Creating effective molecular animations can be time-consuming, especially when you’re trying to convey subtle structural changes or transformations in a clear and controlled manner. Whether you’re preparing a scientific presentation or building an educational visualization, you’ve probably found yourself wrestling with how to make atoms move precisely the way you want between different structural states. SAMSON offers a simple yet powerful way to tackle this challenge using keyframed animations—all within the Move atoms animation effect.
This functionality allows you to animate atoms by specifying their positions at key points in time, letting SAMSON automatically interpolate their motion in between. If you find yourself needing to show a chemical process, a mechanical deformation, or even a dynamic nanosystem, keyframing atoms can help keep your animations both effective and intuitive.
How to Add Keyframes
Once the Move atoms animation has been applied to selected atoms (by double-clicking it in the Animation Panel inside the Animator), you’re ready to start adding keyframes:
- Click in the animation track at the point (in time) where you want your atoms to reach a new position.
- Move the atoms to their desired location using the animation controllers or preferred editing tool.
- A keyframe is automatically created to lock this new position.
This is especially helpful when designing step-by-step molecular mechanisms or when you want precise control over movement sequences. You can move or remove these keyframes later to make adjustments.
Switching Between Editors
While the Move atoms animation comes with its own controllers, there may be situations where you prefer to use other editors like the Twister editor for rotation or a different Move editor for translations.
In that case, you can simply hide the Move atoms animation controllers by unchecking them in the Document view. Then, select your desired editing tool, apply the transformations to your system, and add another keyframe at the desired time frame. Afterward, just switch back to the Select editor.
Refining the Animation
Animations between keyframes can be further refined by:
- Adjusting the easing curve to change interpolation behavior.
- Switching smoothing on or off depending on the type of motion you want to depict.
A linear interpolation can help show constant-speed movement (ideal for manual motions or controlled transitions), while easing might be better for simulating acceleration and deceleration, such as in mechanical systems.
Final Tips
Don’t forget, you can always move or delete existing keyframes. Simply right-click on a keyframe in the Animator’s Track View and select Remove keyframe to delete it. This makes editing very flexible—no need to start from scratch if you change your mind.
To learn more and see example animations, visit the full documentation page at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/move-atoms/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.