Tracking dynamic molecular behavior during a simulation is a challenge many molecular modelers face. When atoms move across a system, the default camera often stays put—forcing users to constantly adjust their view just to follow what matters. This can interrupt workflows, waste time, and even result in missed details in complex trajectories.
Fortunately, SAMSON offers a built-in animation effect called Follow atoms that solves this problem by allowing the camera to automatically follow selected atoms throughout an animation.
What is the Follow atoms Animation?
With the Follow atoms animation effect, SAMSON enables the camera to track the geometric center of any atoms you choose. The camera’s position and target adjust dynamically to ensure a constant distance from the tracked atoms.
This is extremely useful when you’re analyzing the motion of specific parts of a molecular system, like a ligand binding to a receptor, or a domain moving through a conformational change. Instead of manually panning and zooming to keep the atoms in view, you let the camera do the work.
Setting It Up
Here’s a quick overview of how to create such animations in SAMSON:
- Select the atoms you want the camera to follow. Use any selection method you prefer.
- Orient the view or position the camera how you want the animation to start.
- In the Animator’s Track view, pick the start frame.
- Double-click Follow atoms from the Animation panel of the Animator.
- Set the desired end frame to complete the animation.
Between start and end frames, the camera smoothly follows the atoms’ geometric center, preserving the relative camera orientation and distance from the tracked group.
Adjusting and Customizing
Control over the animation doesn’t stop there. You can always adjust the start and end frames after creation. If you ever change your camera or want to apply the animation to another one, you can inspect the animation and deactivate the Apply to active camera option.
Need your camera to stay oriented with the grid? The Keep camera upwards option, also available through inspection, lets you adapt to whether grid snapping is on or off—great when you want a consistent frame of reference.
A Visual Example
Here’s an example of the Follow atoms animation in action. Notice how smoothly the camera stays locked on the target atoms as they move:
When to Use It
If your molecular animation focuses on a small part of a much larger system, or if you’re highlighting atomic-scale movements as part of a presentation or publication, this feature saves you time while improving clarity and visual consistency.
The Follow atoms animation is a valuable addition to any modeler’s toolkit who works with molecular dynamics, flexible docking studies, or conformational transitions.
To learn more, visit the full documentation: 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 at https://www.samson-connect.net.