When simulating molecular systems, tracking the movement of a specific atom group over a trajectory can be tedious. You manually adjust the view frame by frame or risk losing the area of interest as atoms drift outside the screen. This is especially frustrating during presentations or video captures where losing focus makes it harder for audiences to interpret the data.
The Follow atoms animation in SAMSON offers a streamlined solution. It automatically makes the camera follow selected atoms, ensuring your viewpoint remains centered where it matters most. Whether you are exploring a catalytic site during a conformational transition or visualizing a ligand during binding, this animation keeps the focus sharp and consistent.
How it works
Once atoms are selected, you can set up the animation in just a few clicks:
- Adjust the camera to your preferred orientation and field of view.
- Pick the starting frame in the Animator’s Track view.
- Double-click the Follow atoms animation from the Animation panel.
- Set the desired end frame. SAMSON will interpolate the camera movement.
The key idea: the camera target follows the geometric center of the chosen atoms, and the camera position is automatically adjusted to maintain a constant distance from the center. It fuels a smooth and stable animation where your atoms stay at the center of attention, literally.
When to use it
This animation is handy when visualizing:
- Ligand paths during docking or unbinding simulations
- Protein domain motions (e.g., hinge-bending)
- Localized chemical reactions within a large macromolecule
- Transport through channels or pores
Instead of managing camera controls frame by frame or writing camera scripts manually, you can stay focused on interpreting the science.
Fine-tuning the animation
Depending on how particular you are about the camera trajectory, SAMSON provides options to refine behavior. For example:
- You can modify the Apply to active camera option to determine which camera receives the animation.
- Enable or disable the Keep camera upwards option depending on your preference for camera orientation, especially if the grid is a visual reference in your scene.
- You’re also free to manually adjust start or end frame positions for better timing or more cinematic effects.
Visual Example
Here’s how a typical Follow atoms animation looks:
The animation ensures clean, focused, and repeatable camera work — useful not only for analysis but also for creating visual content that communicates clearly to collaborators, students, or the public.
To learn more about setting up and adjusting Follow atoms animations in SAMSON, visit the full documentation page here:
https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/follow-atoms/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.