When setting up molecular simulations, choosing the right type of unit cell can significantly impact both the accuracy and performance of your calculations. Yet, many researchers default to cubic boxes out of convenience or familiarity—often without realizing the computational advantages…

When visualizing dynamic molecular systems, it’s easy to lose track of critical components as they move during a simulation. This is especially frustrating when preparing explanatory videos or presentations: the atoms you’re trying to highlight drift off-screen, requiring constant manual…

If you’ve ever spent hours building a molecular model only to make one accidental change that unravels your carefully constructed scene, you’re not alone. Molecular modeling often requires experimentation, and mistakes are a natural part of a creative scientific process.…

Working across multiple tools is part of everyday life for many molecular modelers. Whether you’re running simulations, analyzing structures, or working with docking engines like AutoDock Vina, jumping between interfaces and formats can slow down workflows and increase the chance…

If you’ve ever created molecular animations in SAMSON and noticed that your selected atoms or components disappear too late — or not when you expected — you’ve likely encountered the common issue of timing and control in visibility-based transitions. The…

Have you ever created a molecular animation, only to feel like it didn’t quite bring the attention exactly where you intended? Maybe you tried using a simple zoom, and while the camera got closer, the movement lacked fluidity or precision…

Communicating complex molecular processes often requires showing how a molecule forms or changes over time. But static images — or even basic animations — can fall short when you’re trying to illustrate a structural assembly or interaction step-by-step. One of…

Clarity and visual communication are major challenges in molecular modeling. When crafting animations to illustrate complex molecular phenomena—such as binding events, structural adjustments, or phase transitions—it’s common to feel limited by basic visualization tools. Animations can quickly become cluttered or…

Working with coarse-grained (CG) models is a common strategy for simulating larger molecular systems with reduced computational cost. However, when preparing these systems for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, one subtle but critical issue often trips up even experienced modelers: the…

In molecular modeling, clear communication is essential. Whether you’re presenting a mechanism to collaborators or preparing a visual for publication, controlling the visibility of molecules or molecular fragments at specific times can dramatically improve audience understanding. This is where the…