You can find editors in the Editor toolbar on the left side of the Viewport.

Select

The Select editor (shortcut: R) allows you to select nodes by clicking on them or using a rectangle selection.

Note: the level of selection depends on the current Selection filter.

See: User guide: Selecting.

Add

The Add editor (shortcut: A) allows you to build molecular systems by adding and connecting atoms and fragments provided with assets.

SAMSON provides you with the possibility to build using individual atoms from the Edit menu or Quick access commands...

or using the Periodic table...

or you can build by assembling assets.

See: User guide: Building molecules

Bond order

Change bond order using the Bond order editor (shortcut: B). Hover over bonds and click their controllers to increase and decrease their order.

See: User guide: Changing bond order

Atom charge

Change the atom's formal charge using the Atom charge editor (shortcut: C). Hover over atoms and click their controllers to increase and decrease their formal charge.

See: User guide: Changing atom formal charge

Move

Move editors provide you with precise control over the positions and orientations of molecules.

You can change the pivot point.

You can move and rotate parts of molecules.

You can move objects with or without snapping. You can modify the snapping preference in the editor's Quick access menu in the top-right corner of the Viewport, or in the Preferences.

There are several Move editors:

The displacer editor (shortcut: D).

This simple move editor allows you to displace nodes in the plane of the screen. You can either displace currently selected nodes by pressing on them and dragging them or press on another node and drag it. In the latter case, the selection is based on the current Selection filter. This editor is particularly useful when performing interactive simulations.

The local move editor (shortcut: M).

Translate or rotate the selected atoms along the principal axes of the selected atoms:

Use the central translation widget to move atoms in the plane of the camera. Use the side translation widgets to move atoms along the principal axes of the selected atoms. Use the side rotation widgets to rotate atoms around the principal axes of the selected atoms. Use the trackball widget to rotate atoms freely.

Important: right-click (or press Ctrl/ Cmd⌘ and left-click) on widgets to enter a precise displacement or angle. Right-click on translation widgets to align atoms along global axes.

The global move editor (shortcut: K).

Acts as the local move editor but in global XYZ coordinates.

The minimal move editor (shortcut: J).

A minimal version of the local move editor without some controllers.

The simple move editor (shortcut: H).

Use the translation widget to move atoms in the plane of the camera.

See: User guide: Move editors

Measure

Measure distances, angles, and dihedrals (shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd⌘+M).

Click on a bond to toggle displaying its length.

Click on two atoms to display the distance between the atoms.

Click on three atoms to display the angle between the atoms.

Click on four atoms to display the torsion between the atoms.

To save the displayed data as a label in the document, press Enter.

See: User guide: Measuring.

Label

Left-click on a node (atom, bond, residue, etc.) to display its name. Right-click to give a custom label to the clicked node or the current selection or to label various nodes in the selection.

Use the Selection filter to control what is being labeled.

You can change the default label font in Preferences > Rendering > Labels.

You can also change the font for labels using the Inspector.

See: User guide: Labeling.

Erase

Delete nodes by clicking on them in the Viewport using the Erase editor (shortcut: E).

Note: the erase node level depends on the current Selection filter.