When preparing molecular animations, especially for presentations or publications, clarity is everything. A common frustration among molecular modelers is trying to zoom in on a specific part of a system — such as a binding site or a reaction center — without altering the focus point and unintentionally shifting the rest of the scene. This is where SAMSON’s Zoom camera animation becomes particularly useful.
This simple but powerful animation effect lets you zoom in or out by only changing the camera’s position, keeping the target point fixed. This means the focal area remains unchanged throughout the animation. It’s especially helpful when using visual effects like Fog or Depth-of-field, which rely on a stable focus point to maintain visual coherence.
What Does Zoom Actually Do?
Unlike the Dolly camera animation, which can adjust both the camera’s position and its target point, the Zoom camera keeps the target unchanged. This allows for a clean, linear zoom into (or out of) a molecular structure. Think of it as stepping closer to or farther from a molecule without shifting your gaze.
Steps to Add a Zoom Camera Animation
- In the Animator’s Track view, select the start frame and orient the view/camera how you’d like the animation to begin.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click the Zoom camera animation effect.
- Set the end frame as needed by moving to the desired frame and adjusting the camera position (use zoom via mouse or navigation tools).
Tip: You can move the start and end frames anytime, which gives you flexibility during editing.
Fine-Tuning the Animation
The animation is, by default, applied to the active camera. You can inspect and modify its behavior using the Inspector panel. Here are some useful properties you can adjust:
- Apply to active camera: Change this to apply the animation to a different camera if needed.
- Keep camera upwards: This option controls how the camera behaves in relation to the grid and can affect interactivity if the grid is switched on/off.
- Easing curve: Customize how the zoom progresses between frames – whether linearly or following a curve for a smoother or more dynamic effect.
Why Use This?
If you’ve ever tried to manually animate a zoom while keeping the same focus point, you know how tedious it can get to synchronize camera positions and target orientation. The Zoom camera animation automates this neatly, ensuring consistent results and saving time during post-processing or demo preparation.
Whether you’re preparing a simple transition or building a complex molecular story, using the Zoom camera animation effectively can clarify your visual message without the guesswork.
To learn more, visit the full documentation here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/zoom-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.