When working on complex molecular models, one recurring challenge is managing the visual navigation across different regions of interest. Whether you’re alternating between atomic-scale details and global structure overviews, or inspecting interactions from different angles, jumping around in 3D space can consume a lot of your time.
Luckily, SAMSON offers a built-in solution that can dramatically streamline this process: multiple cameras. Each camera can store a specific view configuration, so you can switch between them instantly without having to rotate, zoom, and pan your way back to a previous view.
What Are Cameras in SAMSON?
Every SAMSON document contains at least one camera. A camera defines a particular viewpoint into the 3D scene—not just what you see, but how you see it. This includes orientation, zoom level, projection type (perspective or orthographic), and even movement settings like inertia.
You might think of each camera as a virtual tripod placed somewhere in your scene. By setting up different cameras with specific configurations, you can create your own personal shortcuts for navigating complex structures.
Why Use Multiple Cameras?
Imagine working on a protein-ligand system:
- Camera 1: Full overview of the entire protein complex
- Camera 2: Close-up on the binding pocket
- Camera 3: Orthographic view for crystal structure alignment
- Camera 4: Top-down visualization to prepare a publication figure
By setting up each of these cameras in one document, you can toggle between views with just a few clicks. No more fiddling to re-align your model manually.
Adding and Managing Cameras
To add a new camera, go to Visualization > Camera or press the corresponding shortcut (Ctrl + Shift + C on Windows/Linux, Cmd + Shift + C on macOS). The newly added camera gets a default position, which you can later customize.
In the Document view, all your cameras are listed. To switch to a different one:
- Double-click the desired camera
- Or right-click and choose Set as active camera
Accessing Camera Features
Right-clicking on a camera expands further control:
- Center the camera on the current selection or the whole model
- Enable camera inertia for smoother motions
- Use orthographic projection for planar structures like crystals
- Manually move or rotate the camera
Fine-Tuning in the Inspector
The Inspector lets you modify camera settings manually: position, orientation, projection mode, and inertia. This is useful for creating repeatable views for presentations or publications.
Conclusion
Using multiple cameras in SAMSON is a simple but powerful way to reduce visual navigation time and boost productivity—especially when dealing with large systems or preparing clear visuals for collaborators and publications. You can maintain different perspectives and revisit them instantly, which helps you focus on the science, not the steering.
To learn more about camera usage in SAMSON, visit the official documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.