needed for the next one. That simple habit can make it easier to understand why the viewport responds as it does.
Separate navigation, transformation, and other editing
Not every editor belongs to the same practical category. If your immediate problem is moving around the viewport, the dedicated Moving around reference covers view and selection editors. If you want to change how objects are positioned or oriented, consult Moving objects, which covers transforms, alignment, and distribution. Keeping navigation and object transformation mentally separate helps you choose a tool based on the result you want, rather than simply on where you are clicking.
For a specialized task, look for an editor designed for that kind of interaction. SAMSON includes editors by default, and additional editors can be added through SAMSON Connect. Editors are one family of SAMSON Extensions; the extension reference explains the broader context. If you are developing an editor, the documentation also points to the extension generator.
A quick check when an interaction surprises you
- Decide what you want to do: navigate, select, transform, or create.
- Find the editor that matches that task using the left-side menu or Find everything.
- Confirm that the intended editor is active; only one can be active at a time.
- Use the active editor’s quick access commands in the viewport’s top-left corner when needed.
- For navigation or transforms, use the focused references linked above.
This is not a complicated procedure; it is a way to make the current interaction mode visible in your own workflow. Once you know where editors are listed and remember that only one is active, it becomes easier to diagnose mismatches between what you intend and what SAMSON does.
For the full reference, visit Editors in the SAMSON documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.