Molecular modeling can be challenging—not because the science isn’t exciting, but because complex tools often come with steep learning curves. You may install a powerful platform like SAMSON and still struggle with getting started: Where do you build structures? How do you simulate motions? Where’s the button that visualizes force fields?
Instead of getting lost in manuals or videos, you can now dive right into learning directly inside SAMSON thanks to a built-in feature that’s easy to overlook but incredibly useful: interactive tutorials.
What are interactive tutorials in SAMSON?
Think of these tutorials as step-by-step guides that live right inside the SAMSON platform. They provide contextual assistance as you work, meaning you learn by doing—not by watching a screen or scanning documentation. They’re designed to walk users through a wide array of tasks, ranging from basic navigation to advanced modeling operations.
Who are they for?
Whether you’re a student just starting to explore molecular modeling, or a seasoned scientist adopting new workflows or Extensions, the tutorials adapt to your level. Instead of a flat, passive format, each step is built interactively and highlights relevant tools and sections of the interface, accelerating the learning experience.
How to use them
To use SAMSON’s interactive tutorials:
- Open the SAMSON application.
- Navigate to Help > Tutorials.
- Select a tutorial of interest.
- Click Start tutorial and follow the real-time prompts.
Each tutorial unfolds with on-screen instructions and visual focus: the software dims unnecessary UI and highlights the current area relevant to your task. This interaction-first approach helps reinforce memory and reduces the trial-and-error time many users typically face.
Pause, stop, and restart freely
Need to take a break or switch tasks? No problem. You can stop a tutorial at any time simply by closing the tip window in the upper-right corner of the Viewport. Tutorials can be restarted later from the same Help > Tutorials menu.
Beyond the core platform
If you’re working with SAMSON Extensions, there’s more. Dedicated tutorials for Extensions are also available, offering task-specific guidance as you explore diverse functionality added by the SAMSON community. You can find those here.
Learning to model becomes less about deciphering user interfaces and more about exploring your ideas. By embedding tutorials in the platform itself, SAMSON bridges the gap between intention and execution.
Whether you’re building biomolecules or simulating interactions, try turning on a tutorial before launching your next task. It might just save you hours of backtracking.
To explore more about SAMSON’s interactive tutorials, visit the official documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.