Creating molecular animations can be incredibly powerful when trying to convey structural mechanisms or simulation results — but getting the camera to follow atoms precisely in 3D space is often a challenge. Whether you’re highlighting a docking process or zooming into a protein cavity during a simulation, chances are you’ve wished for a smoother way to track your subjects.
If you’ve used SAMSON before, you probably know how rich its visual and animation capabilities are. One underutilized but particularly useful animation is Follow atoms — a camera animation that moves the camera to consistently track a group of atoms throughout an animation. Let’s look at how it works, why it’s helpful, and how to use it effectively.
What does “Follow atoms” do exactly?
The Follow atoms animation allows you to specify one or more atoms, and then makes both the camera target and the camera position translate so that the atoms remain centered and consistently framed throughout the animation. Unlike the Look at atoms animation, which just shifts the target, this animation keeps the atoms in full view no matter where they move.
This is especially useful when your subject atoms move far from their initial position — for example, during:
- Ligand docking animations
- Molecular dynamics with large conformational changes
- Simulations involving flexible loops or linkers
How to add the Follow atoms animation
1. Select the atom(s) you want to track in your structure.
2. Open the Animator via Interface > Animator or by double-clicking on a presentation.
3. In the Animation panel to the right, go to Camera animations.
4. Double-click on Follow atoms to add it to the current presentation.
By default, it will apply to the currently active camera. You can always adjust parameters in the Inspector to tweak the behavior — for instance, modifying the follow duration or offset.
Previewing the result
Use the Animator’s Track view to scrub between frames and see how the camera tracks your selected atoms. You can also Space to play the presentation and refine your timing.
Try combining Follow atoms with other effects for added clarity: for instance, add a Highlight or Appear animation to visually reinforce motion or behavior.
Tips and things to watch out for
- Use Hold camera animation before and after the follow segment to avoid accidental view changes when editing.
- If atoms move erratically (e.g. due to thermal noise), you may want to smooth the trajectory in your simulation or combine this with custom camera paths.
- You can add multiple follow animations in one presentation — just don’t forget to adjust the animation order if they overlap.
When to use vs. other options
Use Follow atoms when both the position and view of the camera should change. For locked camera positions but moving targets, use Look at atoms instead. For full cinematic effect, combine with Move camera paths and Zoom animations.
Learn more about all animation options in SAMSON’s documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/presenting/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.