You have framed a molecular system just right: the feature of interest is visible, the orientation makes sense, and the view is ready for a presentation. Then you continue working on the document, and the camera changes. In an animation, that can make a section harder to follow—even when the molecular structure itself has not changed.
Hold camera is useful when you want the camera parameters to stay fixed between two animation frames. It gives a chosen view a defined span in the timeline, so you can keep the system in the same view during frames where you are not using another camera animation.
When a fixed view helps
Camera movement can be useful when you intend to guide the viewer from one angle to another. But not every part of a molecular presentation needs a camera move. For example, you may want to keep one view while showing a particular stage of a presentation, or avoid an unintended change of viewpoint between animated sections.
The key is to decide which moments should have a deliberate camera change and which should remain visually steady. Use Hold camera for the steady interval; consider the Move camera animation when you want the camera to move.
Set up a camera hold
-
In the Animator’s Track view, select the frame where you want the fixed-view interval to begin.
-
Orient the view or camera to the composition you want to preserve. Take a moment to check that the molecular features you want to show are visible from this angle.
-
In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click Hold camera to add the animation effect.
-
Set the animation’s end frame to cover the interval where that view should remain fixed.
You can move the start and end frames later, so the hold does not have to be perfectly timed on the first try. If the view changes while you are editing the document, the animation can help preserve the defined static view over its frame range.
A small planning check before you present
Before sharing or presenting an animation, review the track and ask: “Where should the viewer’s attention stay, and where should the viewpoint change?” For each steady section, make sure the hold begins at the frame where the intended view is set and ends where that view is no longer needed. This simple timeline check can help you catch a camera change that would otherwise distract from the molecular story.
One interface detail to keep in mind: older instructional videos may show an Animation menu that is no longer present. In current SAMSON, access animations through the Animation panel in the Animator; presentation actions are available through the Animator’s controls.
For the full instructions, see the Hold camera documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.