When working with molecular systems, precision and efficiency are key. Whether you’re preparing a structure for simulation, cleaning up a molecular model, or editing multiple atoms after selection, being able to quickly inspect and modify properties is a recurrent challenge for molecular modelers.
This is where the Inspector in SAMSON becomes an indispensable tool. It allows you to examine and adjust the attributes of selected nodes — either individually or in groups — with a high level of detail and control.
Why attribute editing matters
Molecular modeling often requires adjusting atomic positions, setting element types, or verifying molecular descriptors across a group of atoms, bonds, or residues. Without a tool to streamline this process, it can quickly become painstaking. The Inspector in SAMSON doesn’t just centralize this information — it makes batch editing intuitive and traceable.
Getting started with the Inspector
You can open the Inspector in three ways:
- Navigate to Interface > Inspector
- Use the shortcut Ctrl + 2 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + 2 (Mac)
- Use the context toolbar after selecting nodes
Understanding attributes and groups
When one or more nodes are selected, the Inspector displays their attributes, organized into groups according to the type of node (e.g., Atom, Bond, Residue). For example, selecting a single atom reveals its attributes such as element type, position, and identifier. You can explore these grouped logically:
Some attributes are read-only due to their dependence on other parameters (like atomic weight, which is derived from element type), but editable attributes such as element identity and position give you the control you need.
Multi-atom editing made easy
The Inspector becomes especially powerful when handling groups of atoms. For instance, if you select a residue, the Inspector will show its own attributes along with those of descendant atoms and bonds:
Even better — when multiple atoms are selected, you can modify their shared attributes simultaneously. Changing the position attribute with the Relative option enabled will move the group while preserving internal geometry:
However, if you uncheck Relative, all atoms will be shifted to the exact same position — useful for alignment, but it also resets internal configuration, so use with care.
Using the attribute filter
To simplify the editing process, the Inspector lets you filter visible attributes using keyword search. For example, typing position will narrow the view to coordinates-related fields only:
Edit the values directly in-place and observe changes in real-time. This can be a practical way to tweak geometry or correct inconsistencies in molecular data:
Resetting attributes
Did an edit not go as planned? You can reset attributes to default values by double-clicking on their label if the icon shows it’s possible:
Final thoughts
The Inspector is one of those tools that becomes more useful the deeper you get into molecular modeling workflows. From quick edits to rigorous structure validation, it’s designed to help researchers and students save time and reduce complexity.
To learn more, explore the full documentation on the Inspector here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/inspecting/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.