One of the common challenges molecular modelers face is presenting molecular dynamics and interactions in intuitive and visually clear ways. If you’re working with SAMSON, the powerful molecular design platform, you might already know that animations can be crucial for showcasing structural movement. Today, let’s explore the Undock animation and its potential to simplify your molecular presentations.
Why Use the Undock Animation?
The Undock animation is specifically designed for moving groups of atoms or meshes away from their docked positions in your model. This is particularly useful if you’ve docked molecular groups and want to simulate or visually describe their positional adjustments as they “undock” from a receptor or surface, making it ideal for creating insightful visualizations of dynamic processes.
For example, when simulating the detachment of a ligand from a receptor site, the Undock animation easily computes the movement while creating visually engaging simulations. The final undocked positions are automatically calculated, ensuring your results are smooth and require minimal manual adjustments.
How to Apply the Undock Animation
Applying the Undock animation to your structure is straightforward. Follow these steps:
- Select at least two structural nodes (such as atoms or meshes). The first node will act as the static receptor, while the other nodes represent the components to be animated. Want multiple receptor nodes? Simply group them into a folder and select the folder as the receptor.
- Open the Animation panel within the Animator interface.
- Double-click the Undock animation effect to apply it. If no nodes are selected, SAMSON will automatically attempt to guess the applicable components.
As the animation is created, the positions of the selected components will undock between two keyframes. You have full control over these keyframes: reposition them as needed to modify your animation sequence.
Fine-Tuning Your Animation
The Undock animation doesn’t lock you into a rigid movement pattern. By using the Inspector, you can change the amplitude of the animation movement to match your desired simulation scale. Additionally, the Easing curve allows for customization of the parameter interpolation between keyframes, giving your animation a polished, professional touch.
Seeing the Undock Animation In Action
Animations are most effective when you can visualize them. The GIF below demonstrates how the Undock animation works, making it easier to understand its potential applications:
With this animation, you can create compelling presentations or educational materials, helping others interpret the dynamic processes in your molecular designs.
Learn More
The Undock animation is part of SAMSON’s comprehensive animation toolkit, designed to make molecular modeling more accessible and visually clear. To dive deeper into how to use this feature and integrate it into your workflow, visit the full documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/undock/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.