Tracking specific atoms during a molecular dynamics simulation can be challenging. As atoms move, rotate, and interact, your view can quickly become disoriented, making it difficult to focus on the region of interest. This is especially problematic when visualizing complex biomolecular systems or when trying to create a clear presentation of a particular molecular event.
Fortunately, SAMSON offers a useful animation effect called Follow atoms that solves this issue by automatically making the camera follow a set of atoms over time. This ensures that you always stay centered on the atoms of interest, even as they move across frames.
What does the Follow Atoms animation do?
The Follow atoms animation keeps both the camera position and its target point dynamically aligned with the motion of selected atoms. The key idea is to maintain a constant vector between the camera and the selected atoms — as the atoms move, the camera follows at a fixed distance and orientation.
This approach is particularly useful when you’re studying radial diffusion, ligand binding/unbinding processes, or any local event in a moving domain. You don’t need to manually adjust the camera, and your view remains consistent and focused.
Getting started: adding the animation
Here’s how to apply a Follow atoms animation in SAMSON:
- Select the atoms you want the camera to follow. Use the selection tools in SAMSON to define your region of interest.
- Orient the camera the way you want it for the starting frame — this sets the initial camera position and target.
- In the Animator’s Track view, choose where to start the animation.
- Double-click on the Follow atoms option in the Animation panel of the Animator.
- The interaction will automatically create keyframes. The camera will follow the geometric center of the selected atoms from the start to the end frame.
If you change your mind about the timing, you can always modify the start or end frames manually. Additionally, the animation respects your existing view orientation, making it easier to incorporate into existing projects.
Fine-tuning the animation
You can control which camera is affected by inspecting the animation and modifying the Apply to active camera option. Need more control? Use the Keep camera upwards option for consistent orientation if the grid is involved in your visualization setup.
The animation maintains the camera target at the geometric center of the selected atoms. You can still adjust the camera position using animation controllers without affecting the dynamic target tracking.
Putting it all together
This feature can greatly improve not just the clarity but also the communicability of your molecular animations. When your audience sees a molecule in motion and the camera remains focused on the action, it feels more engaging and easier to understand — without additional editing.
To learn more and explore advanced options, view 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 download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.