You have a molecular model ready to share, analyze, or pass to a colleague. Then comes a deceptively tricky question: which file should you export? A format that works for one tool or purpose may not be the right choice for another, and it can be easy to confuse saving a document with exporting its content in a particular format.
In SAMSON, exporters are the extensions that write content from a document to files. Depending on the available exporter, that file might use a format such as PDB or XYZ, or another supported format. SAMSON includes default exporters for common structures and visualizations, and additional exporters can be added through SAMSON Connect.
Start with the handoff, not the filename
Before choosing an exporter, identify what the file needs to do next. Are you sending structural data to another application? Sharing a visualization? Preparing a file for a collaborator who has specified a format? The intended use is a better starting point than simply picking a familiar extension. A filename ending in a particular suffix is not, by itself, confirmation that the file contains the kind of information the next step requires.
Once you know the intended format, check SAMSON’s supported formats reference. It lists the formats SAMSON can import and export, helping you establish whether the format you need is available. This is especially useful when another person or application has requested a specific format: check that requirement before building a handoff around an assumption.
Think of exporters as format-specific tools
An exporter is not a general promise that every document can be written in every format. Exporters belong to an extension family, and each available exporter provides a way to write document content to a supported file format. SAMSON’s default exporters cover common structures and visualizations; if the format you need is not available, you may be able to add an exporter through SAMSON Connect.
A useful pre-export checklist is short:
- Confirm the receiving requirement. Ask which format the next application or collaborator expects, rather than guessing from a file extension.
- Check the format reference. Use the supported-formats page to see whether SAMSON supports the requested format for export.
- Look for the relevant exporter. Exporters are the extensions used to write document content to files. If a needed exporter is missing, check SAMSON Connect for additional extensions.
- Keep the purpose in view. A structural file and a visualization file serve different handoff needs. Choose according to what the recipient needs to use, not just what is convenient to name.
Don’t mix up exporting and importing
Exporters write content from a SAMSON document to a file. Importers are the matching extension family for reading files into SAMSON. If your task is to bring an existing file into the application, the Importers reference is the relevant place to look. If you are preparing a file to leave SAMSON, start with exporters and the supported-format list.
This distinction can save time when troubleshooting a handoff. A format appearing in a general list does not remove the need to check whether it is available for the direction you need—import, export, or both. Use the supported-formats reference to check the capabilities that matter for your task.
When the format you need is missing
If you cannot find an exporter for your target format, SAMSON’s documentation points to two routes: explore extensions available through SAMSON Connect, or contact the SAMSON team. For developers interested in building an exporter, the Extending SAMSON reference and the extension-generation documentation are useful starting points.
The practical takeaway: decide what the recipient or next tool needs, verify that the format is supported for export, and then find the corresponding exporter. That small check can prevent avoidable back-and-forth when sharing molecular work.
For the reference overview, see SAMSON Exporters.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.