When working on complex molecular systems, navigating between different spatial regions, projections, or zoom levels becomes a frequent task. Whether you’re analyzing a protein pocket in close detail or comparing macromolecular quaternary structures, this back-and-forth can be tedious and time-consuming.
The Camera system in SAMSON offers a handy and underutilized feature that solves this pain point: multiple cameras per document. With just a few clicks, you can define, store, and instantly switch between different camera views, giving you smoother navigation and more efficient workflow during molecular design and visualization tasks.
Why use multiple cameras?
Imagine you’re running a simulation of a protein-ligand interaction. You might want to inspect:
- the binding site in atomic detail
- an orthographic top-down view of the entire molecule
- the ligand’s approach path
- an overview of the full complex
Rather than constantly rotating, zooming, and panning your view, you can pre-position cameras at each of these viewpoints. Then, jump instantaneously between them. One double-click, or a quick selection, and you’re exactly where you need to be.
Adding and managing cameras
You can add a new camera by clicking Visualization > Camera, or using the shortcut:
- Ctrl + Shift + C (Windows/Linux)
- Cmd + Shift + C (macOS)
Once added, the new camera gets a default viewpoint. You can then move it manually, rotate, zoom, and fine-tune its position just like your active camera.
Switching active cameras
Only one camera can be active at any time, but switching is easy:
- Double-click on a camera in the Document view, or
- Right-click the camera and choose Set as active camera
This makes rapid switching between views frictionless. Need to rotate around a ligand? Set that close-up camera as active. Presenting your results with a wide overview? Activate the full-structure camera.
Editing camera properties
Each camera has editable properties accessible in the Inspector. Select the camera and you can adjust:
- Position and orientation
- Projection type (perspective or orthographic – useful for crystal structures)
- Inertia (simulate dynamic camera movement)
Quick tip: organize your scenes
The ability to save multiple viewpoints is especially valuable when paired with selection sets and visual styles. Consider pairing each camera with distinct molecular highlights or render settings for storytelling, teaching, or analysis purposes.
For dynamic exploration and less time spent aligning views repeatedly, leveraging multiple cameras in SAMSON is a simple but effective improvement to your workflow.
To learn more, visit the full documentation on cameras here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.