A molecular structure can be difficult to explain when the camera stays fixed. A close-up may reveal a region of interest, but moving to that view can make it unclear where the camera is looking—or how the new view relates to the wider system. In SAMSON, the Dolly camera animation can help: it changes both the camera’s position and its target point between the animation’s start and end frames.
That two-part movement is useful when you want to guide attention through a molecular scene while keeping control over what the camera is aimed at. It can also matter when using effects such as Fog or Depth-of-field, where changing the target point may be part of the intended visual transition.
Why choose Dolly camera?
A camera move is not always just a closer or wider view. Sometimes the camera needs to travel while its focus shifts to another location. Dolly camera animates both the camera’s position and its target point. By comparison, the Zoom camera animation has only one target point. If you need to move the view and change where it is aimed, Dolly camera is the more relevant option to consider.
This distinction is especially helpful when planning an animation: decide whether the main task is to change the view around one target, or to change both the camera position and the target. Thinking about that before adding an effect can make the intended motion easier to set up.
Set up the move from the view you want
- Choose the starting frame. In the Animator’s Track view, select the frame where the camera move should begin.
- Arrange the starting view. Orient the view or camera as you want it at the start. This establishes the initial camera position and view direction.
- Add the animation. In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click Dolly camera.
- Set the end frame. Choose how long the move should take by setting the animation’s end frame. You can move the start and end frames later, so you can refine the timing as the sequence develops.
By default, camera animations apply to the active camera. The animation’s target point is based on that camera’s current target position, which is essentially the center of the current view. If you need the animation to use a different camera, inspect it and change Apply to active camera.
Make the motion fit the scene
Two settings are worth checking when the result does not match your expectation. First, camera positions may be defined differently depending on whether the grid is on or off. The Keep camera upwards option controls whether the animation’s behavior depends on the grid state. Inspect the animation to review or change this option.
Second, the camera’s parameters are interpolated between the start and end frames. You can adjust how that transition progresses by changing the Easing curve. This gives you a way to tune the feel of the transition without changing the basic start and end views.
If you need more precise control, use the animation controllers to adjust the camera’s target points and positions. For another camera-motion option, see the Move camera animation.
A useful check before finalizing the animation is to review the start view, end view, target points, and grid-related setting together. That makes it easier to spot whether an unexpected result comes from the chosen camera, the target, or the way the animation transitions between frames.
For the complete instructions, see the Dolly camera documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.