Visualizing molecular structures is essential for making sense of complex biomolecular systems. But when it comes to presenting those structures — whether for a publication, a presentation, or collaborative exploration — the style of rendering can make a big difference. Too often, molecular modelers spend a substantial amount of time adjusting individual visualization parameters just to get a figure to look “just right.”
This is where rendering presets in SAMSON can make your workflow more efficient and your images more consistent. Think of rendering presets as pre-packaged sets of visual settings — light, fog, shadows, ambient occlusion, and more — that you can switch between with a couple of clicks.
Why rendering presets can save your time
Instead of manually adjusting multiple rendering effects for different figures, SAMSON’s rendering presets let you toggle between visual styles such as Default, High Quality, and Illustrative. Each preset gives your viewport a distinct appearance, and by toggling between them, you can quickly identify which one is most suited for your task — be it clarity, contrast, or a stylized communication with non-expert audiences.
How to switch presets
In SAMSON, go to:
- Visualization > Presets
Select from predefined presets. These include combinations for lighting, shadows, fog, anti-aliasing, silhouettes, and more. This is especially helpful when preparing figures for papers or slides, where visual style plays an important role.
Quick highlight: the ‘Illustrative’ look
If you’re preparing figures for general audiences, or want to emulate the aesthetic from the RCSB PDB’s Molecule of the Month, try the Illustrative preset. It combines cartoon-style visual models with warm lighting and soft shadows. It can be applied quickly through:
- Visualization > Presets > Illustrative
Complement this with the Illustrate… visual preset under Visualization > Visual preset to modify how receptors, ligands, and ions are shown. For example, it uses the van der Waals model with color per chain ID — a nice touch for clarifying structural organization.
Customization still allowed
Although rendering presets are predefined, you remain in control. If needed, dive into:
- Visualization > Options or the detailed Preferences panel
Here, you can fine-tune individual features like ambient occlusion, fog density, and lighting angles. Once happy, you can save your custom look or revert back to a predefined style.
Use cases
- Fast switching for comparison: Toggle between styles while exploring a protein-ligand complex to better spot key interaction areas.
- Presentation-ready graphics: Choose the High Quality preset for polished visuals or Illustrative for educational content.
- Diagnostics: Use low-contrast or high-contrast presets to highlight rendering artifacts or geometric issues in complex assemblies.
Final thoughts
Rendering presets in SAMSON make visualization more fluid. Instead of thinking about AO sampling rates and shadow intensities every time you want a crisp image, switch to a preset and focus on the science. For complex systems involving proteins, DNA, ligands, and ions, these presets offer a consistent way to transition between exploration and presentation.
To explore more visualization possibilities and see presets in action, visit the full documentation at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/visualizing/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.