Why Molecular Labels Disappear When You Zoom Out (and How to Fix It)

Have you ever placed labels to annotate atoms, residues, or molecules in your SAMSON model, only to see them vanish as you zoom out? This can be frustrating, especially when preparing visuals or sharing interactive models. Fortunately, there’s a systematic explanation—and an easy way to fix it.

Here’s what’s happening: SAMSON uses a smart system to control label visibility depending on your zoom level. This is meant to help you focus on the most relevant information at different scales. When you zoom out, labels become hidden to reduce clutter. The software gives preference to larger structural elements (like molecules) over smaller ones (like atoms), which can cause some of your carefully placed labels to fade away.

Changes in the visibility of labels when zooming in/out in the Viewport

How to control what stays visible

If you want total control over when your labels appear or disappear, you can customize their display thresholds using the Inspector panel.

To do this:

  • Select a label by clicking on it in the Viewport or Document view.
  • Open the Inspector, usually located in the right panel.
  • Edit the Minimum Display Radius and Maximum Display Radius. These parameters determine the zoom levels at which your label is visible.

Label's display radius options in the Inspector

What do these settings mean?

The display radii are distance-related thresholds in nanometers that define a visibility range based on the distance from the camera. For example:

  • If your minimum display radius is too high, the label might never show up unless zoomed in a lot.
  • If your maximum display radius is too low, the label might vanish quickly when zooming out.

By adjusting these parameters, you can make sure your labels remain visible at the zoom levels that match your presentation needs.

Quick tip: If you want a label to always be visible regardless of zoom level, just set a broad range. For instance, a minimum display radius of 0 and a maximum of a very high value will keep the label consistently visible.

Bonus: You can combine visibility control with label coloring and custom fonts to further enhance the information density in your model, without the visual clutter.

To learn more about how label visibility and customization works in SAMSON, check out the full labeling documentation.

SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.

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