When presenting molecular structures and mechanisms, clarity in camera movement can be the difference between a confusing animation and an insightful one. Molecular modelers often need to emphasize vertical changes—such as interactions across layers in a membrane protein or shifts in conformation along the z-axis. However, creating smooth camera movements that preserve viewer orientation and highlight important vertical relationships can be challenging.
The Pedestal camera animation in SAMSON offers a straightforward solution. This animation moves both the camera’s position and its target point vertically, maintaining the viewing angle and focus. Think of it as lifting your molecular scene upward or downward, without rotating or shifting sideways—ideal when you want to give your audience a better sense of vertical spacing or alignment.
When to use the Pedestal camera
This camera mode is particularly suitable when:
- You want to maintain the current viewpoint and just shift the whole view up or down.
- You are analyzing or presenting vertical transitions in molecular conformations.
- You’re navigating around a complex system (such as a multi-layered membrane or larger biomolecular assemblies) and want to maintain spatial context.
How it works
The Pedestal camera animation modifies both the camera’s position and its target point in a parallel vertical direction, giving a sensation of elevating or lowering the viewpoint without rotating it. This is done between two keyframes, defined by you in the Animator’s Track View.
To apply this animation, follow these steps:
- Set the start frame with the camera oriented as desired.
- Double-click on the “Pedestal camera” effect in the Animation panel.
- The system will automatically use the current camera position and target point as the start frame, and apply a vertical shift to define an end frame.
- Adjust the end frame timing and distance if needed to fine-tune your animation speed and displacement.
The result is a clean, linear animation where the camera appears to rise or drop smoothly while preserving orientation—something that’s crucial when moving through molecular systems where precise spatial awareness is needed.
Adjusting and refining your animation
Although the Pedestal camera has predefined vertical movement, you can still fine-tune its behavior:
- Change the easing curve to define how the camera accelerates/decelerates between frames for smoother transitions.
- Use the animation inspector to select whether the animation applies to the currently active camera.
- Enable or disable Keep camera upwards depending on whether your scene orientation is affected by the grid’s status.
Please note that while the animation allows adjustments, its target and position must remain vertically aligned—horizontal shifts are not possible with Pedestal camera (for that, consider using the Truck camera).
Why it’s worth a try
Small adjustments in presentation can add significant clarity. The Pedestal camera reduces cognitive load by avoiding abrupt visual shifts, keeping your audience focused on the structural messages you want to convey.
To dive deeper into how to set this up and what options are available, explore the original documentation page: Pedestal Camera Animation Documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.