When presenting molecular systems, whether in talks, videos, or tutorials, it’s often not just about the structures themselves—it’s also about how you show them. Smooth camera movement can make a huge difference in the clarity and engagement of your visualizations. Yet, molecular modelers frequently face the challenge of capturing horizontal or vertical motions in a controlled and repeatable way.
This is where the Truck camera animation in SAMSON comes in handy. SAMSON provides a number of animated camera tools, and the Truck camera specifically lets you move the view horizontally between two states. As the camera target point and position move in unison, it feels just like pushing (‘trucking’) a physical camera sideways along a molecular system.
What problem does it solve?
Suppose you’re analyzing or presenting a large molecular assembly, like a polymer chain or a protein complex. You want to look across its surface or from one end to the other, but without rotating the view (which might confuse the perception of orientation). Using static views isn’t enough to convey the spatial relationship of components. What you need is a smooth horizontal sweep of the scene. The Truck camera animation addresses exactly this kind of need.
Adding the Truck camera animation
Here’s how you can add the Truck camera animation in SAMSON:
- In the Animator’s Track view, first select the start frame.
- Orient your camera view as desired at the starting point.
- Now, double-click on the Truck camera animation effect in the Animation panel.
- SAMSON will automatically create a movement where the camera’s position and target are both shifted sideways (horizontally) for the end frame.
- You can manually define the end frame and, if needed, adjust both the camera target and position afterwards.
Controlling the movement
If you need finer control over how the camera moves between frames, SAMSON offers several customization options:
- Select Apply to active camera to ensure the animation targets the correct camera.
- Use the Keep camera upwards setting if you want the camera to align with your grid orientation (especially helpful for educational visuals).
- The Easing curve lets you control the speed and timing of the movement—smooth starting and stopping or constant speed are both possible.
Limitations and recommendations
Since Truck camera animations shift both target and position, adjustments to rolled or tilted views may not be allowed. If you need to move the camera vertically instead, consider the Pedestal camera animation and combine both effects if needed.
Using these camera tools strategically can significantly improve your animation quality and help you convey molecular relationships more clearly and intuitively.
To learn more and explore step-by-step instructions, see the full documentation here: Truck camera animation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.