When studying the dynamic behavior of molecules, it’s common to want the camera to stay focused on a certain region — a binding site, an atom group, a functional group in motion — while the rest of the molecular system moves. At the same time, you may want to avoid orbiting the camera or changing its position, which can be disorienting, especially during presentations or while producing educational media.
This is where the Look at atoms animation in SAMSON can offer a practical solution. This animation keeps the camera position fixed and adjusts the target point — the position in space the camera looks at — to follow the geometric center of selected atoms. This allows you to watch specific atoms as they move, without rotating or flying the camera around the system.
Why is this useful?
In computational simulations, especially long molecular dynamics or reaction pathway visualizations, we often want to track a subset of atoms — for example, a ligand entering a binding pocket or a catalytic residue during enzymatic motion. Traditional animation approaches can lead to jerky or confusing camera movements, particularly across long simulations. The Look at atoms feature provides a clearer, more targeted view.
How to use it
Here’s a step-by-step guide to applying the Look at atoms animation:
- Select the atoms you want the camera to follow. For instance, select the atoms of a ligand you’re observing.
- Orient the camera to the position from which you want to view the motion. This will set the fixed position of the camera throughout the animation.
- In the Animator’s Track view, pick your starting frame. Then, in the Animation panel, double-click on Look at atoms.
- This creates a camera animation where the target (the point the camera is looking at) follows your selected atoms while the position of the camera remains steady throughout the selected frames.
- Extend the animation by setting the end frame as needed.
By default, this applies to the currently active camera, but if needed, you can inspect and reassign it to a different one. If the scene has a grid enabled and you want to maintain an upright orientation relative to it, make sure to check the Keep camera upwards option.
Customize Without Disrupting The View
An important distinction: while the Follow atoms animation actually moves the camera itself, Look at atoms only modifies the target — so your view will feel stable even as the atoms move, like placing a tripod and panning the camera’s viewfinder.
And if needed, you can fine-tune the animation further. Access the Adjusting camera positions tools to update the camera path, though the target will remain locked to the geometric center of the selected atoms.
Here’s an example of how this looks in practice:
To learn more and explore detailed options, visit the full documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/look-at-atoms/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net