When working with complex molecular structures, modelers often need to switch between multiple viewpoints quickly — zooming into a binding site, looking at an overall protein fold, or comparing two conformations side-by-side. This can become time-consuming and repetitive if you constantly toggle camera settings manually.
The Camera feature in SAMSON offers a solution by letting you set up and switch between multiple saved views in a single document. Once you set up cameras for different angles, regions, or projections, you can jump between views with just a couple of clicks.
Why Use Multiple Cameras?
A document in SAMSON can hold several cameras, but only one is active at a time. Think of these like bookmarks in space — each one with its own position, zoom level, projection type, and even behavior like inertia.
Here are some reasons modeling professionals and researchers use multiple cameras:
- Quickly switch between a zoomed-in view of an active site and a full view of the macromolecule.
- Compare two docking positions without manually readjusting your orientation.
- Jump to a crystallographic perspective using orthographic projection.
- Modify and manage each camera’s settings to create presentations or workflows with consistent viewpoints.
How to Add and Use Cameras
To add a new camera, go to Visualization > Camera or use the shortcut:
Ctrl + Shift + Con Windows/LinuxCmd + Shift + Con macOS
New cameras start with a default position, but you can customize them. Change their zoom, orientation, and projection settings as needed. Once configured, right-click any camera in the Document view and choose Set as active camera to immediately switch your view.
Accessing Camera Options
Right-clicking a camera from the document structure menu not only lets you activate it but also gives access to several contextual options:
- Center camera on the current selection or entire document
- Toggle projection type (orthographic/perspective)
- Enable or disable movement inertia
- Inspect and modify camera parameters through the Inspector window
Use It for Better Navigation
If you’re analyzing large models or collaborating with colleagues, saved cameras help maintain consistency in the perspectives you discuss or visualize. You can orient your camera once, save it, and return to that exact viewpoint later — no manual adjustment needed.
For more camera movement tips (rotating, dollying, flying), see the Moving around section.
Tip: Use orthographic projection when visualizing periodic structures like crystals. It removes perspective distortion and adds accuracy to spatial analysis.
To learn more about working with cameras in SAMSON, visit the full documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.