For molecular modelers exploring intricate systems, visualization is key. SAMSON, the integrative molecular design platform, offers an array of tools to control and customize how molecular models are displayed. At the heart of these is the visualModel attribute space of the Node Specification Language (NSL). In this blog post, we’ll delve into what visualModel attributes are and how they can simplify your modeling tasks.
What Are VisualModel Attributes?
The visualModel attribute space is tailored to represent and manipulate visual models within SAMSON. It offers properties, such as visibility, selection, and material ownership, that are crucial for defining the visuals of your molecular models. This attribute space has the short name vm and applies only to nodes representing visual models.
Common Pain Points in Visualization
Molecular modelers often struggle with managing complex visualizations involving multiple components, ensuring clarity in presentation, and tailoring the display to their specific needs. Whether you need to hide visual elements, select specific models, or customize material properties, the visualModel attributes offer a streamlined solution.
Key Attributes You Should Know
Here is a summary of some practical visualModel attributes and their uses:
| Attribute | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
vm.h (hidden) |
Toggles the visibility of a visual model node. Use true to hide and false to show. |
vm.h or not vm.h |
vm.n (name) |
Filters nodes by name. Use pattern matching such as L* for convenience. |
vm.n "A" or vm.n "L*" |
vm.v (visible) |
Indicates the current visibility status of the node. Switch between true and false. |
vm.v or not vm.v |
vm.om (ownsMaterial) |
Checks whether the node manages its own material. Useful for complex visualizations involving multiple objects. | vm.om |
Tackling Complex Visuals
Let’s say you’re working on a large molecular system and want to isolate a section. By combining attributes like name, visible, and hidden, you can focus on specific regions without losing the context of the larger model. For example, you can select all nodes starting with a specific pattern (L*) and hide the rest. This saves time and makes your visualization clear for communication or research purposes.
Explore More
The visualModel attributes extend beyond this introduction. They allow detailed control of visual properties and can be combined with other NSL attribute spaces to create powerful, customized node queries.
To fully harness the potential of visualModel attributes and see additional examples, visit the official documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/nsl/visualModel/.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download it today at https://www.samson-connect.net.