Controlling the flow of a molecular presentation can be surprisingly challenging. Whether you are preparing an animation for a lecture, building an online tutorial, or presenting a research project, timing and clarity matter. One common frustration molecular modelers face is the lack of fine control over when an animation pauses, especially when trying to explain complex interactions step-by-step. That’s where the Stop animation effect in SAMSON comes in.
In SAMSON’s Animator tool, you can prepare molecular animations to present interactions, simulated dynamics, or structural transitions. But what if you want to split your animation into “slides,” stopping at specific moments to allow for explanations? That’s exactly what the Stop animation is for.
What Is the Stop Animation?
The Stop animation is a simple yet effective command that halts your animation at a specific frame. This allows you to pause the narrative exactly where you want it, and only proceed at your own pace—or that of your audience. To resume the presentation, you (or your audience) can press the Space key or use the Play button in the Animator controls.
Why This Matters
If you’ve ever tried to explain a complex conformational change, a ligand docking event, or an energy minimum transition, you know how important it is to pause at just the right time. Otherwise, key visual cues can pass by too quickly, leaving learners confused or missing important details. By using Stop animations, you’re able to turn a continuous video into an interactive molecular story.
How to Add a Stop
Here’s how to add the Stop animation in SAMSON:
- Open the Animator tool in the interface.
- Locate the Animation panel.
- Double-click on the Stop effect. This will insert a stop keyframe at the current frame of your animation.
- You can move this keyframe at any time to better align with the desired moment in your presentation.
Tip:
You can move keyframes freely, which means you can refine the stopping points in your animation even after viewing it live.
Use Case: Molecular Slides
Imagine you’re presenting the allosteric regulation of an enzyme. You want to show:
- The binding of an allosteric inhibitor.
- The resulting conformational change.
- The effect on the active site.
With Stop animations, you can pause after each step, giving yourself or your narrator time to explain. It’s like creating molecular “slides” that viewers can control, step by step.
For more details, check out the full documentation here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/stop/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.