If you’ve ever juggled several molecular systems at once—or had to repeatedly copy and paste structures between sessions—you might have wished for a more efficient way to organize and switch between your molecular projects. Whether you’re comparing drug candidates, optimizing multiple materials, or just keeping separate versions of your models, managing multiple data sets is a common need for molecular modelers.
Luckily, SAMSON includes built-in support for multiple open documents—a feature that’s easy to overlook, but invaluable for improving your workflow. Here’s how it works, and why it can save you time and effort.
What is a Document in SAMSON?
In SAMSON, a document is more than just a file: it’s a data graph that represents a hierarchy of nodes—atoms, molecules, cameras, Python scripts, files, conformations, and more. You can think of each document as a self-contained project, where all its content is organized, viewable, and adjustable from the Document view.
Why Open Multiple Documents?
You can have several documents open at the same time, but only one is active—visible in the Document view and receiving your interactions. This enables some handy situations:
- Parallel work: Edit and analyze different molecular systems side-by-side.
- Structure transfers: Copy and paste nodes (e.g., molecules) across documents.
- Versioning: Keep clean copies while you test changes in a clone document.
The active document can be switched by clicking the Documents selector in the upper-left menu, or via the platform shortcuts:
- Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Tab, Ctrl + Shift + Tab
- Mac: Cmd + Tab, Cmd + Shift + Tab
Want to know how many documents are open? Just check the Document view, which shows both the structure of the current document and how many are open.
Opening, Creating, and Managing Documents
To create a new document:
- Go to
Home > File > New, or - Use Ctrl + N (or Cmd + N on Mac)
To reopen a recent one:
- Navigate to
Home > File > Recent
To close a document:
You can simply close its tab or use the File > Close option. If unsaved changes are present, SAMSON will prompt you to save the work.
Keeping Things Organized
Each document can be fully self-contained: that means folders, embedded files (PDFs, scripts, images), and node structures all stay within the file. This makes document sharing simple and ensures nothing’s left behind when moving between computers.
Below is a view of the document panel, where you can switch between documents:
If you’re not using this feature yet, give it a try. Opening multiple documents can help you stay organized, reduce duplication, and experiment more freely—without the fear of breaking your primary project.
To learn more, visit the SAMSON Documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.