When you finally get that perfect view of your molecular model — maybe a key binding pocket, an optimized ligand pose, or a nicely minimized structure — you probably want to save it as a high-quality image. But the default screenshots might not meet your specific needs in terms of resolution, format, or transparency.
This is a common workflow roadblock for molecular modelers working on presentations, publications, or sharing findings with collaborators. If you’re using SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, you can avoid these headaches using the Capture Preferences panel.
In SAMSON, you can access Capture Preferences by going to Interface > Captures under the Preferences panel. On this screen, you can customize how snapshots of your viewport are generated, giving you full control over the way your molecular graphics are exported.
What You Can Customize
- Save Location: Specify the default folder for storing images captured via the F10 key.
- Filename Prefix: Customize the prefix used in filenames (e.g., “myStructure” results in filenames like “myStructure1.png”).
- File Format: Choose between JPG, PNG, or BMP based on your resolution and transparency needs.
- Image Size: Use the current viewport size or specify a custom size, such as 2× or 4× for high-resolution outputs ideal for print or HD presentations.
- Preserve Aspect Ratio: When resizing, keep proportions intact to avoid distorted images.
- Transparent Background: Particularly useful if you’re saving to PNG format and want to embed snapshots into slides or overlays without background interference.
Why These Preferences Matter
If you routinely save structural images for publication or reporting, predefined and reusable capture settings can save significant time. More importantly, they give consistency to your visualizations — something that’s especially helpful when preparing a series of figures or video sequences.
For example, using a consistent file format and resolution across all captures prevents mismatches in quality and style. Transparency can also be critical: presentations often benefit from images without a distracting background.
Instead of manually editing each capture in a third-party tool, you can let SAMSON handle it directly at the screenshot stage.
Small Setting, Big Time Saver
Paying attention to how you configure your capture preferences once can streamline your workflow indefinitely. Whether you’re building a figure for a paper or posting a molecular structure on social media, these options help you get precisely the output you need — clean, focused, and publication-ready.
You can learn more about all customization options by visiting the official SAMSON Preferences documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.