When preparing a molecular model for a presentation, it can be difficult to show which part of a complex is staying in place and which part is moving away. Manually repositioning groups can also make the sequence harder to revise. SAMSON’s Undock animation offers a simple way to stage that change: one selected node acts as the static receptor, while the other selected nodes are animated away from their docked positions.
This is especially useful when you want viewers to follow a structural transition in a presentation without losing track of the receptor. The animation automatically computes final positions away from the starting docked positions. It can be applied to groups of atoms or meshes.
Set up the selection before animating
The selection determines how the animation is organized, so take a moment to identify the receptor and the parts that should move:
- Select at least two structural nodes or meshes.
- Make the receptor the first selected node. The other selected nodes will be animated.
- If several nodes together form the receptor, put them in a folder and select that folder first. Select the nodes or meshes to be undocked as well.
- In the Animator, open the Animation panel and double-click Undock.
If nothing is selected, SAMSON will try to guess which nodes the animation should apply to. For a deliberate presentation, an explicit selection is a useful way to make clear which part is fixed and which part moves.
Shape the timing, then tune the movement
The selected nodes undock between the animation’s two keyframes. Move those keyframes to change when the movement happens in your presentation. This lets you adjust the timing without changing which nodes are involved.
The movement amplitude is computed automatically when the animation is created. If the separation feels too large or too small for the view you want to present, inspect the animation and change its amplitude in the Inspector. You can also adjust how parameters change between frames by modifying the Easing curve.
A practical sequence is to set the receptor and moving nodes first, create the animation, and then review the result at the intended presentation scale. Adjust the amplitude for a readable separation, and move the keyframes to give viewers enough time to see the change. Since keyframes can be moved later, timing can be refined as the rest of the presentation takes shape.
Use the animation for communication
Undocking can help make a structural arrangement easier to inspect on screen: the receptor remains in place while selected components move away. That visual separation can clarify which nodes belong to each part of the scene and make a before-and-after sequence easier to follow.
Keep the meaning of the visual clear, though. The documented animation describes a movement between keyframes; it should be treated as a presentation animation, not as evidence that a particular molecular dissociation pathway or mechanism has been established.
One interface detail: older tutorial footage may show an Animation menu that is no longer present. In current SAMSON, access animations from the Animation panel in the Animator.
For the full instructions and related details, see the Undock animation documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.