When working with molecular systems over time—such as when visualizing molecular dynamics simulations—one of the most common frustrations for researchers is losing track of what they’re supposed to be watching. The molecule, or a part of it, moves through space, and unless the camera follows it properly, it can drift out of view or become difficult to observe clearly. That’s where the Look at atoms animation in SAMSON can help.
This camera effect makes the camera continuously look at the selected atoms throughout an animation. Importantly, unlike other tracking tools, the camera’s position remains fixed—it’s only the camera target that moves. This is particularly useful when you want to follow a ligand entering a binding site or a part of a protein undergoing conformational change, but don’t want jerky or disorienting camera movement that can occur when both position and target shift.
How It Works
When the Look at atoms animation is used, SAMSON calculates the geometric center of the selected atoms and ensures the camera is always directed toward this center as it moves. The start and end camera positions are locked during the animation duration, offering a smooth experience focused on your region of interest.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Select the atoms in your system you want the camera to follow. This could be part of a protein, a key residue, a ligand, etc.
- Position the camera as you’d like it to stay (you can always adjust this later).
- Identify the start frame in the Animator’s Track view.
- Double-click the Look at atoms effect in the Animation panel.
- Set your end frame—SAMSON interpolates the camera’s target point between the two frames based on atomic movement.
A Visual Example
To get a clearer idea of what this looks like in practice, check out the example below. Even though the molecular structure is moving through 3D space, the camera always keeps the selected atoms in its line of sight. This is an effective way to monitor small-scale structural shifts or follow the path of a dynamic molecular process.
Tweaking the Behavior
You can further customize how the camera behaves with this tool. By inspecting the animation, you can:
- Change whether the effect applies to the active camera or another.
- Adjust the “Keep camera upwards” option to influence behavior based on whether the view grid is on/off.
You can also manually adjust the camera position for more control, while still benefiting from the automated centering on your selected atoms. Read more on Adjusting camera positions.
Good For Presentations and Research
Because this effect limits motion to the target point only, it avoids unnecessary camera movement that can distract viewers or obscure detailed dynamics. This makes it an excellent choice when preparing animations for presentations or publications, where clarity and consistency of view are essential.
To learn more about using the Look at atoms animation in SAMSON, visit the official documentation at https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/look-at-atoms/.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download it from https://www.samson-connect.net.