Molecular modeling often requires precise visualization to communicate structural insights clearly — whether in academic papers, presentations, or team meetings. But framing your molecular system from the right angles can be time-consuming, especially if you’re repeatedly adjusting views to get smooth camera movements.
The Orbit camera animation in SAMSON offers an efficient way to create smooth, rotating views around molecules, helping researchers and students present three-dimensional structures with clarity and consistency.
What Is the Orbit Camera Animation?
The Orbit camera animation makes the camera revolve around a defined target point — usually the center of your molecular system. This creates a continuous, smooth rotation that is especially useful in presentations or video exports.
Unlike manually rotating the view, which can be inconsistent across frames, orbit animations guarantee angular precision, reproducibility, and a professional look.
When Is It Useful?
The Orbit camera is practical in several scenarios:
- Creating overviews of complex molecular assemblies
- Generating animations for grant applications or publications
- Examining binding pockets or symmetry from multiple perspectives
- Adding dynamic visuals to teaching material
Here’s an example of the Orbit camera animation being added in SAMSON:
Step-by-Step: How to Add It
- Orient your view: First, set the view to roughly the plane you want to orbit in. This helps define the rotation’s geometry once the animation is added.
- Insert the animation: Open the Animation panel from the Animator and double-click on Orbit camera. A camera animation track will be added to the timeline.
- Set duration: Extend or shorten the animation by modifying the end frame in the Animator timeline.
Customizing the Orbit
Once added, the animation can be customized:
- Target point: This is the center of rotation. You can adjust it using camera controllers to focus exactly where needed, such as active sites or subunits.
- Rotation plane: Defined relative to the view and the grid setting in SAMSON. If the grid is off, the rotation aligns to the horizontal plane through the target point. If on, the animation takes the grid’s orientation into account.
- Keep camera upwards: Enabling this option ensures the camera doesn’t tilt during orbiting, maintaining a horizontal reference.
- Easing curve: Modify how motion speeds up or slows down at the start and end. This can make animations feel more natural.
Smoothening the Workflow
During editing, SAMSON displays camera controllers and thumbnails for each keyframe, allowing quick adjustments. If these controllers are not visible, simply zoom out in the viewport – they may be just outside your current view.
Once your orbit is set up, export the animation or embed it as part of a longer presentation. You’ll get high-quality rotations that clearly reveal molecular structures from all angles.
See Examples in Action
To explore how this animation is used in practice, check out public documents on SAMSON Connect that feature orbiting presentations, such as:
By learning to use Orbit camera animations efficiently, you can save time on manual positioning and focus more on interpreting and communicating your results.
Learn more in the documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.