You have a molecular structure framed just right: the region of interest is centered, the scale feels useful, and the surrounding context is still visible. Then you zoom in to inspect a detail—and the original view is gone. Recreating it later can interrupt analysis, especially when you need to move repeatedly between an overview and close-ups.
In SAMSON, a practical way to avoid that repeated camera adjustment is to keep multiple cameras in the same document. Each document has at least one camera, and you can add more to preserve useful views for quick switching. Think of them as saved viewpoints within your working document: one might show the whole structure, while another is positioned for a closer inspection or a different projection.
Build a small set of views for a task
Start with the view you are using, then add a camera from Visualization > Camera. A new camera begins at a default position, so you may need to adjust it for the view you want. Add only the viewpoints that help with the task at hand; a few purposeful options are easier to use than a long list of nearly identical cameras.
For example, you could keep one camera centered on the full document and another aimed at a molecular region you revisit often. If you need to inspect a crystal, an orthographic projection may be useful. The point is not to make every view permanent, but to avoid having to reconstruct a useful perspective each time you switch focus.
Switch views without losing your place
Only one camera can be active at a time. To change the active view, double-click the camera in the Document view, or right-click it and choose Set as active camera. This gives you a direct way to move between prepared viewpoints while keeping them together in the same document.
Before moving on to a new task, consider whether you will need to return to the current framing. If so, use a separate camera for the next view rather than repeatedly changing the one you may want to return to. This simple habit can make comparisons less disruptive: you can move between an overview and a detail view instead of trying to remember the exact camera adjustments that produced each one.
Use camera actions to refine a view
Right-click a camera in the Document view to access its context menu. From there, you can center the camera on the selection or on the whole document, activate camera inertia, enable orthographic projection, set the camera as active, or move it. Centering on the selection is useful when you want the current focus to become the center of the view; centering on the document provides a way to return attention to the larger scene.
For more detailed adjustments, select the camera and open the Inspector. Camera properties—including position, projection, and inertia—can be viewed and modified there. The context menu is convenient for common actions, while the Inspector gives you access to the camera’s properties in one place.
A simple routine for clearer comparisons
- Keep an overview: retain a camera that shows the whole document.
- Add a task-specific view: create another camera for a region or projection you need to revisit.
- Use selection centering when helpful: quickly bring the current selection into focus.
- Switch deliberately: activate the camera that matches the question you are asking, rather than repeatedly rebuilding the framing.
These cameras are part of the SAMSON document and are saved and loaded with it in .sam and .samx formats. That makes a set of useful viewpoints part of the document’s working context, rather than a collection of adjustments you must remember.
For the complete camera controls and related navigation guidance, see the SAMSON camera documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.