Anyone working in molecular modeling knows that navigating structural complexity is part of daily life. Whether building a model from scratch or modifying existing biomolecules, the ability to interactively edit molecular systems in a flexible, precise manner can dramatically reduce modeling time and errors. If you’ve found yourself wishing for a more intuitive way to handle molecular configurations, learning about Editors in SAMSON might be time well spent.
What are SAMSON Editors?
Editors in SAMSON are interactive tools that respond to user inputs like mouse clicks, keyboard shortcuts, or drags. These tools are designed to help you perform structural changes quickly and precisely. For example, you can use an editor to deform a protein backbone, apply a rigid-body transformation to a ligand, or instantly generate a nanotube and integrate it into your system. Editors are focused, single-task tools that help you make structural decisions directly in the viewport, right where your molecular story is unfolding.
Where to Find Editors in SAMSON
You can access Editors easily from the menu located on the left-hand side of the SAMSON interface. Just look for the editor icon and explore the available tools. Once you activate one editor, it becomes the only active one—this streamlined design keeps the interface simple and focused while you work.
Additionally, a helpful quick-access toolbar appears in the top-left corner of the viewport, tailored to the active editor. This allows you to adjust settings and apply actions without digging through menus.
Customizing Your Toolkit with Editors
What makes SAMSON particularly adaptable is that it ships with a basic set of editors, but you aren’t limited to those. You can find and install additional editors directly from SAMSON Connect, creating a toolkit that evolves with your research needs. Whether you’re modeling new nanomaterials or refining protein folding simulations, you can find editors that align with your goals.
Speeding Up Your Workflow
Imagine needing to rotate a ligand to test different binding poses, or select multiple parts of your system to isolate for analysis. Editors take care of these routine actions in a few intuitive steps. Many molecular modelers initially use script-based approaches for such operations; however, for exploratory modeling or rapid prototyping, SAMSON editors can offer a more visual and interactive way to reach your goal.
Want to Develop Your Own Editors?
If you have a custom editing need, you can build your own editors using the SAMSON Extension development tools. Full documentation is available, and it encourages you to create editors that integrate directly into your usual workflow.
To learn more about how to use and develop editors in SAMSON, visit the official documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/editors/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.