When preparing molecular animations, focusing on the right part of a system is essential to tell a clear and compelling visual story. However, achieving smooth and controlled zooming effects can be tricky. If you’re using SAMSON, the Dolly camera animation provides a way to zoom in on molecular structures while precisely adjusting both the position and the focus of the camera.
Unlike a simple Zoom animation that always zooms toward a fixed point, the Dolly camera animation in SAMSON lets you change the camera’s target point between the start and end frames, allowing for much more control over your scene’s storytelling. This is especially useful for showcasing specific molecular interactions, zooming into active sites, or guiding the viewer between different regions of interest.
What Is a Dolly Camera Animation?
In cinematography, a “dolly” shot involves moving the camera physically closer to or farther from the subject while keeping the subject in frame. In molecular modeling, the Dolly camera animation in SAMSON replicates this effect by both modifying the camera’s position and its target point. This is particularly useful for:
- Zooming into a binding pocket
- Focusing on different subunits within a complex
- Transitioning smoothly between regions during a simulation report
How to Add a Dolly Camera Animation in SAMSON
1. Go to the Animator’s Track view and select the start frame.
2. Orient the camera as you want it to be at the beginning of the animation. This includes zoom level and target focus.
3. In the Animation panel, double-click on Dolly camera to insert the animation into your timeline.
4. Now, go to your desired end frame and adjust the view again. SAMSON will interpolate the camera’s position and target point between these frames.
Tip: You can always adjust the start and end frames later on. The easing curve settings provide additional control over how smooth the transitions feel.
When Should You Use Dolly vs. Zoom?
Use a Dolly animation when:
- You want to show a transition in focus from one molecular part to another
- You need to change the center of view during the zoom
- The final scene should reframe the subject altogether
Use a Zoom animation when you want to zoom in or out from a fixed point without changing the target.
Customization Tips
The Dolly camera animation also supports several customizations through the Inspector:
- Apply to active camera: Set which camera the animation affects, useful for multiview scenes.
- Keep camera upwards: Influences how the animation behaves depending on whether the grid is shown. This helps maintain a consistent orientation during the animation.
- Easing curve: Choose how fast or slow the transitions happen across the frames.
With just a few clicks, you can significantly boost the clarity and professional polish of your molecular presentations and tutorials.
For more information and advanced tips, see the full documentation on the Dolly camera animation in SAMSON.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.