When preparing molecular animations for presentations, publications, or educational content, achieving smooth and controlled camera movements is essential. A common challenge many molecular modelers face is aligning camera motion with the structure’s spatial dimensions—especially in the vertical direction.
This is where the Pedestal camera animation in SAMSON becomes helpful. It provides a precise way to shift your molecular view vertically, smoothly lifting the view upwards or dropping it down along a linear path—all without changing the viewing direction itself.
Pedestal camera movement is akin to physically raising or lowering the camera while keeping the orientation and angle locked. This proves particularly useful whether you’re zooming in on a layered protein structure, navigating channels in porous materials, or showing interaction gradients along a membrane surface.
Why Vertical Movement Matters
Horizontal camera effects like truck or dolly animations are common, but vertical transitions can be more visually intuitive for structures that are organized in tiers or membranes—bi-layer lipid membranes, vertical helices, or costackeds. Pedestal camera movements preserve the framing, letting the audience focus on the spatial organization along the z-axis without perceptual distraction.
How It Works in SAMSON
To add a Pedestal camera animation in SAMSON:
- Select a start frame in the Animator’s Track view.
- Orient the camera—position and zoom to frame the molecular view at the start of the animation.
- In the Animation panel, double-click the Pedestal camera effect. This records both the camera’s position and its target point.
- For the end frame, the camera and target are automatically shifted vertically by the same distance. You can move the end frame on the timeline to set the duration.
Need to fine-tune the height? You can adjust the camera’s path and interpolation using the Easing curve settings or by using the animation controllers. If the grid is enabled and you check the Keep camera upwards option, the animation honors SAMSON’s global orientation system.
Pedestal vs. Truck
While Truck camera handles horizontal motion, its vertical counterpart—the Pedestal camera—is more than just a vertical version. It preserves the intuitive relationship between molecular context and z-axis exploration, which is often neglected in traditional camera systems.
Here’s an illustration of what it looks like in action:
Tips for Better Animations
- If your system is oriented relative to a grid or surface plane, toggling the “Keep camera upwards” option can preserve consistent vertical movement.
- Use easing curves to define how gradual or abrupt the transition feels.
- Try combining pedestal animation with rotation or focus effects for more dynamic transitions.
The Pedestal camera animation offers a practical solution for modeling scenarios where structures evolve along the vertical axis. It helps construct clearer, more focused animations—freeing your audience from disorienting camera changes and letting your molecular story take center stage.
To see detailed steps and learn more, visit the official documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.