Have you ever prepared a beautiful molecular animation, only to realize that important steps fly by too quickly for viewers to follow? Animations help molecular modelers communicate complex transitions—such as ligand binding, protein folding, or molecular docking—but without proper timing, key moments can be easily missed.
This is where the Pause animation in SAMSON comes in handy. It lets you pause the presentation at a specific frame for a defined number of seconds, helping viewers catch important snapshots in the molecular process.
When to Use the Pause Animation
The Pause animation is especially useful when:
- There’s a structural change or molecular event you want to emphasize.
- You’re highlighting a particular interaction site, like a binding pocket or hydrogen bond.
- Your animation involves multiple steps, and you want a clear boundary visible between them.
- You want to hold attention on a title frame or explanatory label midway through.
How to Add a Pause in SAMSON
To insert a pause into your animation timeline:
- Open the Animator in SAMSON and go to the Animation panel.
- Double-click the Pause animation effect. This adds a keyframe at the current frame. You can always move this keyframe if necessary using the timeline.
- Select the Pause animation node in the Document view.
- Use the Inspector to set the duration of the pause in seconds.
Pro Tip: Pause Strategically
Some molecular modelers overuse transitions or make every second count towards a visual morph. But just like in storytelling, silence—or in this case, stillness—can be powerful. Use pauses to:
- Give viewers time to orient themselves on screen when the camera angle or representation changes.
- Introduce a label or subtitle along with an explanatory snapshot of the model.
- Emphasize energetic transitions, so viewers can appreciate conformational changes more clearly.
Optional Dynamic Control
You can insert multiple pauses in your timeline, giving you total control of how time flows during the animation. And the great news is: the Pause duration can always be changed later, making it easy to adjust the tempo of your molecular story.
Whether you’re preparing content for a presentation, teaching session, or graphical abstract, adding a well-placed pause improves clarity and focus. It only takes seconds to insert, but can make a big difference in comprehension.
Learn more by visiting the full documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/pause/
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.