When creating animations of molecular systems, one of the recurring challenges is designing smooth and informative transitions between camera views. Do you ever find yourself manually adjusting the camera just to get that consistent slide across a molecule or complex assembly? It can feel repetitive and nuanced, especially for presentations or educational visuals where clarity of movement matters.
Thankfully, in SAMSON, the Truck camera animation solves this elegantly.
What is camera trucking?
In cinematography, a truck shot refers to a horizontal movement of the camera. SAMSON’s Truck camera animation achieves the same effect within a molecular modeling environment: it moves both the position and the target point of the camera in parallel, resulting in a consistent and horizontal translation of the entire visible molecular system.
This can be particularly useful if you want to:
- Introduce different parts of a large molecular assembly
- Present a comparative view along a molecular axis
- Maintain spatial context while transitioning across a system
How to create a Truck camera animation
To apply a Truck camera animation in SAMSON, follow these steps:
- Open the Animator’s Track view and choose a start frame.
- Orient the camera as you want for the starting position.
- Double-click on Truck camera in the Animation panel.
- The system automatically sets up the transition by shifting both the camera and its target horizontally at the end frame.
- Set the end frame at the desired point in time.
This is surprisingly simple and allows for seamless animations with minimal manual tuning.
Fine-tuning the motion
If needed, you can adjust the camera’s start and end positions directly using animation controllers. One thing to note: the Truck camera has some limitations in how these positions can be modified, since both the camera and its target point must shift together in parallel.
You can further influence how your camera animates by modifying its properties. These include:
- Apply to active camera: Decide which camera the animation affects.
- Keep camera upwards: Ensures the camera maintains its vertical orientation, depending on the grid setting.
- Easing curve: Set how the animation accelerates or decelerates over time.
The animation below demonstrates the Truck camera effect in SAMSON:
When to use Truck camera
This feature is particularly useful in presentations of elongated molecules, nanostructures, or polymer chains. Instead of rotating the structure (which might confuse spatial orientation), you can simply translate the viewpoint to maintain a stable perspective.
It complements other camera animations such as Pedestal camera for vertical movement, and Move camera for more generalized transitions.
To explore more and try it out yourself, visit the full documentation page on the Truck camera: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/truck-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.