When preparing molecular animations, it’s easy to focus on moving objects—proteins folding, ligands binding, conformational changes. But one often overlooked element is just as important: the virtual camera. If your perspective shifts unexpectedly between frames where no camera path has been defined, it can disrupt the viewer’s attention, making your message harder to convey.
This is where the Hold camera animation effect in SAMSON becomes essential. It solves a challenge many molecular modelers encounter: unintended camera drift between animation segments. When you’re not animating the camera intentionally but want it to stay fixed across a sequence, the Hold camera effect comes to the rescue.
Why the camera needs holding 🧭
Imagine preparing a molecular movie where several things happen over time—atoms align, structures reconfigure—but you want the audience to see it all from a specific angle. While SAMSON remembers the current view while you’re building animations, edits you make after placing an animation effect (even unrelated ones) can cause minor shifts in perspective.
The result? Your viewer might feel like they’re watching from a slightly different seat with each scene, which can be disorienting and make it harder to understand what’s going on.
Keeping the view steady
The Hold camera animation effect is lightweight and easy to use. Here’s how you can use it to maintain a consistent viewing angle throughout frames:
- Open the Animator’s Track view and choose your start frame.
- Adjust the view manually to the angle from which you want to observe your molecular system (zoom, rotate, or pan as needed).
- In the Animation panel, double-click on the Hold camera animation effect to insert it at the current frame.
- Extend the effect across a range of frames by dragging its end to a desired frame position in the timeline.
Advantages beyond stability
Consistent camera positioning improves not only visual continuity but also computational clarity—when comparing the same region over time or highlighting a phenomenon, viewers stay oriented. Adding Hold camera effects is particularly useful when:
- Creating a presentation with isolated effects (e.g., color changes, structural adjustments) in certain time frames.
- Combining animations where some include camera movement but others don’t. The hold ensures the camera doesn’t interpolate between points unexpectedly.
- Documenting a workflow where reproducibility in viewpoint aids understanding, such as in education or collaboration.
You can always reposition either the start or end frames if preferences change later. SAMSON allows a flexible workflow without locking you in.
Before you animate…
Note that earlier tutorials or demonstration videos might refer to an older interface, such as an ‘Animation’ menu. This menu has been phased out. The Animation panel inside the Animator is now your go-to place for all camera and system effects.
If you’re preparing movies or academic presentations using SAMSON, this small but effective feature can greatly improve the coherence and quality of your visuals.
To learn more about the Hold camera feature, visit the official documentation: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/hold-camera/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.