When preparing a molecular model for a presentation, it is easy to lose the context you want viewers to follow. A structure may extend vertically, but a static view can make it hard to reveal its shape or guide attention along it. Moving the camera alone can create another problem: the object may drift away from the center of the view.
The Pedestal camera animation addresses this by shifting the camera’s position and its target point together. The movement is vertical in the camera reference frame, so the view travels up or down while keeping its framing relationship intact. This can be useful for showing different vertical regions of a molecular system without making the camera appear to pivot around the structure.
What moves—and what stays together
Think of the camera position as where you are looking from, and the target point as the center of the view. In a pedestal move, both are shifted vertically by the same distance. Because they move in parallel, the camera’s direction of view is maintained during the move. The result is a translated view rather than a change in aim.
This is different from a Truck camera move, which shifts the view horizontally. If you need to move the view vertically, choose Pedestal camera; if you need a horizontal pass, Truck camera is the corresponding animation. For other kinds of camera movement, see Move camera.
Set up the move from a useful starting view
- In the Animator’s Track view, choose the frame where the movement should begin.
- Orient the view and camera as you want them at the start. This establishes the starting composition, including what is centered and how the system is framed.
- In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click Pedestal camera to add the effect.
- Set the animation’s end frame. The camera’s target point and position are shifted vertically together for the end of the move.
You can move the start and end frames later if the timing needs adjustment. A practical way to plan the shot is to decide first what the viewer should see at the beginning and at the end, then set the animation’s duration to suit the pace of the explanation. The movement changes the view; it does not replace the need to choose a clear starting composition.
Check the camera settings
By default, camera animations apply to the active camera. The animation’s target point is based on that camera’s current target position—the center of the view. If you need the animation to apply differently, inspect it and change Apply to active camera.
Camera positioning can behave differently depending on whether the grid is on or off. The Keep camera upwards option controls whether the animation’s behavior depends on the grid’s state. If the move looks different than expected, check this setting along with the grid state before changing the animation itself.
You can also adjust how camera parameters transition between frames by changing the Easing curve. This affects the interpolation of the movement over time. For camera-position edits, use the animation controllers, keeping in mind that Pedestal camera has specific limitations on how its target points and positions can be adjusted.
A useful mental check: if your goal is to move the view vertically while keeping its aim, use a pedestal move; if you want the framing to change, reconsider the starting orientation or explore another camera animation. For setup details and adjustment guidance, learn more in the Pedestal camera documentation.
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