You have a molecular structure framed just right: the binding site is centered, the scale is useful, and the orientation makes the interactions easy to read. Then you zoom out to inspect the whole assembly. When you want to return to the close-up, you have to recreate that view—and small differences in angle or framing can make comparisons harder.
In SAMSON, one practical way to avoid repeatedly rebuilding a viewpoint is to keep multiple cameras in the same document. A camera controls the 3D view of the document’s visualizable objects. Each document has at least one camera, and you can add more for distinct perspectives.
Think of cameras as saved working views
A useful camera setup might include one view for the overall structure and another for a region you are examining closely. You could also keep separate views for different positions or projections. The point is not to create a camera for every small adjustment; it is to preserve perspectives that you expect to revisit.
Because cameras are saved and loaded with the document in SAMSON’s .sam and .samx formats, those views remain part of the document rather than being a separate set of notes to reconstruct later. Multiple cameras can be present, but only one is active at a time.
A simple workflow for keeping perspectives handy
- Set up the view you want to preserve. Navigate the camera until the position, zoom, and orientation suit the task.
- Add another camera when you need a distinct perspective. Choose Visualization > Camera. A new camera starts at a default position, so adjust it for the view you want.
- Switch views instead of retracing your navigation. In the Document view, double-click the camera you want, or right-click it and choose Set as active camera.
- Return to the other perspective when needed. Activate its camera using the same method. Only the active camera controls the current view.
This approach is especially helpful when moving between close inspection and structural context. Rather than zooming out, panning, and then trying to reproduce a detailed framing, you can switch to a camera that already serves that purpose.
Use camera actions to refine a view
Right-clicking a camera in the Document view opens actions that can help prepare a useful perspective. You can center the camera on the current selection or on the whole document, move the camera, and set it as active. The menu also includes inertia and orthographic projection options. Orthographic projection can be useful when viewing crystals.
If you need to inspect or adjust camera properties such as position, projection, or inertia, select the camera and open the Inspector. This gives you a place to review and modify those properties rather than relying only on mouse navigation.
Make the camera setup serve the task
Before adding cameras, ask which perspectives you repeatedly need. A whole-document view and a focused view are a useful starting point; add others only when they save you from repeating navigation or help you compare parts of the structure. After creating a camera, activate it and check that it shows the intended framing. If you later change its position or projection, the Inspector provides access to those settings.
For more on camera navigation and available controls, see the SAMSON camera documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.