One of the challenges in presenting molecular structures effectively is directing the viewer’s attention without disorienting them. Whether you’re preparing a research presentation, a teaching demo, or a visual summary for publication, showing transitions between different molecular views can make or break the clarity of your message.
Scientists and molecular designers often need more than a static image. They want to illustrate changes in focus, showcase a binding site, or slowly zoom into a particular interaction. But doing this gently and without abrupt jumps can be tricky—especially when the camera position and target must both shift smoothly over time. This is where SAMSON’s Dolly camera animation comes in handy.
What is a Dolly Camera Animation?
The Dolly camera in SAMSON lets you create animations in which both the camera’s position and its target point move between two frames. This creates a dolly effect, comparable to physically moving a camera closer to a subject along a straight path while adjusting what the lens is pointing at. It’s helpful when you’re not just zooming in, but need to focus on a different point in space simultaneously. That’s something a basic zoom animation can’t achieve as easily.
For example, imagine you’re showing a ligand binding to a protein. You might want to start from a view showing the entire protein and then move into the binding pocket, adjusting the focal point to center on the actual interaction. A dolly animation smoothly handles both that movement and that shift in focus.
How to Add a Dolly Animation
Here’s how to create a dolly camera animation in SAMSON:
- Select your start frame in the Animator’s Track view.
- Orient the camera view as needed for the initial frame.
- Go to the Animation panel and double-click the Dolly camera effect.
- Set the end frame where you want the animation to finish and adjust the camera’s position and focal point accordingly.
At any time, you can shift where those key frames occur on the timeline or tweak the camera settings.
Tips to Fine-Tune Your Animation
- Use the Inspector to modify whether the animation applies to the active camera.
- Enable or disable the “Keep camera upwards” option to make the camera rotation behave consistently depending on whether the grid is on or off.
- Adjust the Easing curve for smoother interpolation—whether you want a linear flow or something that starts slow and accelerates.
Visual Example
Here’s an illustration of the dolly effect in action. The animation begins with an overview of a molecular system and ends by smoothly transitioning into a zoomed-in focus with both position and viewpoint changing:
Why This Matters
This animation tool offers fine control over camera movement, helping you guide your audience through complex spatial structures. It is more versatile than zoom-only effects, especially for dynamic stories or step-by-step presentations of molecular interactions.
Learn more in the documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON here.