When working with complex molecular trajectories, a common challenge is keeping your focus on a specific region of interest. Atoms may move, conformations may shift, and before you know it, your camera has lost track of the very part of the system you care about. This is a familiar experience for molecular modelers analyzing simulations—whether it’s a binding site, a protein loop, or a catalytic center. Fortunately, SAMSON offers a simple yet effective solution: the ‘Look at atoms’ animation.
The ‘Look at atoms’ feature is designed to solve a precise problem: keeping the camera locked on a set of selected atoms, even as they move during an animation. The key idea is that the camera position remains fixed, but its target—essentially the point around which the camera orbits—follows the geometric center of the selected atoms throughout the animation.
Why This Is Useful
This is particularly helpful when you want to closely track a region of interest, while at the same time maintaining spatial consistency to avoid disorienting jumps in perspective. Unlike animations where both the camera position and target move (like ‘Follow atoms’), here the target moves, but you stay anchored. This gives you a stable, almost observer-like viewpoint, which is ideal for presentations, content creation, or deep analysis.
How to Add the Animation
To add the ‘Look at atoms’ animation, follow these steps:
- Select the atoms you want the camera to follow.
- Adjust the camera to your preferred viewing angle using the mouse or orientation controls.
- Go to the Animator’s Track view, choose a start frame, and then double-click Look at atoms in the Animation panel.
- This will create a keyframe where the camera position is held constant, but its target updates dynamically to follow your selected atoms.
- Set your desired end frame and, if needed, adjust the keyframes later using the animation timeline.
Modifications and Tips
If needed, you can customize how this animation behaves:
- Apply to active camera: By default, the animation affects the active camera. You can change this by inspecting the animation and selecting another camera.
- Keep camera upwards: This option locks the camera’s vertical orientation. If your grid is active, the camera will orient relative to the grid. If not, the orientation is based on 3D space.
- Adjusting position: If you want to refine the starting view, feel free to reposition the camera before creating the animation or tweak it after setting keyframes. Just know the target will always follow the atoms you’ve selected.
Visual Example
Here’s what the animation looks like in action:
To learn more or dive deeper into associated features, visit the official documentation page here: Look at atoms animation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at www.samson-connect.net.