When studying molecular simulations, it’s common to focus on a specific region of a structure—perhaps a binding site or a critical subunit—while the rest of the system shifts around it during a trajectory. However, reorienting the camera manually at every frame can be time-consuming and error-prone. Fortunately, in SAMSON, you can automate this focus with the Look at atoms animation.
This feature is designed to help you continuously track a set of atoms—without having the camera float through space. Instead of moving the whole viewpoint, only the camera target is updated to follow the selected atoms. It’s like focusing your eyes on a moving object while keeping your head still.
Why this matters
Animation is a valuable tool in molecular modeling when you’re trying to visualize dynamic behavior. But when the region of interest moves, keeping it centered can be frustrating. The Look at atoms animation solves this by ensuring your area of interest remains in view, improving communication and understanding of molecular events.
What does it do exactly?
Once applied, the camera continues to look at the geometric center of the atoms you initially select—across the set of frames you define. The viewing direction stays aligned, and only the target point moves. This avoids unwanted drift or disorientation during playback.
Use this when, for example, a ligand is moving within a binding pocket and you want to clearly observe its motion without zooming or circling around the system.
Basic setup
- Select the atoms of interest (e.g., the binding site, a ligand, or mobile residues).
- Manually adjust your camera position and orientation as you want it to stay.
- In the Animator, go to the desired start frame and double-click Look at atoms in the Animation panel.
- Set the end frame for the animation and adjust as needed. The animation will interpolate the camera target between the two frames based on your selected atoms’ motion.
Advanced options
By default, this animation applies to the current active camera, but you can customize this behavior. For instance, inspecting the animation lets you choose whether to apply it to the active camera or another one. You can also decide if the camera should remain upright relative to a grid, which may affect how the animation behaves depending on your workspace setup.
Helpful tip
You can continue adjusting camera position manually with animation controllers, but the target point will stay locked to your atoms. This is particularly useful for emphasizing localized conformational changes while minimizing overall camera motion.
Learn more about using the Look at atoms animation in SAMSON.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download the platform at https://www.samson-connect.net.