Molecular modelers frequently collaborate with peers across institutions, labs, or disciplines. The challenge? Sharing complex structures, simulation setups, or project files without cluttered inboxes or confusing version histories. If you’ve ever sent a sensitive file over email or lost track of who has access to what document, you know the pain. Thankfully, SAMSON Connect offers precise and flexible document sharing — and it’s worth discovering how it works.
Instead of juggling cloud drives, struggling with permissions, or ending up with duplicates of the same file, SAMSON Connect lets you manage access through visibility settings and user or group rights — all from one place. Below is an overview of how document collaboration works within the SAMSON environment:
Step 1: Publishing a Document
From the SAMSON desktop interface, choose Home > Publish to start uploading your project document to SAMSON Connect.
You’ll be prompted to enter a title and a description, and then define who should be able to see and use the document:
- Public: Anyone on SAMSON Connect can view and use the document. Editing rights must be granted separately.
- Hidden: Only people with the direct link can find and use the document.
- Restricted: You control precisely who can view or edit the document.
Once published, you’ll get a link immediately. You can refer others to that link or change individual permissions later on.
Step 2: Managing Your Documents
Access all your shared files from the Documents section of your user menu in SAMSON Connect.
If you’re the owner or an editor of a document, you’ll be able to change its description, rename it, or adjust its access rights.
Want someone else to view only or contribute edits? You can selectively add users or even entire groups and specify what they’re allowed to do. This makes it easy for project leads to ensure that collaborators — internal or external — access only necessary documents.
Why This Matters
From molecular models to simulation logs, research data can become chaotic when multiple collaborators are involved. Sending attachments back and forth can lead to file mismatches, and relying on external tools (like shared drives) doesn’t offer the customized access control that research work often requires.
SAMSON Connect makes sharing easier, so you can focus on your science — not file logistics. Whether you’re working solo, within a research group, or across organizations, you maintain control over visibility and editability without needing separate software.
To learn more about sharing and collaboration in SAMSON, visit the official documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/collaboration/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.